Normal Edition 4 Final Copy New

THE NORTH-WESTERNER NO 004 - JUNE 2023
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2
DISCOVERY
43 - A trip to the land of great tourist potential
FEATURES
50 - Hate Speech: Impact and prevention in our communities
53 - NWRA: Sport Diplomacy: Youth empowerment, peace and development
58 NWRA NEWS AND UPDATES
EDITORIAL TEAM
PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Prof. Fru Fobushzi Angwafo III Varela Graphics
President, North-West Regional
Assembly PHOTOGRAPHY
Alombah Anderson Akondi
MANAGING EDITOR VictoryMarshal Ayafor
Hon. Wandim Nsom Jude
PRINTING
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dignity prints
VictoryMarshal Ayafor Basang
DISTRIBUTION
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS VictoryMarshal Ayafor
Njike Celestine Atadebe Fru Vernasius Konje
Kendemeh Emmanuel Immaculate Azue Epse Awazi
Charles Tembei Azah Marie Chantal
Choves Loh
CONTACT INFOS
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Up Station, opposite Court of Appeal
- Hon. Ghejung Awunti Call us: 23723363100
- Hon. Nfor Marcel Send us email: info@nwra.cm
- HRM Fon Azehfor III P.O. Box 5127 Bamenda, North-West
- Alombah Anderson Akondi Region,Cameroon.
- Tilarious Atia Our website: www.nwra.cm
- Buba Laura Chifon Our facebook page: The North West Regional Assembly
- Moma Sandrine L Twitter: North West Regional Assembly
- Wifah Jenny Hans Instagram: @north-west-regional-assembly
- Ngene Sandra Youtube: North West Regional Assembly
- Ndi Tsembom Tik tok: @nwregionalassembly
- Gnoukapasir Martial P.
- Ntam Jude
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EDITORIAL
fundamental to our Regional Peace Pact!
In the spirit of openness, sharing and enriching
our lives, we encourage and will read from peo-
ple of diverse backgrounds in this edition. The
empowerment and engagement of youth remains
a cornerstone of our action. Informal and several
formal exchanges, meetings and seminars with
the Youth Council, young Parliamentarians and
young Councilors of the Region encourage the
Regional Assembly. The die is cast on rekindling
the fundamentals on public (community) and
private (individual) interest and thereby prevail
actions on common interest for the good of all,
everybody! The ethical imperative of probity in
public affairs is addressed in this issue. Moral
rearmament and civic pride can never be ex-
cessive.
The measured devolution of powers so far is
evidence of a purposeful construction of the
new Cameroon the Head of State promised
in his end year message to the nation in 2019.
At the Regional level, we report on actions in
Prof. Fru Fobushzi Angwafo III Education and Health that tie with empowering
President, North-West Regional Assembly youth and women as we partner with key insti-
tutions in this ever-critical moment in the social
How time flies! The fourth edition of the
sector. There can be no meaningful development
North-Westerner marks a mid- mandate con-
without improvement in health and education
versation and calls for a review of thought, ac-
which drive physical development!
tion and outcomes of the first thirty months of
An update on ongoing actions concerning delib-
our North-West Regional Assembly. The impact
erations in the economic sector will inform the
of the North- West Regional Assembly within
reader and urge us all to be part of the change.
the decentralization scheme, we gather, is in the
Our constant quest to improve lives is bolstered
public mind. Significant impacts that change
by the resilence of the determined populations
the mind set, attitudes, behaviors and therefore
of the Region to be the masters of their destiny in
the culture as we intimated in our inaugural vi-
self-reliance. Yes, the economy is picking up in
sion of January 2021 take, at least, a generation.
quantity and hopefully quality will follow soon!
However, the tone and direction to strengthen-
The drive to innovate, to invent and re-invent
ing the collective or community spirit has been
through local content, local solutions to local
set through our Peace and Development Initia-
problems is yielding the fruits of collaboration
tive. We urge all to join in this collective enter-
and collective action.
prise of improving livelihoods as we believe no
Enjoy the read and please send your criticisms!
one is too small or too big in the construction of
Non Sebi Sed Omnibus! Not for self, but for all!
peace. “U na Mi, Mi na U, Wi bi Wi” remains
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INTERVIEW
Mid-term into the pioneer Mandate Momo. When all members of the Regional
of the North-West Regional Assem- Assembly are present and participating, we
bly, Charles Tembei caught up with are certain of Region-wide representation.
the President of the North-West Re- This is important for the voice of the entire
gional Executive Council, Prof. Fru Region and for our democracy.
Fobushzi Angwafo III, who recounted
How is the NW Regional Assembly faring
some of the major milestones so far mid-way into the term of office of the pio-
covered by this new Republican insti- neer team of the NW Regional Executive
tution.
Council?
Excerpts below. President: The NW Regional Assembly is

How did you receive the news of the release waxing strong. We expect the populations of
of the President of the House of Chiefs and the Region to continue support for the Peace
how does this augur for work at the North- and Development Initiative programmes, an
West Regional Assembly? overture to citizen-participation and commu-
nity ownership of development. Ultimately,
President: Great relief! We thank God and all participation of all stakeholders in planning,
who contributed in one way or the other for his programming, budgeting, implementation,
release. The Regional Assembly is also happy monitoring and evaluation will strengthen
for the return from captivity of Hon. Ujam- and sustain social and economic growth.
beng, Divisional Representative from Ngie,
3
We do have an impression that, so far, the and translate in deed our slogan “U na Mi, Mi
different organs of the NW Regional As- na U, Wi bi Wi.”
sembly do not yet have a perfect mastery of
their roles. What is your take on this? You just mentioned the Peace and Devel-
opment Initiative, since that programme
President: An impression! It is possible. The was launched, what would you say are
North-West Regional Assembly hit the ground some of its major spinoffs?
running with pre-session training seminars for
its members at inception. Experts in admin- President: This is an opportunity to thank all
istration, budget, management and planning the members of the Regional Assembly and
from the Ministries and Universities are in- stakeholders in the community (the religious
vited for these lectures/seminars during every leaders, the traditional rulers, village cultur-
session. We have also learned from several al and development associations, communi-
training programmes designed and operat- ty-based organizations, civil society; wom-
ed by the National School of Local Admin- en and youth associations, Credit Unions,
istration, NASLA, Buea. There have been Councilors and elite within and without the
bench-marking study trips within and without Region), who have found the Peace and De-
the country to build capacity. This is in an ef- velopment Committees an appropriate ven-
fort to anchor our Assembly, indeed the Re- ue for dialogue and exchange. The roles of
gion, in a performance, result-based system. the administration and the Mayors is capi-
tal in sustaining the PDC. The workings of
Close to 30 months since your team and these structures have taken the character of
you took oath of office, what do you think the actors and their community. Further, the
have been your major achievements? cash for work community projects seem to
endear the youth. This has been the case in
President: Validation of our five-year Region- Nwa, Nkambe and Anong and other areas
al Development Plan. Support to internally yet to report. Projects vary from rehabilita-
displaced persons in need: the orphaned, sick, tion of water schemes as in Anong, to road
aged; special support to students and inclusive works and tree-planting. The added value or
education. Financial support to cover 3,400 spinoff, Sir, is growing the local economy in
persons for birth certificates and distribution these areas deprived of business and markets
of medical supplies and hospital equipment to during the last several years. In the long-run,
all Health Districts within the Region. Prompt we hope this scheme will boost self-employ-
responses to natural disasters: floods in Wi- ment (startups) and chase abject poverty out
dikum, landslides at the Fundong Regional of our Region.
Road, victims of the Fundong market fire, and
wind destruction in Nkor and Nwa. The Peace Do you understand the impatience of the
and Development Initiative brings all stake- people with the pace at which you are go-
holders together around common concerns ing? Some say you have nothing concrete
fostering dialogue and bolstering harmonious to show, apart from studies.
development. Community-driven cash for
work schemes and projects recruit vulnera-
President: A diversity of expectations, atti-
ble and disadvantaged youth. Social and eco-
tudes and even impatience are to be enter-
nomic inclusiveness through the High Inten-
sity Labour Approach, HILA, through which tained in public life. Through the media in its
community-designed projects foster cohesion various forms, we try to inform, explain and
4
give an account of our stewardship. A diversi-

um-term budgetary and expenditure frame-
ty of opinion, especially opposing or alterna-
works, further broken down to annual action
tive thoughts, make for a healthy institution. I
plans. These annual plans are finalized after
have been told the Vox Populi section of thisthe budget orientation debate usually in the
journal is quite popular! June Session of the preceding year, where cit-
izen-participation is solicited. So, citizen-par-
You have just had the NW Regional Devel- ticipation is systematic from the elaboration
opment Plan 2023-2027 approved. What of the RDP, budgeting, implementation, mon-
next? itoring and evaluation.
President: The RDP is a road map, a dynamic
guide for the extraction of three-year medi-
5
Where are we with the NW Development are renting to accommodate the twenty or
and Investment Fund, NOWEDIF, whose so staff, which is largely insufficient for the
inception you announced a long time ago? work load. It is actually more economical and
cost-efficient to build the headquarters. Ulti-
President: The legal, finance and administra- mately, money saved in the long-run can be
tive frameworks of the NOWEDIF have been disbursed for social action. I can assure you
elaborated. The studies on food and animal that if our projects were not bankable (justifi-
value chains and an investment scheme are able), FEICOM would not fund them.
ready. These instruments will be presented in
the June Session for validation. The next steps Do you have a specific message you would
are adoption prior to approval by the Repre- want to address to the people of this Re-
sentative of State. Only then can we seek the gion, who are looking up to you for a turn-
assistance of government for implementation. around in their livelihoods?
What do you have off your sleeves in the President: I am happy for the interest and
second segment of your pioneer term? possibly, concern by some on the Regional
Assembly delivering the goods. I am glad
President: Consolidate actions in the six ar- they are holding us to account. Through com-
eas where powers have been devolved to Re- munication we will understand all sides of the
gions. Strengthen the dialogue and harmoni- concerns and truth will prevail. Truth breeds
ous development with community projects as trust, and trust is the social currency for sus-
we engage Regional tours by the Assembly tained development. Having said so, Rome
to all Divisions. Continue our drive to diver- was not built in a day. We urge one and all to
sify our partnerships through inter-Regional join us in decreasing the gaps in information,
Agreements and Partnerships. Strengthen de- communication, wealth and fortunes albeit in
centralized cooperation and engage the private patience. We are on course to improving our
sector in product transformation and industry livelihoods with the methodic devolution of
as projected in our investment (NOWEDIF) competences and accompanying instruments:
plan. technical, material and financial resources!
We urge one and sundry to place common
There are plans to construct a permanent interest of our commonwealth (community)
seat for the NW Regional Assembly worth above personal interest. The rebranding of
about CFA seven billion and already some the Region must integrate the public ethic of
people are jittery about the colossal sum probity, meritocracy, humility, honesty, prag-
of money to be spent on this project. They matism, discipline and inclusivity.
consider this a misplaced priority. What do
you say about this?
President: On the contrary! Again, we have

a challenge to inform and educate. We are
going to hire a minimum of a hundred staff
in the next several years. Where will they
work without appropriate space? Already, we
6
THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE LAW:

STANDING ORDERS
By Hon. Jude Nsom Waindim

Questor NWRA
Oxford Languages Dictionary defines Stand- Standing Orders are the set of rules for how
ing Orders as an order or ruling governing the meetings shall be conducted; they are perma-
procedures of a society, Council, or other de- nent written rules under which proceedings
liberative bodies. May it be reiterated that this are regulated.
meaning is different from Standing Orders in
military, banking and medical jargon. In the case of the North-West Regional As-
sembly, Standing Orders are for the Delib-
From this simple and straight-forward defini- erative Organ, viz., the House of Divisional
tion, it is evident that in the case of Regional Representatives and the House of Chiefs,
Assemblies and Regional Councils, Stand- Committees of the two Houses; but do not ap-
ing Orders are the permanent rules of proce- ply to advisory bodies or workshops, unless
dure for Regional Assemblies and Regional incorporated in their specific terms of refer-
Councils and their Committees. Seen as such, ence.
7
Thus, Standing Orders enable decision-mak- and resolve ethical dilemmas; and provide
ing to be done in a transparent, inclusive and an overview of the current obligations which
lawful manner. Reason why Standing Orders Members are required to observe.
must be anchored on the Law (cf. Law No.
2019/024 of 24 December 2019: Bill to In- Peculiarity of Standing Orders
stitute the General Code of Regional and Lo- The continuing (gerundive), that is, the
cal Authorities). “standing” nature of rules, means that they
do not lapse at the end of a Session or Com-
Standing Orders and the Code mittee Meeting. Rather, they remain in effect
Collins Dictionary gives the legal meaning until the House itself decides to suspend,
of Code to be a set of rules about how peo- change or repeal them. There are, at present,
ple should behave or about how something 85 Standing Orders for the North-West Re-
must be done. Reason why Standing Orders, gional Assembly, each of which constitutes
anchored on the Law, must be statutorily ad- a continuing order of the House for the gov-
opted, in case under review, by the Regional ernance and regulation of its proceedings.
Assembly in plenary. The detailed description of the deliberative
For clarity’s sake, whenever a question about process, the role of the President-Speaker,
the interpretation or application of Standing the nature of Session calendar and the rules
Orders is raised, particularly where a matter governing the work of Committees and citi-
might not be directly provided for, it is the zen-participation are some of the topics cov-
responsibility of the Chairperson of each ered in the Standing Orders. The House de-
meeting to make a ruling. ALL members of clares these continuing orders to be Standing
the Regional Assembly, therefore, and as a Orders when it formally adopts them, and it
matter of statutory obedience, MUST abide periodically issues them as a publication for
by its Standing Orders. the guidance and use of all Members.
It should be emphasized that Standing Orders Standing Orders can be reviewed, modified
are varied by Sessional Orders, which in the or deleted, leading to substantial re-number-
case of the Regional Assembly are Motions ing of its Articles. Furthermore, interpreta-
passed by the Regional Assembly, the two tions given to Standing Orders over time may
Houses that is, that enable it to do certain have to be adapted to fit the modern context,
things and take certain actions not provided
but not going out of the Law. Occasionally,
for by Standing Orders, but which must be
the adoption of a new Standing Order merely
within the ambit of the Code. Sessional Or-
ders are intended to be temporary and remain represents the codification of a long-stand-
in effect only for the duration of the session ing practice of the House, or the permanent
in which they are adopted. Sessional Orders adoption of a Provisional, Sessional or Spe-
may be renewed from Session to Session, and cial Order. At other times, a rule is changed
some eventually become Standing Orders. or added as a result of an incident or event,
which convinced the House to seek a way to
There should be no confusion between the avoid its repetition.
Code as used here and the Code of Ethical
Standards, the purpose of which is to assist The role of the Committee of Standing
Members of the House or Institution to better
Orders
understand the nature of their public office
As an indicator of the importance the House
and the distinct obligations that arise by vir-
tue of that office; provide an educative tool to attaches to reviewing the Standing Orders, at
assist Members manage conflicts of interest the beginning of each Session a debate must
8
be held on the following Motion presented by adopt other types of written rules for limited
the Committee of Standing Orders: “That this periods of time.
House takes note of the Standing Orders and
The House may also adopt Special Orders in
Procedures of the House and its Committees.”
addition to the Standing, Provisional, and Ses-
Then the Committee Chair goes on to pres-
sional Orders, which form the collected body
ent the review of and report on the Standing
of written rules. A frequently used instrument
Orders, Procedure and Practice in the House
for the conduct of House business, Special
and its Committees. The Committee can make
Orders do not modify the “written” Standing
rule-change-recommendations as part of its
Orders. Since they routinely concern the busi-
continuing mandate or as the result of a Spe-
ness of the House and are thus often moved
cific Order of reference.
without notice, following consultations, they
Although the means by which the House re- are often adopted without debate by unan-
views the Standing Orders vary greatly, the imous consent. They may apply to a single
Standing Orders may be added to, changed occasion or to such period of time as may be
or repealed only by a decision of the House, specified. Some Special Orders over time be-
which is arrived at either by way of consen- come Standing Orders.
sus or by a simple majority vote on a Motion
moved by any Member of the House. In the hierarchy of Procedures, just as Statuto-
ry Provisions cannot set aside Constitutional
Whenever the need arises, a Special Commit- Provisions, Standing Orders cannot set aside
tee is established with a mandate to suggest Statutory Law. Thus, the Regional Assembly
revisions to the rules and report its recom- enacts or amends Statutory Provisions, and
mendations to the House. These recommen- adopts its own rules as long as they respect
dations, presented in the House in the form of the Constitution of the Republic and Statutory
a report, are debated on a Motion to concur Law.
in the report. If the House concurs in such a
report, the Standing Orders are immediately
modified. The content of the report may also
be used as the basis for further discussions
leading to changes to the rules.
Bottom Line
Besides the permanent Standing Or-
ders, the House may adopt oth-
er types of written rules for
limited periods of time.
Provisional Standing Or-
ders are individual Standing
Orders adopted for a specif-
ic period of time, which
does not correspond to
the duration of a Ses-
sion. Besides the per-
manent Standing Or-
ders, the House may
9
INSIDE THE HOUSE OF CHIEFS
THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE 18 months in captivity. It was about mid-day

when the President of the House of Chiefs ar-
OF CHIEFS IS BACK!
rived and was received by the administration of
the Region led by the Representative of State,
By BUBA Laura CHIFON
North-West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique,
The release of Fon Yakum Kevin Shumitang and Members of the NW Regional Executive
II from the captivity of non-State fighters is a Council, NW Fons, his subjects, friends and
good signal of return to normalcy in the res- persons of goodwill. For the past close to 20
tive North-West Region and a bait to inves- months, prayers were said in various Churches
tors. and Mosques around the Region. Families de-
The dark cloud and the days of uncertainty voted special prayer sessions, meanwhile tra-
brought by the kidnap and custody for one ditional rituals were conducted, all geared at
year, eight months of the President of the supplicating for his protection and safe return.
House of Chiefs, who doubles as the Vice The opportunity showed up and the Fon was
President of the North-West Regional Exec- rescued, thanks to the professionalism of De-
utive Council, are now history as Fon Yakum fense and Security Forces for rekindling lost
regained his freedom on June 1, 2023. hopes within sons and daughters of the North-
West Region.
The joy was real and emotions raised to a
Speaking during the reception, the Represen-
very high level when His Royal Majesty Fon
tative of State extended a warm welcome to
Yakum Kevin Shumitang II stepped his feet
the Fon, adding that God Almighty did the
at the entrance of the Regional Assembly on
miracle and he was released sound and safe.
June 2, 2023. The visibly anxious population
He equally said a special Thanksgiving Mass
struggled to catch a glimpse of his arrival and
will be organized in the days ahead to show the
to share the experience he had for close to
world and to reassure the Head of State that
President of the House of Chiefs welcomed at the Regional Assembly
10
President welcomed by the Representative of State, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique

the Region is bouncing back on its feet. “The ers to enable them achieve the mission for
long-awaited moment has come. Yes, tradi- which they were elected.
tional rulers of the NW Regional Assembly
In response, HRH Kevin Yakum Shumi-
were for almost one year six months living
tang II began with a big Thank You to the
without one of their leaders,” he remarked,
Almighty God for enabling his release. He
and said the release of His Majesty is the be-
extended his gratitude to the Head of State,
ginning of something new for the Region.
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,
Secretary Two of REC, HRH Fon Bahmbi III
President Paul Biya, the Minster-Delegate
Mathias Njuh, said they were like orphans in
at the Presidency in charge of Defense, for
his absence and the days of sleepless nights
working day and night for his release. The
were now gone.
take-home message, he said, was peace and
On his part, the Commissioner for Economic
peace only to all sons and daughters of the
Development, Ghejung Awunti, representing
North-West Region. “Let my release be the
the President of the North-West Regional As-
turning point for peace to return to the Re-
sembly, could not hide his joy as he extend-
gion,” the freed Fon Yakum Kevin remarked
ed their warm welcome. He said the release
as he yearned for peace to totally reign in the
marked a new beginning for the Region, con-
once-booming North-West Region.
sidering that the Fon was one of the key lead-
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President HOC uses his release to call for peace in the Region
President HOC and Fons of Mankon, Aghem, and Akum
12
House Of Chiefs: Realizations 30 Months On

By HRH Fon Azehfor III of Nkwen
Talking about the balance sheet of the North-

West Regional Assembly 30 months on with-
out highlighting what the House of Chiefs has
or is achieving so far will be incomplete.
As clearly defined by its Vision, through the
Special Status, the North-West Regional As-
sembly is a bi-camera House that has as over-
all objective, re-branding the North-West
Region through economic empowerment for
a healthy, skilled, ambitious and responsible
citizenry; as well as re-establishing tradition-
al authority, cultural values, heritage and ves-
tiges in an enabling environ-
ment by 2035. Looking
at the second part of
the above stated
Vision, the place
of the House of
Chiefs in imple-
menting the Spe-
cial Status and
driving local de-
velopment, can
never ever be un-
derestimated.
It is against this
backdrop that the
House of Chiefs
has been working
HRH Fon Azehfor III of Nkwen
tirelessly for the past 30 months and count-
ing, in contributing its own quota in realizing
extension of some palaces in the Region.
the missions and objectives of the Regional
These studies formed the basis for the on-go-
Assembly. The House of Chiefs has so far
ing and realized project works the Region-
pecked its realizations on three key project
al Assembly has realized in 2022 and 2023.
areas: rehabilitation and extension of some
Some of these Palaces rehabilitated include:
Fons’ Palaces in the Region; planting and
the Barakwe Palace Hall; Mankon Palace
maintenance of trees in some selected sacred
Museum and its extensions; construction of
forests from the seven Divisions of the Re-
the Queen’s Residential Quarters in Nwa Pal-
gion; and subventions to some functional mu-
ace, VIP toilet block in Belo, etc.
seums in the Region.
Still on rehabilitation and extension of Fon’s
In 2021, the House of Chiefs kicked off with
Palaces for the 2023 budgetary year, and based
feasibility studies for the rehabilitation and
13
on need assessment submitted by the House engaged in a three-month tree-planting proj-
of Chiefs, works are on-going in the following ect aimed at restoring and enriching seven sa-
Palaces in the seven Divisions of the Region: cred forests and promoting reforestation and
Bum Palace in Boyo; Mbiame Palace in Bui; agroforestry practices through community en-
Ntem Palace in Donga Mantung; Zongekwo gagement for peace building, improving live-
Aghem and Waido Palaces in Menchum; Nk- lihoods and combatting climate change in the
wen and Sarki Old Town Palaces, as well as Region. This project has as objective to plant
the construction of a borehole in Mbatu Pal- 21,000 medicinal, water and bee-loving trees,
ace in Mezam; Anong and Batibo Palaces in especially for traditional and spiritual purpos-
Momo are also in execution. In Ngoketunjia es in seven sacred forests in the seven Divi-
Division, there is the construction of a secu- sions of the Region.
rity fence round Bamunkumbit Fon’s Palace, The House of Chiefs is also working tirelessly
as well as the rehabilitation of the Bangolang in bringing back peace and normalcy in their
Palace Hall. respective communities by carrying out tradi-
Talking about subventions to functional mu- tional cleansing rites in their villages and orga-
seums in the Region, some selected museums nizing annual festivals and rituals that promote
will be receiving assistance from the Region- social cohesion and living-together. Thanks to
al Assembly 2023 budget. such activities, life is steadily bouncing back
In the area of tree-planting and maintenance to normal as people are increasingly returning
of sacred forests, the Regional Assembly has to live in their communities.
14
REACTIONS
By VictoryMarshal AYAFOR BASANG prayers and he was finally freed. So, when I
The euphoria was real and emotions high got the good news, I immediately dispatched
when His Royal Highness Fon Yakum Kev- my Private Secretary to him with a message
in Shumitang II made his way back into theof love, solidarity, and above all, consolation
North-West Regional Assembly premises on from my humble person on behalf of the Kom
people. I was overwhelmed with joy especial-
June 2, 2023 after having been in separatist
ly when my special envoy returned with pic-
captivity for 18 months. It was like the tri-
umphant entry of Christ Jesus described intures he had taken of him. We thank God for
the Bible. The unprecedented crowd seen his release, especially for the patience and hu-
mility that he exercised in accepting his plight.
pressing hard on each other just to see and
We use his release as an opportunity to pray
believe for themselves that the President of
for the rapid return of peace and normalcy in
the House of Chiefs was truly back, could be
our Region.
heard chanting with joy and hailing the King
all day. HRH Fon Clement Ndzi II of Kom-Boyo,
Member, House of Chiefs, NW Regional
The North-Westerner Magazine had the op- Assembly.
portunity to talk to some Fons as well as
some sons and daughters of the Region on
how they felt receiving back Fon Shumi-
tang II and this is what they had to say:
We prayed for his safety and good

health and God eventually answered
our prayers
I am HRH Fon Clement Ndzi II, Para-
mount Ruler of the Kom Fondom in Boyo
Division. When news reached me that my
colleague and personal friend, HRM the
Fon of Bambalang, had regained his
liberty after close to two years in
captivity, the entire royal house-
hold and I could not imme-
diately believe the good
news, until it was actually
confirmed beyond any iota
of doubt. For all the while
that he was in captivity,
we were very worried and
kept praying for his safety
and good health. The gods
of Kom land and the Al-
mighty God answered our
15
so, I further confirmed with the Commis-

sioner for Health and Social Development,
Dr Yaa Fondufe Sakah Lydia, who told
me it was true the President was actu-
ally back. I cannot hold my joy. I am
very happy with his release, which to
me is the greatest news of all times.
We thank God Almighty for his
safe release. We also thank
the defense and securi-
ty forces and every
other person who
worked to facili-
tate his release.
We are excit-
ed to have
him back in
the House
of Chiefs,
so that we
can contin-
ue building
the Region
together and
I cannot hold my joy… safeguarding
When I first heard of the return of my broth- the customs and traditions of our Land.
er and President of the House of Chiefs at
the Regional Assembly, I thought it was
a joke until I confirmed it for myself as I HRM Fon Sehm Mbinglo II of Nso-Bui,
got his voice on the phone. Even at that, I Member, House of Chiefs, NW Regional
was so overwhelmed with joy and amaze- Assembly
ment that I wanted to be sure I was not
dreaming with such relieving good news;
16
in order to shape the path of peace in our com-
munities. Our traditional institutions are a key to
the process.
Fon Ngum IV of Oku,
Bui Division
Regaining his freedom after 18 months is

worth celebrating
“The news concerning the release of our brother
and colleague, HRM Fon Shumitang II of Bam-
balang, from captivity was that of joy and hap-
piness. In fact, we were overwhelmed when we
finally embraced each other with tears of joy. It
was indeed emotional. We felt extremely hap-
py and excited. Why excited? Excited because
spending 18 months in captivity and regaining
his freedom safe and alive is worth celebrating
and returning gratitude to God Almighty. Even
though his release was overdue, we are still hap-
py and it is a clear sign that there is hope in the
It gives me great pleasure to extend my best near future. We are thankful to the God of our
wishes to the Fon of Bambalang for his release. ancestors and to all the living forces who in one
As the President of the Regional House of way or the other contributed for the release of
Chiefs, he has played a very significant role in our brother. Seeing him physically sound was
the promotion of peace in our beloved Region. quite relieving to us. Our utmost wish is for to-
I pray he should be in good health and may the tal normalcy to return in our darling Region as
Almighty God bless the Fon and those who con- well as in the South-West Region.”
ceived and carried out the operation that led to HRM Nfon Dominic Njinyu Kintum I,
his release. Those fighting should know tradi- Fon of Nkor-Mbin, Noni,
tional rulers were there and they will always be Bui Division.
there. Traditional rulers have always used their
thrones to build peace and develop their vari-
ous villages. Traditional rulers should never be
a point of target, no matter the reason. The Fon
of Bambalang is the President of Fons, voted by
Fons, and people should know that the Regional
House of Chiefs is not a political institution and
it is there to serve the people.
My advice to the Fons using the case of the Fon
of Bambalang as a pointer is that, together let
us desire, conceive, and create the new structure
of the future, which will embrace peace, unity,
love, and nonviolence. This should be our rally-
ing cry and the catalyst for change in our nation.
We can only appreciate all efforts that have been
made to finally liberate our colleague, HRM the
Fon of Bambang. We need everyone on board
17
praying for his safe release while performing
traditional rites for his return
HRH Fon Thomas Kibussi of
Misaje-Donga Mantung,
Assembly.
With his release, we, as Fons, will fully sup-

port him in the accomplishments of his mis-
sion
As the Fons of the North-West, we are very ex-
cited to receive our President of the House of
Chiefs at the North-West Regional Assembly.
The House of Chiefs is the voice of the peo- Being in captivity for 1 year 6 months and
ple in the Regional Assembly through which released untouched is the doing of God
communities convey their expectations. As The return of my President (President of the
the custodians of our traditions and customs, House of Chiefs), to whom I am secretary,
the people believe in us as their traditional au- means the world to me. I feel so elated. From
thorities, to be the ones to table their everyday the day we got the sweet news of his release
realities and challenges at the Regional As- till this moment, I am the happiest man on
sembly. We had not been able to effectively earth. Being abducted and released alive and
carry out this responsibility as anticipated, due untouched after 18 months can only be the do-
to his absence for 1 year, 6 months. With his ing of God Almighty and the blessings of the
return, and coordination of things, we are real- ancestors of our land. During his absence, I
ly assured the House of Chiefs will be contrib- tried my best to coordinate things in the House
uting adequately in giving their own proposals of Chiefs and now that he is back, we will
to forge the Fondoms of the Region ahead. present a full report of what we had achieved
so far while he was away for 18 months. He
As a matter of fact, the short time that he was will certainly continue from there. I am just
in office before his abduction, he put in his so happy that I cannot but express feelings of
best to coordinate and network with the Fons joy and excitement. We truly thank God for
of the Region to come up with project ideas answering our prayers; and we are ready to
that will benefit our respective communities work and collaborate with him, giving him
and Fondoms. So we are very happy to have our full support to take the Fondoms of the
him back. We want him to understand that the Region forward.
Fons of the Region and Donga Mantung in HRH Fon Bahmbi III Mathias Njuh of
particular are behind him to throw their weight Aghem-Menchum,
of support. He should never feel he was ever Member, House of Chiefs, NW Regional
abandoned, because we had constantly been Assembly.
18
Region for total peace and normalcy to return
in the Region. I wish to use this medium to call
on all those who are still carrying arms and
desecrating our Fondoms to reconsider their
stand. They should drop arms and embrace the
olive branch of peace extended to them by the
Head of State, President Paul Biya, by join-
ing the DDR Centre or doing something better
with their lives.
HRH Fon Aaron Kulla Bumkang of

Abar-Menchum,
Assembly.
We thank God for the release

of the President of the House
of Chiefs. His release to me is
a mark of positive evolution
of the socio-political crisis in
the North-West Region. We,
the members of the House of
Chiefs, were traumatized by
his absence. With his return,
there will now be a high degree
of camaraderie, conviviality
and confidence in the roles of
the House of Chiefs and Divi-
sional Representatives. With
his return, we look forward to
stronger deliberations from the
House of Chiefs and strategic
implementation and follow
up of these deliberations. We
are certain he is going to join
us to push forth the on-going
pacification process in all the
Fondoms of the North-West
19
His release for me spells a new dawn for
the Region
“The news came as a surprise. People doubt-
ed it but it was true Fon Kevin Shumintang
of Bambalang was released from captivity.
With his release, I see a bright rising sun
hovering over the Region and announcing
a better future for sons and daughters of the
Region. I was very happy for the news and
thanked God Almighty for securing the life
of my colleague, who spent eighteen months
in captivity. North-westerners have always
been strongly respected and honoured as a
people who believe in their culture and have
a strong cultural identity.
So, everybody across the board had been

very surprised with the atrocious acts com-
mitted within the context of the Anglophone
crisis and not to talk of daring to kidnap a tra-
ditional ruler. The Mankon people condemn
Allah be praised for the miracle of preserving
in strong terms all these horrendous acts of his life till his safe release
killing and kidnapping for ransom. Those “Greetings to all the members of the North-
involved should give a second thought to West Regional Assembly, particularly Mem-
their actions. You cannot keep committing bers of the House of Chiefs. I am writing
the same acts and expecting different re- for myself and on behalf of the entire Mus-
lim community of Old Town, Bamenda, and
sults. Two wrongs can never make a right.
the Region at large, to express immense hap-
The gun has never solved any problem. Let piness and gratitude to Allah for the release
us give peace a chance for psychosocial and of the President of the House of Chiefs at
economic development of the North- West the North-West Regional Assembly, who
Region. The release of Fon Shumintang III had been in separatist captivity for 1 year 6
months. We thank Allah for his release. As
of Bambalang should pave a way for sus-
humans, we cannot abstain from the trials of
tained peace. I appreciate all stakeholders life, but Allah always gives us the Grace and
who ensured his safe release. I call on all to ability to overcome these trials. We pray that
join hands for us to keep building and seek- his release should be a sign of return to nor-
ing peace in our Region.” malcy in the NW and SW Regions. We have
been praying for him since the day we got
HRH Fon Angwafo IV of Mankon,
the news that he had been kidnapped. As the
Mezam Division. Sarki, I personally instructed all the Imams
20
in their various Mosques to keep praying to We the Fons of the North-West Region are
Allah for him to be released, and Allah has strongly in support of him…
answered our submitted devotions and today I am overwhelmed with joy for the release
we all heartily celebrate his release. May the of the President of the House of Chiefs at the
Almighty bring back everlasting peace in our North-West Regional Assembly, Fon Shumi-
Region; may Allah guide and protect us from tang II of Bambalang, from separatist captiv-
all sort of dangers that come our way. God ity. I thank God for His Divine intervention
bless our country, Cameroon, and the North- and for keeping him very strong and healthy
West Region in particular. God bless the NW until his release. The effective functioning
Regional Assembly. Ameen.” of the House of Chiefs would not have been
Sarki (Chief) of Old Town, Bamenda. complete without him. His mission of driving
Mezam Division. peace and development in Fondoms in partic-
ular and the Region at large was paused by
his abduction; and his safe return is a great
sign and reminder that he has to accelerate
this great task ahead of him. His attempt to
mobilize Fons of the Region to respect gov-
ernment policy of returning and ruling the
Fondoms from their Palaces was halted by
his abduction and I believe with is return,
much more will be accomplished in the
House of Chiefs. And as a unifying agent
and voice of all Fons at the Regional As-
sembly, he should not relent his effort in
assembling all the Fons under one umbrella
for a common goal of building our Fondoms
and Region. We, the Fons of the North-West
Region, are strongly behind him to give him
the necessary support to accomplish his
mission as President of the House
of Chiefs. I also call on my oth-
er colleague-Fons to remain
vigilante and steadfast in the
discharge of their tradition-
al duties. You are once
again welcome back, the
great king of Bambal-
ang Fondom. May your
Reign be long and ful-
filling.
HRH Fon Asana II of

Njong Village,
Santa, Mezam Division.
21
We are overjoyed
“The release of our President after eighteen
months in the custody of non-State fighters
came to us with so much joy. You can imagine
how relieved we were given the stories that
had gained the media space. I want to first of
all thank God Almighty and secondly God’s
agents, our esteemed forces of law and or-
der, who made it happen. I sincerely thank all
those who in their own small way made life a
bit bearable for the Fon. Lastly,
I commend the people of Mbaw Yakum and
the entire Ngoketunjia population for their
commitment to traditional institutions.”
“The abduction of the fon of Bambalang over

a year ago was received with much consterna-
tion. Moreover, it was another moment of re-
flection on how our own sons are embarking
on a failed mission to water down the author-
ity of North-West traditional institutions.
We understand the hardship the Fon went
through during the period in captivity
but today we are happy that the an-
cestors have not turned their backs
on us.
In fact our traditional values are
built on peace, unity, living to-
gether, solidarity and forgiveness.
Therefore anyone who stand as a
barrier to these values have only his
head and that of his entire generation
to pay for. Violence profits no one, let
us all be agents of peace no matter our ideo-
logical stand point. HRH Fon Ngwan Mbanyam Sig-Momo,
HRH Fon Nforchesiri III of Member, House of Chiefs, NW Regional
Bamendankwe, Mezam Division Assembly
22
With the return of the King, peace never experi-

enced before blows across the Bambalang Fondom
The Release of HRH Fon Shumitang II of Bambalang
has brought overwhelming joy never experienced be-
fore all over the Fondom. His kidnap brought about
a long period of anxiety in the Fondom, but the joy
we experienced after he gained his freedom cannot be
described. A series of efforts were engaged to secure
his freedom to no avail. The military launched a series
of operations aimed at freeing him, and unfortunately,
most of the operations were unable to locate their hid-
ing place. Fortunately, they were located and the Fon
freed by the military. Indigenes are now very happy
and expect peace as never wit-
By his release, we are reassured that peace is nessed with the return of the
steadily returning to the Region King to the Fondom. Praises
“The release of the Fon of Bambalang, President of have been made in favour
the NW House of Chiefs at the North-West Regional of the Head of State and
Assembly from captivity, is one of the most-welcome the Minister-Delegate in
news which I received over the past months. When charge of Defense for
I learned of his kidnap from his Palace more than a the successful release
year and a half ago, I was not just saddened but also of Fon Yakum Kevin.
disturbed, in seeing how sacrilegious separatist fight- It should be noted that
ers have become towards our traditions. The memo- he was abducted from
ry of the killing of my uncle, the Prince of Babessi, the inner
who was the direct brother to my late father, no matter core of
how peaceful he was, and the good relationship he his
had with everyone in the community who respected
him, coupled with the killings of some prominent no-
tables in Babessi by some separatists fighters made
me to fear for the life of the Fon of Bambalang, as I
remembered that they have no boundaries, and could
do the worse sacrilegious acts, even when they know
they would be cursed or could die after that. A few of
us had suggested some actions for us to take as Fons
to ensure the immediate safe release of the Fon of
Bambalang, but we later saw reason with those who
thought the process for his release be carried out at
other levels, so that this could be done in a more pro- Palace on December 07, 2021, when he went home
fessional manner in order not to endanger his life. We to celebrate the Bambalang Annual Festival. Sha-
were thus powerless while a brother was in captivity atang is an annual cultural festival of the Bambalang
and could only pray for his safety. His safe release people, celebrated in memory of departed monarchs.
has re-assured us, and given a clear sign that a Fon During the period, shrines are visited, and incanta-
remains a Fon, especially when he has not ‘soiled’ his tions are made. It is believed that once performed,
hands. It also encourages us to continue to work for peace returns to the Fondom; soils become more fer-
the steady return of peace and normalcy in our various tile; families receive blessings; and many more good
communities, and to continue to advocate for unity, to things happen in the village. Sha-atang has served as
re-build and to work in developing our various com- a tourist attraction to many, who come to discover the
munities and beautiful Region. cultural heritage of the Bambalang people.
Prince GHOGHUMO Hysen TAFU,
Fon Yimuo Oliver Nsondonembio III of Babessi, Notable, Bambalng Fondom,
Ngoketunjia Division. Ngoketunjia Division.
23
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY ON THE MOVE

Commentary: Mid-Term Mandate of Pioneer North-West Regional Assembly
By Ndi Tsembom Elvis
Regional Executive Council in Session

Members of the North-West Regional Assem- ceived hospital equipment and medical sup-
bly have spent half of their five-year mandate plies from MedShare-USA through the Re-
serving the population of the Region. Elect- gional Assembly in 2021 and 2022.
ed into office on the 6th of December 2020
and installed on the 22nd of January 2021, This greatly improved the quality of health
the North-West Regional Assembly has been care delivery in the Region. Testimonies from
working within the framework of the law to the District Medical Officers abound. Still in
better the lives of the denizens of the Region. the health domain, the Regional Assembly
carried out two feasibility studies in 2022: one
In total, six Ministerial departments have de-
to construct and equip mortuaries in the Dis-
volved their powers to the Region. It is under
trict Hospitals of Nwa and Oku; and the other
these decentralized powers that the Regional
for the creation of the Bamenda Rehabilitation
Assembly has effectively carried out works
Center. These studies will lead to construction
in their 30 months in office under four pro-
works in 2023.
grammes: improving the provision of basic
The Regional Assembly is also constructing
social services; promotion of economic activ-
the Emergency Centre of the Regional Hos-
ities and environmental protection of the Re-
pital Annex in Nkambe, while supporting the
gion; promotion of citizenship, culture, sports
Bamenda Regional Hospital to fight against
and youth; and finally, support and the promo-
Hepatitis B. These efforts, aimed at putting
tion of local administration.
smiles on the faces of the common man, were
In 2021, the Regional Assembly was able to further enhanced when a strategic partnership
carry out feasibility studies for the rehabilita- was signed between the Regional Assembly
tion of destroyed health facilities in the Re- and Smile Train-USA. This strategic part-
gion. This culminated in the rehabilitation of nership places the Regional Assembly on the
District Hospitals in 2022, notably: the Ako fore in the fight against cleft lip and palate in
District Hospital; the Batibo District Hospital; the Region, with a Pilot Centre at the Mbingo
and all 20 Health Districts of the Region re- Baptist Hospital.
24
cannot afford the cost. To encourage Technical
In Education, a sector severely hit by the cur- and Vocational Education, an auto mechanic
rent socio-political crisis rocking the North- workshop has been constructed at GTHS Fun-
West Region, the people’s Assembly has tak- dong, meanwhile an electric workshop goes
en giant steps in ensuring that students learn to GTHS Mbengwi and a plumbing workshop
in a convenient environment. After carrying to GTHS Wum. Again in 2023, one SAR/SM
out a feasibility study in 2021 on destroyed Vocational Centre per Division is being reha-
classrooms in various Secondary and High bilitated, and three Science Laboratories are
Schools in the seven Divisions of the Region, being constructed in GBHS Bamendakwe,
NWRA constructs a block of 2 classrooms for CCAST Bambili

the Regional Assembly proceeded in 2022 to GBHS Ndop and GBHS Kumbo.
effectively carry out rehabilitation works. On the economic front, feasibility studies for
A two-classroom block was constructed the construction of the North-West Regional
in GTHS Fundong, meanwhile GHS Elak Assembly Guest House and the Administra-
Oku, GHS Kiyan, GHS Sabongari, GTTTC tive building of the Regional Assembly were
Mbengwi were rehabilitated. CCAST Bam- concluded in 2021 and constructions works
bili benefitted from a two-classroom block have been launched for both structures. Stud-
with a four-compartment toilet, meanwhile at ies have equally been concluded for the North-
GBHS Fundong, 10 classrooms were rehabil- West Development and Investment Fund,
itated.To ensure that students sit comfortably, NOWEDIF, and the Dry Port; meanwhile the
the Regional Assembly supplied benches to North-West Regional Development Plan has
GTTTC Mbengwi, GTTC Ndop, CCAST been validated by the Regional Assembly.
Bambili and GBHS Down Town. Tree-planting has started in Babessi, Ngoke-
As normalcy returns to most areas of the Re- tunjia Division and in 2023, will continue in
gion with the number of students attending seven sacred forests of the Region. The youth
school increasing, the North-West Regional will be empowered through training as health
Assembly has carried out its assignment to care practitioners, sanitary officers and com-
the letter. 805 needy students were registered municators for health.
for end-of-course exams, largely so because
students have been internally displaced and
25
Noting that where a road passes, development In 2022, the Regional Assembly contributed
follows, the Regional Assembly will maintain towards the preparation of the Cup of Camer-
the earth road from Nsop-Nwa-Yang-Nigeria oon with PWD of Bamenda and their partic-
border, from Misaje-Sabongida-Nigeria bor- ipation at the CAF Confederations Cup and
der and from Fundong to Weh in 2023. This also supported Hilltop Strikers at the National
will add up to the retaining wall constructed Playoffs, as well as Abakwa Sports Academy.
on the Bambui-Fundong Road, consequent on
To support associations, basic needs were
landslides last year.
supplied to some orphanages in the seven Di-
To effectively develop the North-West Re-
visions of the Region; meanwhile an NGO,
gion, rooted in its culture and heritage, some
CEMASUD, received support to improve nu-
Palaces are being rehabilitated while oth-
trition and household income for 105 IDPs
ers will be extended: The Lakabum Palace,
through sustainable market gardening initia-
Mbiame, Ntem, Zongekwo, Waido, Nkwen,
tive in Mezam Division in 2022.
Anong, Batibo, Bangolan Palaces will be re-
habilitated in 2023 in addition to the Sarki’s Furthermore, the Regional Assembly pur-
palace at Old Town, Bamenda, and the con- chased eight administrative vehicles to ease
struction of a security fence round the palace the movement of elected officials and staff.
of Bamunkumbit. A front-end loader, a heavy-duty tipper were
These rehabilitation works in 2023 will add also procured to aid in earth
works. Two standby gener-
ators, computers and acces-
sories were procured in 2021
and 2022.
In addition to holding 10
Sessions of the North-West
Regional Assembly, the
Members of the North-West
Regional Executive Council
have undertaken a mission to
give the Region a facelift, ac-
celerate its development and
showcase its identity to the
NWRA donates School Provisions to functional Government schools rest of the world.
up to the refurbishment of the Mankon Palace The Regional Assembly, half-way gone into its
Museum, construction of a VIP toilet block in first mandate, is setting standards in commu-
Belo, construction of the Queen’s residential nity development through the empowerment
quarter in Nwa and the rehabilitation of the of the youth with the High Intensity Labour
Barakwe Palace in 2022. Approach, HILA. This will see many young
In ensuring that there is social cohesion in people carry out manual labour projects and
the society, the Regional Assembly supported get paid through micro-finance institutions.
sports and cultural activities, notably North- This level of participatory development will
West athletes who excelled at the Mount help build solidarity in the north-westener to
Cameroon Race of Hope in 2023. look at one another as one, in the spirit of “U
na Mi, Mi na U, Wi bi Wi.”
26
27
28
DECENTRALIZED COOPERATION: MILESTONES
By Hon. Jude Nsom Waindim

Questor NWRA
The 1972 constitution of Cameroon, as amend- economic, social, health, educational, cultural and
ed by Constitutional Law No. 96-6 of 18 January sports development in their jurisdictions.
1996, which was modified and completed by Law
No. 2008/001 of 14 April 2008, states in Section Considering that no Region or Council is an island
1(2) of the Constitution: independent to itself, and given that none of these
“The Republic of Cameroon shall be a DE- entities can always have the required resources to
CENTRALISED UNITARY STATE. It shall cater for the needs of their populations and local
be one and indivisible, secular, democratic and communities, there is need for partnerships, agree-
dedicated to social service...” ments and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU)
Within the context of finalizing Cameroon’s de- to facilitate action geared towards improving live-
centralization process, Cameroon’s Parliament lihoods and enhancing grassroots sustainable de-
approved the General Code of Regional and Local velopment.
Authorities, which was promulgated by the Head The General Code of Regional and Local Author-
of State, President of the Republic, into Law No. ities defines Decentralized Cooperation as any
2019/024 of 24 December 2019. Both the Consti- partnership between two or more local authorities,
tution and Law cited supra define Local Authori- or their groupings, established for the purpose of
ties as comprising the Regions and the Councils, achieving common objectives. Such partnerships
their domains of operation being to promote the could be carried out between Cameroonian local
29
authorities, or between the latter and foreign lo- Train and the NW Regional Assembly is equal-
cal authorities, but under the terms and conditions ly a platform to create awareness throughout the
laid down by the laws and regulations in force, Region on cleft lip and palate conditions. Smiles
and in accordance with the international commit- which usher peace! So far, Smile Train has sup-
ments of the State. ported more than 3,000 cleft surgeries since 2012
The bottom line here is that local authorities may through its network of 10 local partner hospitals
join with Councils, Cities or Regions; they may in seven Regions across Cameroon, about 500
twin with international organizations, Councils, of these surgeries having been done in Mbingo
Cities or Regions. At the local level, Councils can Baptist Hospital, where an Operation Room was
get into a Union of Councils, and Regions into an recently refurbished, with the intention of having
Association of Regions. Thus, decentralized co- two more in two other hospitals in the Region.
operation can be at local, Regional, Nationl and
International levels; and this cooperation can be MedShare-USA: The partnership between Med-
sanctioned by a Memorandum of Understand- Share-USA and the North-West Regional Assem-
ing; a Partnership Agreement; or a Twinning. Of bly has since 2021 seen all 20 District Hospitals of
course, the journey to a successful MoU, Partner- the Region receive hospital equipment and medi-
ship Agreement or Twinning is like a journey into cal supplies that have gone a long way to improve
marriage: from friendship, through courtship, en- upon health care delivery.
gagement/betrothal, to marriage and consumma- International Representations:
tion.
E-Base Africa: An international body repre-
North-West Regional Assembly Milestones sented locally as well, E-Base Africa went into
I. International a partnership with the North-West Regional As-
The German Diplomatic Mission to Camer- sembly through a formal MoU, bearing on an
oon: On 19 July 2021, the North-West Region- evidence-based approach to management, espe-
al Assembly, represented by the President of the cially having local communities give information
Regional Executive Council accompanied by the and statistics on any project that is to be executed
Questor, had a frank exchange with the German for their benefit. The activities of E-Base Africa
Ambassador to Yaounde on the realities and pos- saw the Commissioner for Health, Hon. Yaa Fon-
sibilities of collaboration between the German dufe Lydia, attend workshops in South Africa for
Diplomatic Mission in Cameroon and the North- hands-on experience. The Regional Assembly was
West Regional Assembly. Even though it came equally represented by the President of the Re-
through that consequent on the socio-political gional Executive Councils and his collaborators in
crisis, German action in the North-West Region many other international events in South Korea,
was limited to humanitarian assistance, working Brazil, South Africa, Morocco and most recently
mostly with partner organizations and civil soci- China.
ety groups, the German Diplomatic Mission re-
mained open to finding ways and means of going Perspectives:
about doing what can most possibly be done, espe- i. The North-West Regional Assembly is at the
cially through GIZ, KFW and the Friedrich-Ebert level of “pour-parler” with the Region of Ra-
Foundation. The High Commissions of Britain and bat-Salé-Kénitra, one of Morocco’s 12 Re-
Canada have also been engaged in our quest for gions, for a possible partnership within the
decentralized cooperation. context of the African Development Fund,
which provides concessional funding for
Smile Train: A partnership that started in 2021, projects, technical assistance for studies and
culminating in an official Health Cooperation capacity building in Africa, especially South
Agreement on 26 January 2023, has seen the of the Sahara. For any Council or Region to
North-West Regional Assembly bring smiles to benefit from this funding, they have to get
so many faces of patients who hitherto suffered into partnership with a Moroccan Council
from cleft lip and palate. The MoU between Smile or Region for their projects to be funded
through their partner Council or Region.
30
ii. During the recent international conference
that held in Yaounde from 15 to 16 June
2023, organized by the International Asso- III. Local
ciation of Francophone Regions, the North- CamCCUL/Rainbow/RECOCAM: Within the
West Region postulated for membership into context of the Peace and Development Initiative of
this International Association. The Techni- the North-West Regional Assembly, whereby the
cal Secretariat of this international body re- High Intensity Labour Approach, HILA, makes for
ceives projects from member Regions, and the payment of beneficiaries to be done through lo-
after careful studies and working sessions, cal micro-finance institutions, the North-West Re-
retained projects are submitted for funding. gional Assembly entered into an MoU with CamC-
CUL, Rainbow and RECOCAM, umbrella bodies
II. National of Credit Unions across the Region.
Association of Cameroon Regions: In line with
the Code on Regional and Local Authorities, the COMINSUD: This is a community-based organi-
North-West Regional Assembly is a member of zation that is helping some Sub-Divisions in the
the Association of Cameroon Regions, with the execution of their Peace and Development Initia-
North-West Regional Executive President, Prof. tive, based on their track record of such works in
Fru F. Angwafo III, sitting as Vice President. This all local communities of the Region. Other part-
Association has been able to table many concerns ners for execution of our community decentralized
that require prompt action to the highest authority projects include Safety Net, Shumas, Comesud
of the country. and village cultural and development associations.
Customs Department: The North-West Region- NOWERAMEP

al Assembly has just entered into an agreement The Regional Assembly understands the crucial
(MoU) with the Cameroon Customs Department role the media plays in accompanying her accom-
for a Customs Clearing House to be set up in plish its missions and objectives. To this effect, it
Bamenda, in line with the option for a Dry Port has partnership with some 20 selected proximity
that was deliberated upon and voted for by the Radios across the 07 Divisions of the Region.
Regional Assembly.
Perspectives: With acronym NOWERAMEP (North-West Re-
i. National Office for Climate Change: In the gional Assembly Media Partnership), these media
days ahead, the North-West Regional Assem- organs ventilate the actions and activities of the
bly will be signing an MoU with the National Regional Assembly to the communities and in turn
Office for Climate Change, with the view of give voice to the populations to express their views
monitoring and providing relevant information on community issues concerning them.
that helps in mitigating the effects of Climate
Change. Perspectives:
ii. The University of Bamenda: An MoU is being i. United Councils and Cities of Cameroon,
finalized for the The University of Bamenda UCCC, NWR: To be able to facilitate collab-
Consult and the North-West Regional Assem- oration with local Councils in the domain of
bly to enter into an agreement of cooperation project execution, there is need to enter into a
and collaboration in areas that will enhance the formal agreement with Councils of the Region;
socio-economic growth of the entire North- reason for on-going work on a formal MoU
West Region. between the Regional Assembly and the NW
iii. UNDVA: Possible areas of collaboration are Branch of UCCC.
being examined for common action by the ii. UNDP NWR: The North-West Regional Office
North-West Regional Assembly and the na- of the United Nations Development Programme
tional rice-production industry in Ndop, Ngo- sets out to help the Region in the execution of
kentujia Division. some projects in the health and energy sectors.
A partnership agreement is already in the offing
31
ACCOUNTABILITY: THE FOUNDATION OF TRUST IN THE

NORTH-WEST REGIONAL ASSEMBLY
Tilarious ATIA So, what do we mean by accountability? Min-
ister Ngole Philip Ngwese, in his 2023 paper
on “Accountability and Good Local Gover-
nance”, views accountability as an essential
ingredient of good governance, especially
in the context of local democracy. As such,
accountability is seen as actions character-
ized by their responsiveness, responsibility,
integrity, effectiveness, efficiency, equity and
transparency. This broad view of accountabil-
ity helps describe the important link between
Regional and Local Authorities and the wid-
er political and social systems in which
they work.
Accountability is thus an important part
of any organization, but it is especially
important in local governance. Regional
and Local Authorities must responsibly
use their resources to provide services that
meet the needs of the people. Aside work-
Minister Ngole Philip Ngwese ing to be on the side of Supervisory Au-
Accountability has different meanings to dif- thorities or anti-graft institutions, they must
ferent people. Most public managers think of answer to the citizens whose will they are
accountability in terms of holding an individ- called upon to administer – they answer to the
ual or department responsible for programme people they serve.
success and failure. However, accountability Without being asked to, the North-West Re-
is much more than serving out rewards and gional Assembly embraced a culture of ac-
punishment, though this feature is an essen- countability, birthing “The North-Western-
tial element. In this era of deepened decen- er,” a quarterly magazine which captures and
tralisation, Regional and Local Authorities gives exposure to the activities and actions of
are called upon to anchor on accountability. the august institution. Given that the ongo-
ing socio-political unrest is born of a crisis of
For Professor Fru F. Angwafo III, President identity, with people longing to become what
and vote-holder of the North-West Region- they are not, the Regional Assembly seeks
al Assembly, accountability is a way of life. to bring the people back to the fold through
While no one is asking the Regional Assem- quality information.
bly to give an account, they do it because the
people have the right to know. In this article, “We are constructing the future through ac-
we explain why Regional and Local Author- countability, which will bring us peace and
ities should focus more on accountability in harmony,” says Professor Fru F. Angwafo III,
their efforts to build a local governance sys- President of the North-West Regional Assem-
tem that is responsive, responsible and equi- bly. He alludes to the fact that accountability
table. in local governance is about more than just ef-
32
ficient internal operations but about maintain- ability to achieve agreed-upon goals. Perfor-
ing the trust between the Region and citizens. mance measurement furthers accountability
The leadership of the Regional Assembly is through its emphasis on programme oper-
of the understanding that Administrative ac- ations and results. In addition to Sessions,
tions based on law, as well as implemented Town Hall meetings and media outings, The
through adopted policies and procedures, are North-Westerner Magazine serves as a tool
fundamental to accountable management. for accountability. This edition of the maga-
These requirements help safeguard the public zine pictures the performance of the Regional
from arbitrary and capricious actions. Assembly mid-way into the ongoing pioneer
five-year mandate. This mid-mandate conver-
In addition, accountability requires that citi- sation with the citizens is an opportunity for
zens and policy makers be able to identify a them to gain insight into how efficient, effec-
responsible party for the institution’s action. tive and equitable the Regional Assembly’s
This requirement ensures that the bureaucra- programmes are. These are all key elements
cy is answerable to someone. Without this of accountability.
element, the bureaucracy is likely to become
overly powerful because it becomes difficult, “A lot of our people are still stuck on physical
if not impossible, to identify individuals li- growth. But I also think that human and mor-
able for poor or unethical decisions. Under al growth are just as important to push that
such conditions, corruption may flourish. physical growth,” says the President of the
North-West Regional Assembly, calling for a
In addition, when the leaders of local gover- review of thought, actions and outcomes of
nance are held accountable, they are required the first 30 months of the institution.
to explain the rationale for their decisions. In the collective enterprise of improving live-
This aspect of accountability provides trans- lihoods of the people of the North-West Re-
parency for the decision-making process, gion, all of these aspects of accountability
thereby allowing citizens, stakeholders and should be pursued together, making it possi-
policy makers to understand how decisions ble to build trusting relationships between the
are made that may affect their daily lives. Region, the citizens and policymakers. Trust-
Transparency too sheds light on how public ing relationships are crucial to effective man-
monies are spent. Transparency also makes it agement of the collective will because such
possible to determine if the decisions are fair relationships engender citizen confidence in
and equitable. their public institutions.
Another central aspect of accountability Because accountability is fundamental to
championed by the Regional Assembly is that good local governance, those serving in the
holders of office are required to conduct their Regional Assembly should take actions to en-
work in a moral manner, so that the greatest hance it. These actions include: clearly iden-
good of the North-West Region is promoted tifying responsible parties for all operations
with a call for ethics, truthfulness and honesty and programmes; using the information ob-
in daily work. tained through accountability efforts to hold
Programme evaluation and performance mea- people responsible for their actions; being
surements have crucial roles in furthering honest and transparent in people’s actions
accountability. Programme evaluation is one and decisions; involving stakeholders (citi-
way to assess an institution’s performance by zens, policy makers and interested parties)
considering the merit of programmes and their in all phases of programme development and
implementation, including problem definition
33
and solution generation; using strategic plan- governance.
ning to better understand future challenges and The Regional Assembly is therefore using
potential responses; and effectively using per- accountability as a means to learn from suc-
formance measurement to monitor programmes cess and failure in order to enhance its over-
to include trend analysis, bench-marking, and all performance.
making adjustments when necessary. In closing, a focus on accountability allows
for a broader and more comprehensive re-
Sections 40 and 41 of Law No. 2019/024 of 24 view of individual and organizational per-
December 2019 to institute the General Code formance. Accountability, therefore, is more
of Regional and Local Authorities empowers than issuing rewards and punishments.
citizens, grassroots civil society associations
and organisations as well as neighbourhood It is about creating truly responsive and re-
and village committees to contribute to achiev- sponsible local governance structures. More-
ing the objectives of Regional and Local Au- over, when regional and Local Authorities are
thorities and to hold them accountable. accountable, trustful relationships are built
It therefore goes without saying that these with citizens, stakeholders and policy mak-
stakeholders should join in the Peace and De- ers. This is critical for success.
velopment Initiative of the Regional Assem-
bly. The citizens, as masters of their destiny Based on a lecture by Philip Ngole Ngwese
through self-reliant initiatives, must change Esq, at the National School of Local Admin-
their attitudes, shed off fear and begin to ad- istration, NASLA, Buea.
dress the Region’s issues. The citizens must re-
build the community spirit and make the gen-
eral interest override personal interest.
“Abject competition to the detriment of all has

taken us backwards in our growth as a Region.
Life is a journey. It has nothing to do with
competition,” Prof. Fru F. Angwafo III coun-
sels, while emphasising the ethical imperative
of probity in public affairs.
The vision-bearer of the North-West Re-

gional Assembly enjoins the people of
the Region to embrace a development
culture of MPHD – Meritocracy,
Pragmatism, Honesty, and Disci-
pline and to detest the Pull Him/
Her Down (PHD) syndrome
akin to abject competition.
As he puts it, Meritocracy,
Pragmatism, Honesty,
and Discipline are the
tenets of a management
culture that blend with
accountability and good
34
REBRANDING THE REGION: IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL DRIVERS OF

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
By WIFAH Jenny Hans point of obligation to deconstruct the over 400-
page document to members of the House and the
public in a paper, “Strategic Objectives and the
Five-Year Action: North-West Region”,
presented by a technocrat in devel-
opment issues to further dissect the
RDP, viz the National Territorial
Planning and Sustainable Devel-
opment Plan.
Facilitated by Profes-
sor Fogwe Zepha-
nia Nji, Professor
of Development
& Planning, Ge-
ographer, Director
of Development,
Physical Plant, and
Infrastructure (D/DPPI)
at The University of Bamen-
da, the Session accorded Divi-
sional Representatives the oppor-
tunity to see for themselves the bold potential
that serves as drivers of the development of the
Region through a power point presentation that
lasted less than two hours, stressing on key take-
With powers and competences from six mMin- home messages for the population of the Region.
istries devolved to the North-West Regional
Assembly, the Region’s development pilot is The seasoned Professor zoomed in on the huge
beaming up fireworks to set the Region on a rap- potential of the North-West Region, spanning
id paced development roadmap within its con- from agriculture, tourism, culture, and natural re-
text while leveraging on local competences and sources which are capable of sustaining the de-
amassed potential. velopment drive of the Region towards Goal
Thus, the Regional Assembly must develop a 2035.
working tool understood by all stakeholders in-
In a SWOT analysis approach, the venerated
cluding development beneficiaries through a Re-
scholar highlighted the gains of the devolved
gional Development Plan which has been well on
powers, if the NWRA majors on the resources and
course – part of work the Regional Assembly has
potential available in the Region to trigger devel-
been on the last 30 months. The Region that is
opment ventures in conformity with laws through
endowed with both human and natural potential
the existing potential. He stressed that agriculture
is taking the destiny of her own growth in her
modernization, safe-guarding and developing
hands, guided by this reference document called
natural and cultural heritage are among the top
the Regional Development Plan, RDP.
ten priority development actions of the Region in
In her quest to keep all to speed with where we order to attain Vision 2035, using the Cost/Impact
were, where we are and where we are going to, Matrix – minimum resources to achieve maxi-
the North-West Regional Executive Council, mum growth.
REC, during the 2023 March Session, made it a
35
ment opportunities begging for investors in the
production and marketing domains.
The production of cocoa, coffee, palms and tea are
some of the existing cash cropping domains in the
Region, reflective of a Region on the crest of agri-
cultural productivity.
With these in place, the RA with support from
local and diaspora partners is envisaging in the
short-run to create an agropolis for the production
and processing of grain maize in Nkambe, Bena-
kuma Palm Oil and Soap Factory Project, create a
cattle feed production unit and a cassava process-
ing plant project in Ndop among other agricultur-
al projects, which suit the production strength of
each community.
Community development
A model of development which accords maximum
participation of the grassroot population is a re-
minder of the governing approach adopted by the
NWRA in the spirit of effective decentralization.
The Regional Assembly has adopted High In-
tensive Labour Approach, HILA, in its project
implementation model to achieve sustainable
community-based projects which guarantees the
participation of community members at the pos-
sible maximum. With this approach therefore, the
Prof. Fogwe Zephania Nji endowed potential of the NW population is being/
or [would be] fully utilized, thereby ploughing
Agriculture: The Region as emphasized by Prof
back financial resources which will address the
Fogwe with references to existing literature and
living standards of the people of the Region.
updated field research is home to multiple soil
composition which favour the cultivation of both Such a development approach would encourage
forest and grassfield crops. Situated on the west- competitiveness among the grassroots population
ern highlands, he expounded that the Region’s of the Region for optimal productivity and quick-
agricultural potential is representative of the en the dire quest for development of the Region
country’s food production basins. proud of capabilities.
With the cultivation of rice, wheat and sorghum With the population of the Region estimated to
in Ndop zone and Oku, the Region is a potential grow to 3.6 million by 2035 from an estimated 1.9
king in the production of cereals that would not million, the burden on urbanization particularly
only feed the Region’s population but part of the on towns like Bamenda which is currently hosting
country and the country’s neighbours. The chal- 54 percent of the Region’s population would be
lenge in this domain, however, is the inexistence overwhelming – bring about a high concentration
of research hubs and a transformation sector. of the ills of urbanization. On this, the researcher
The learned professor also pitched on the huge suggested to the House that a rapid moderniza-
investment potential in aquaculture, with fish tion of the agricultural sector would decongest the
farming already ongoing in Ngoketunjia. This towns to rural setups off the urban centres.
sector has the capacity to provide fresh quality Based on the Presentation of Prof. FOGWE Z.
fish to ready markets in the Region and neigh- Nji to the North-West Regional Assembly, March
bouring towns. It also offers multimillion invest- 2023 Session.
36
NWRA PATRONIZING UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

By Wifah Jenny Hans
“We will continue our efforts to provide our As ascribed, the NWRA, in one of the powers
people with quality health care that is acces- devolved to them being that of the promotion
sible to all. It is with this in mind that I have of health care in the Region, members of the
instructed the Government to complete the Regional Executive Council, REC, headed by
reflections on the progressive implementation Professor Fru F. Angwafo III, are employing
of Universal Health Coverage,” declared the every means at their disposal to encourage the
Head of State, Paul Biya, in his End-of-Year population to enroll in the health scheme.
Address to the Nation on December 31, 2017. The Universal Health Coverage package for
President and Representative of the State at the Launch of phase 1 UHC in Bamenda
Marching words with action, the North-West the populations of the North-West comes with
Region on April 26, 2023 joined the rest of free consultation and management of malar-
the nation to launch phase I of Universal ia for kids aged 0-5. Beside free consultation
Health Coverage, UHC in Bamenda. The and treatment of malaria for kids as disclosed
North-West, like every other Region, has its by the Regional Delegate for Public Health,
specificities wrapped in the UHC package for Dr Kingsley Che Soh, UHC will subsidize, at
the benefit of the populations. a near-100 percent, hemodialysis sessions for
While it remains a general responsibility for those with renal failure. Clients will now pay
all in the Region to enroll and benefit from an annual fee of 15,000 CFA, compared to the
the UHC scheme, the North-West Regional erstwhile sum of 720, 000 CFA. For those liv-
Assembly is the more committed to bringing ing with HIV and Tuberculosis, their dialysis
all the Region’s populations onboard to reap and treatment will be free of charge.
of the fruits of the Head of State’s offer to “The Universal Health Coverage is going to
Cameroonians. reinforce equity. Someone in Benakuma, like
37
someone living in Bamenda, is going to have via registration agents present at health facil-
the same access to quality services. Also, there ities or mobile community health agents who
is going to be an improvement in access to are assisting clients with the registration at
health care. With the free consultation of chil- community level.
dren, more children will come to the health
facilities for our services,” Dr Che Soh added. The requirement for this is a basic identifi-
Being the Region’s contact person to house- cation document, which includes one of the
holds and individuals through her members following: National Identity Card; birth certif-
represented at all communities across the icate; residence permit; passport or driving li-
Region, and conscious of specified commu- cense. Those without identification documents
nication approaches required for specific can be enrolled with a guarantor’s document.
communities, the NWRA is already engaging After registering, beneficiaries can present
community radio promoters, presenters and their UHC cards at health facilities across the
radio hosts of local language programmes to nation to enjoy the services of the UHC based
preach the message of positive attitudes of the on the Region’s specificity. Beneficiaries shall
populations in order for them to benefit from make an annual contribution of 6,000-15,000
the soothing gains of UHC. CFA to the scheme, while government, pri-
Clients can register online for this health vate and public partners will cover the rest of
scheme through Cameroonhealthcoverage or the expenses.
38
ZOOMING IN ON THE NORTH-WEST REGIONAL

DEVELOPMENT PLAN
By VictoryMarshal Ayafor Basang / Alombah Anderson Akondi
With the validation and approval of the The Plan serves as the binding roadmap and
North-West Regional Development Plan, the compass for all the North-West Region-
North-West Regional Assembly now has a al Assembly’s implementation and attain-
clear and defined reference framework for its ment of the Vision and Mission assigned to
sustainable development action for the next her through the competencies devolved to
five years. The plan enunciates the Region’s them by the State. Development actors and
development commitments in all sectors, stakeholders find a clear baseline to align
particularly Economy, Health, Social, Educa- and synchronize their joint efforts with the
tion, Tourism, Transport, Sports, etc. North-West Regional Assembly in its decen-
The five-year North-West Regional Devel- tralization and local development drive and
opment Plan (NWRDP) 2023-2027 clearly to selflessly support this fresh impetus of Re-
outlines the guidelines that orientate the sus- gional reconstruction and re-branding.
tainable development strides of the Regional Based on the plan and following the compe-
Assembly vis-à-vis the Region. The RDP is tences devolved to the Regions by the State,
a blueprint and roadmap prepared following the North-West Regional Assembly, while
Law No. 2019/024 of 24th of December 2019, waiting for implementation texts to be signed
instituting the General Code of Regional and by the respective sectorial Ministries, is stop-
Local Authorities. ping at nothing to attain its objectives. The
RDP projects the Regional Assembly’s re-
sponsibilities in the following domains:
CHSD, RA handing over Medshare package to DMOs
39
Economic Development actions that formulate Regional territorial de-
The Region is in charge of economic actions velopment guidelines, in accordance with the
promoting small and medium-sized enter- national plan. The Region also participates in
prises; organizing trade fairs and exhibitions; the formulation of urban planning documents
promoting handicrafts, agricultural, pastoral and Local Authority Master Plans and much
and fishery activities, while encouraging the more rehabilitation and maintenance of Re-
creation of Regional groupings for econom- gional roads, as well as supporting the actions
ic operations, supporting income-generating of Councils in town planning and housing mat-
and job-creating micro-projects and promot- ters.
ing tourism in all ramifications.
Still in the domain of Economic Develop- Health and Social Action
ment, the Region engages in environmental In the domain of Health and Social Action, the
and natural resources management, manag- Region, in accordance with the health map,
ing, protecting and maintaining protected creates, equips, manages and maintains cat-
areas and natural sites falling under the ju- egory 3 and 4 health facilities (Regional and
risdiction of the Region, preserving and im- District Hospitals) within the Region, while
plementing other local measures to promote participating in maintaining and managing so-
nature, managing Regional interest water; cial advancement and/or rehabilitation centres
creating woodlands, forests and protected in the Region.
areas of Regional interest following a plan The Region is also in charge of recruiting and
duly approved by the Representative of State managing nursing and paramedical staff of Re-
and fight against bush fires by creating fire- gional and District Hospitals, supporting health
walls. The Region is also concerned with the facilities and social institutions and also im-
construction and management of Regional plementing preventive and hygienic measures.
natural parks following a plan submitted to The Region is concerned with organizing and
the Representative of State for approval and managing assistance to the needy, participating
also formulating, implementing and monitor- in the development of the Regional portion of
ing Regional environmental action plans or the health map and participating in organizing
schemes while formulating and implement- and managing drug supply, essential reagents
ing specific risk prevention and emergency and appliances, in accordance with the nation-
response Regional plans for the welfare of al health policy.
the Region.
Education, Sports and Cultural
Spatial Planning, Regional Development, Development
Public Works, Town Planning and Hous-
In the domain of Education, Sports and Cultur-
ing
al Development, specifically on Education, the
As concerns, Spatial Planning, Regional De- Region will participate in drawing up and im-
velopment, Public Works, Town Planning plementing the Regional portion of the nation-
and Housing, the Region is expected to for- al school map, creating, equipping, managing
mulate and implement Regional Develop- and maintaining government Secondary and
ment Plans; sign performance contracts with High Schools as well as Colleges in the Re-
the State for the achievement of Regional de- gion, recruiting and managing support staff of
velopment objectives; participate in the orga- such institutions, acquiring school supplies and
nization and management of inter-urban pub- materials as well as distributing and awarding
lic transport and coordinating development scholarships and school grants. The Region is
40
NEF/NWRA organise Open door day for youths
also in charge of participating in the manage- Concerning Vocational Training, the Region
ment and administration of government Sec- is in charge of carrying out a comprehensive
ondary and High Schools as well as Colleges census of the Region’s trades and preparing a
through dialogue and consultation platforms directory of existing vocational training cours-
and supporting the actions of Councils in the es with an indication of the required skills and
area of Primary and Nursery Education. training profiles needed. The Region also par-
Concerning Literacy, the Region is in charge ticipates in drawing up the Regional portion
of formulating and implementing Regional of the school map relating to technical educa-
plans to eliminate illiteracy, preparing annu- tion and vocational training and developing a
al summary reports on the implementation of forward-looking training plan, while ensuring
literacy campaign plans as well as recruiting the upkeep and maintenance of schools, train-
personnel in charge of literacy campaigns and ing centres and vocational institutes in the Re-
training trainers, while monitoring and eval- gion. Also, the Region has the responsibility
uating illiteracy elimination campaigns. The of recruiting and managing support staff, par-
Region is also in charge of designing and pro- ticipating in the procurement of teaching aids,
ducing teaching aids and drawing up the liter- especially supplies and work materials, etc.
acy map and constructing educational infra- The Region also participates in the manage-
structure and facilities. ment and administration of State Vocational
Training Centres through dialogue and con-
Vocational Training sultation platforms, formulating a Regional
plan for the vocational integration of youths
and assist in the drawing up of school enter-
prises partnership contracts.
Youth Affairs, Sports and Leisure

Concerning Youth Affairs, Sports and Lei-
sure, the Region is responsible for issuing au-
thorizations to open educational centers duly
approved by the Representative of State, as-
sisting Regional sports associations and con-
structing, administering and managing sports
and socio-educational infrastructure with a
41
Regional status. The Region, in this domain, National Languages, the Region is concerned
is also in charge of organizing, coordinating with encouraging a functional command of
and developing socio-educational activities, National Languages and producing the Re-
as well as promoting and managing physical gional linguistic map, participating in the pro-
and sports activities at the Regional level, motion of publishing in National Languages
creating and operating leisure parks of Re- as well as print and broadcast media.
gional interest, and organizing recreational The implementation framework of this plan
socio-cultural events of Regional interest. recognizes the key role played by the private
sector as the engine for growth, development
Culture and Promotion of National Lan- and partners in supplementing government
guages actions and initiatives. It also recognizes oth-
er non-State actors in creating adequate civil
For Culture and Promotion of National Lan-
vigilance to put duty bearers in check. Each
guages, specifically in the domain of Culture,
stakeholder implicated, is expected to carry
the Region is responsible for promoting and
out their role proactively to ensure timely re-
developing cultural activities that preserve the
alization of the goals set out in this Plan. The
identity and patrimony of the Region, assist-
success of the implementation of this Plan will
ing cultural associations, contributing to the
largely depend on the commitment of all ac-
surveillance and monitoring of the conserva-
tors, capacity of the Region’s human capital,
tion status of historical sites, monuments and
resource mobilization, regular reviews and re-
discovery of pre-historic vestiges. They are
porting for action. Respective sectors are par-
also responsible for organizing cultural days,
ticularly required to identify policy and legis-
traditional cultural events and literary or ar-
lative gaps with a view to filling them for a
tistic contests that promote the identity of the
collective seamless implementation process.
people. The Region is also in charge of cre-
ating and managing bands, traditional dance
and song groups, ballets and drama groups
of Regional inter-
est; much more,
creating and man-
aging socio-cultural
centres and public
reading libraries of
Regional interest,
as well as collect-
ing and translating
works of oral tradi-
tion such as tales,
myths and legends,
with a view to facil-
itating their publi-
cation.
With competenc-
es devolved to the
Regions bearing on
the Promotion of North-West Region to the world at Trade Fair in Yaounde, June 13 -17, 2023
42
DISCOVERY
A TRIP TO THE LAND OF GREAT TOURIST POTENTIAL
By VictoryMarshal AYAFOR BASANG
The North-West Region of Cameroon is a bamboo crafts and a whole host of beautiful
great tourist destination that distinguishes handicraft products.
itself by its culture, festivals and traditional In a nutshell, you could hardly envisage a trip
rituals; its Palaces (Fondoms) and museums; to the North-West Region of Cameroon with-
its mountainous and natural green landscapes; out making a stop over at one of the tourist po-
its local arts and crafts industry; the charms tentials highlighted. Come with us to discover
of spectacular waterfalls, caves, and crater the awe and wonders of nature, mountains,
lakes, etc. The Region is also not only known lakes, waterfalls and landscapes, as we take
as an agriculture and food basin flanked by you round the dream Region of nature lovers.
wide varieties of fruits, vegetables, cereals,
coffee, tea, plantains, cocoyam and palm oil BOYO DIVISION
plantations, but more still, a land of arts and A good eco-tourist potential you will like to
crafts wherein many use their raw talents to visit in Boyo Disvison is the Ndawara Tea Es-
produce fascinating locally made jewelries, tate. It is the largest privately-owned tea plan-
weaved products, paintings, iron sculpture, tation in Cameroon and West Africa, with ap-
43
proximately 6,000 hectares of cultivated area. BUI DIVISION
You can take all day of guided tour to visit the Kilum-Ijim Mountain Forest is surrounded
nursery where the tea seedlings are nursed, by three Fondoms: Oku, Kom and Nso. This
the cultivated fields and the production fac- fascinating tourist attraction delimitation zone
tory. The vast Estate that employs over 1,000 cuts across Oku and Vekovi, Jakiri in Bui Di-
people is also host to a huge animal reserve of vision, Laikom in Boyo. This forest has a rich
horses, cows, chimpanzees, ostriches, beauti- biodiversity covering over 20,000 hectares of
ful peacocks, monkeys and more. The Estate land with over 300,000 people living within
welcomes hundreds of people every year, ei- a day’s walk from the forest. With over 150
ther for tourist or excursion purposes. melliferous plant species available, which
Other beautiful tourist attractions in Boyo are collected by bees and transformed into
Division include: the Mbi Crater and Game honey, the amount of rainfall, sunlight, tem-
Reserve; the Mbingo Hill; Kimbi Game Re- perature, altitude and soil quality in the forest
serve; Tundong/Akuabang Hill in Aboh; Belo area serves to promote the production of the
Waterfall; Ijim Community Forest; Fundong famous Oku White Honey that is consumed
Njimni Waterfall and the Kom Palace that is around the world.
host to the famous Afo-a-Kom. Other beautiful tourist attractions in Bui Di-
vision include: Lake Oku; Mbiame Commu-
nity Forest; Jakiri Cave/Waterfall; Neeweel
44
Landscape/Waterfall in Jakiri; Kifem Water- Cattle Ranch in Adamawa Region and the
fall; Bamkika-ay Waterfall in Kumbo; Ibal Dokayo Cattle Ranch in Bertoua. The Dumbo
Waterfall/Landscape in Oku; Mbinon Rock Ranch is placed under the supervision of the
in Noni; the UNESCO biosphere Mount Oku; Cameroon Livestock Development Corpora-
Nchindong Rock; the fascinating Kumbo Ca- tion with its French acronym SODEPA. The
thedral and the Nso Palace that is home to the cattle herds therein consist of pure breeds of
renowned Ngonnso. Goudali, Charolais, Simmental, Holstein and
other mixed breed from artificial insemina-
tion. The Dumbo Cattle Ranch is a source of
DONGA MANTUNG DIVISION
employment and livelihood to thousands in
A key tourist site you cannot afford not to
the Division.
visit is the Dumbo Cattle Ranch. Created in
Other fascinating tourist attractions in Don-
1974, 94% of the Ranch is located in Dum-
ga Mantung are the Mbaw Plains in Nkambe;
bo, Misaje Sub Division of Donga Mantung,
Rom Rock in Nwa; Binka Landscape; Mbot
while 6% of the Ranch is hosted in Jakiri,
Landscape; Misaje Landscape; Luh Forest;
Bui. Dumbo Cattle Ranch holds an estimat-
River Donga; Mikob Forest in Nkambe; Jeyu
ed number of about 7,000 cows of different
Forest; the Hanging Bridge over River Donga
species. This fascinating tourist site covers a
in Ncha, Nwa Sub Division; Makundung Fall
surface area of 3,800 hectares of land. It is
in Koffa, etc.
the 3rd biggest Ranch in Cameroon after Faro
45
MEZAM DIVISION Other fascinating tourist attractions worth

The Awing Crater Lake and Shrine are located visiting in Mezam are: the Sabga Landscapes;
in Santa Sub-Division of Mezam, about 21km Bamenda Station Hill Landscape and Water-
south of the City of Bamenda. Lake Awing is fall; Lake Bambili; Babanki-Tungoh Crater;
associated with myths of mysticism that the Akoshia Forest; Ngofana Rock/Cave/Water-
‘mbuwing’ people take very sacred and se- fall in Bambili; Mboateng Waterfall/Cave in
rious. Beside this lake, Awing village is also Babanki-Tungoh; Chomba Cave and Water-
host to the 4th highest mountain in Cameroon, fall; Bali Water Supply (waterfall); Chungoh
Mount Lefo, which is 8,370ft high. Before the Cave in Bali; Mbewi Forest in Bafut; Ngu-
socio-political unrest in the Region, over 400 bonya Rock in Babanki-Tungoh, etc. You
people made Lake Awing and its surrounding can also visit and shop locally ‘made in the
highlands their tourist and excursion location North-West’ crafts products in the Bamenda
every year. With normalcy steadily returning Handicraft and the Presbyterian Handicraft
to the Region, more people are making Lake Centres. You will be fascinated by the tradi-
Awing their tourist destination once more. If tional masks, household items, decorations,
you have never visited this fascinating scen- carvings, paintings, sculptures, weaved prod-
ery, make a trip to this part of the country to ucts and other magnificent craft works.
experience the wonders of nature.
46
MUSEUMS a chance to discover their exceptional collec-
The North-West Region is also renowned for tions and artifacts in well-designed museums
a number of museums like the Mankon Palace adapted to all audiences.
Museum; Babungo Palace Museum; Bafut
Palace Museum that are key attractions worth MOMO DIVISION
visiting. These sites offer tourists and visitors The Abbi Fall has an ecstatic view as the
the opportunity to discover the well-furnished 94m-high body of water empties itself into
Palace Museums, rich in artefacts and objects River Momo. It is located at Mile 17, Mbeng-
of historical, scientific, artistic and cultural wi, Divisional headquarters of Momo Divi-
value that are conserved and exhibited. Take sion, some 25 minutes’ drive from the capital
City of Bamenda.
At Abbi Falls, na-
ture offers you a re-
freshing and spec-
tacular scenery of
stunning beauty
of high descent
of waters, perfect
for a refreshing
dip into the River
Momo.
Other fascinating
tourist attractions
in Momo Division
include: Oshun
Waterfalls; Eka
Falls; Womenga
Cave and Waterfall
in Guzang; Bassa
Cave/Waterfall in
Njikwa; Guneku
Cave; Dudum Wa-
terfall in Tezeh;
Amam Waterfall in
Ewoh village; Riv-
er Momo in Widi-
kum; Tiben Wa-
terfall in Batibo;
Mbengwi Monas-
tery, etc.
47
MENCHUM DIVISION
A tourist attraction you would not want to The Fall is believed to possess mystical pow-
miss visiting on this side of the country is the ers and used as a place of spiritual retreat for
Menchum Fall, which is located 20km south the native population of Befang. Most often
of Wum and 30km North of Bafut. With a than not, remains of objects used for tradi-
height of 80m, the awesome jewel of nature tional rituals are always found at the base of
is an amazing geo-cultural heritage to behold the Fall, as it is believed that the Menchum
as the heavy waters descend to interrupt the Fall serves as a spiritual shrine for the natives.
peaceful flow of River Menchum, which in This tourist potential is an inspiration for a
turn is a tributary of the Benue River in Ni- hydroelectric dam and power plant that can
geria. You will be awestruck by the magnif- generate over 90MW of energy.
icence of this gem when you visit. The quiet Other tourist potentials you will like to visit
lying and refreshing body of water is a monu- in Menchum Division include: Lake Ilium in
mental testament of Nature’s power and beau- Befang; Lake Wum; Lake Aguli; Lake Bena-
ty. kuma; Lake Kuk in Bafmeng; Lake Nyos; and
Imo Waterfall in Bafmeng.
48
NGOKETUNJIA DIVISION tistic and cultural wealth of the artefacts pro-

You cannot afford to visit Ngoketunjia Divi- pose an itinerary of the collective memory and
sion in the North-West Region of Cameroon history of the Babungo people. This beautiful
without making a stopover at the Babungo and well-organized museum gives visitors the
Palace Museum, which presents a collection unique opportunity of viewing the traditional
of significant artefacts from the rich cultural artefacts and understanding their value in the
and artistic heritage of Babungo. The trea- history, cultural heritage and identity of the
sure of the talented sculpture-kings of Ba- Babungo Fondom.
bungo with thousands of amazing pieces still Other tourist attractions worth visiting in Ngo-
remains the most awesome of the Grassland. kentunjia Division include: the Mamangieh
This museum holds a collection of over 1,000 Rock in Bafanji; Ngoketunjia Hills; Ndop
arts objects and relics grouped into themes Plain; Finkwi Landscape in Babungo; Bam-
talking of the Kingdom, myths, legends, his- balang Sacred Forest; Bambalang Lake/Dam;
tory, society and religion, traditional musical Presspot Handicraft Centre in Bamessing; Ba-
instruments, masks, costumes, etc. The ar- munka Rice Fields and more.
49
FEATURES
HATE SPEECH: IMPACT AND PREVENTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES
By Hon. Ghejung Awunti
The increase of hate speech represents an un- responsibility to speak out firmly against hate
precedented challenge for our communities. speech and a crucial role to play in countering
Although hate speech has always existed, its this scourge. To successfully fight hate speech
increasing impact fueled by online commu- in our communities, specific terms and the so-
nication can be devastating not only for those cial and political context that make them offen-
targeted, but also for societies at large. When sive, inflammatory, or even potentially danger-
left unchecked, expressions of hatred can even ous should first be identified.
harm societies or communities, peace and de-
Common hate speech expressions in Camer-
velopment, as it lays the ground for conflict,
oon could include (but not limited to): “Franco-
tension and human rights violations, including
crime. fou,” which translates into “Francophones are
fools” and is a phrase used to attack anything
Addressing and countering hate speech is a
Francophone or anything with an origin in the
crucial necessity and responsibility for us all.
French-speaking Regions. On the other hand,
It requires a holistic approach, mobilizing so-
“Anglofou” is a term to belittle English-speak-
ciety as a whole. We all have a moral duty and
50
ing Cameroonians. “Anglofou” is French for What then is hate speech, and why is it so con-
“crazy or foolish Anglophones.” Another term troversial?
with a negative connotation is “Les Bamenda,”
which denotes someone who is minimized, an
underling, or a servant. Demeaning slang from
that phrase is also used, such as “ç’est mon
Bamenda,” meaning “s/he is my fool” or “Je
ne suis pas ton Bamenda,” French for “I am
not your Bamenda” or “I am not your fool.”
We also have words like “Nkasah” referring to
Mbororros, etc.
Throughout history, most conflicts have been
preceded by a narrative where words are giv-
en special meaning and gravitas outside of their
regular use, making them hateful. We must all Hate speech is tricky to define (more on that
tackle and fight hate speech in our various mil- later), but a workable definition is: “Any form
lieus in order to build strongly-knitted commu- of expression through which speakers intend to
nities and promote solidarity or living-togeth- vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group
erness. or a class of persons on the basis of race, reli-
gion, skin color, sex, gender, ethnicity, disabil-
The NWRA is carrying out Peace and Develop- ity, or national origin.” Hate speech can have
ment Initiatives in seven Divisions of the NW severely negative impacts on its targets, which
Region. The outcome and sustainability of the is one reason people on every side of this issue
peace process will be shaped by utterances of condemn it.
speech. Words matter. Words build trust. Words The National Commission on Bilingualism
tear people down. Words incite. Yet, whether or and Multi-culturalism has come out clearly.
not hate speech should be prohibited by force Hate speech is condemned in Cameroon. This
of law is less clear. We suggest banning of hate has opened up the debate, “What is a vice, and
speech because of the impact it has on victims. how is hate speech different from a crime?”
We also contend that a culture of hate speech This distinction is at the heart of why so many
leads to criminal violence, even genocide, lack free speech supporters consider it unjust for the
of progress and development. Most defenders government to imprison, fine, or censor some-
of free speech condemn hate speech but defend one over hateful speech. Vices are those acts by
the right to utter it. They contend it is a vice not which a man gets drunk, falls in a gutter, harms
a crime. Sitting on the fence is dangerous. On himself. Crime is when that same person gets
June 5th 2023, CPDM SG, Jean Nkuete, said, drunk, starts a fight or stabs someone. “A vice
“Lately, they have been fueling hatred through also may cause distress to those around us, but
public spaces, intentionally to sow seeds of dis- doing something someone dislikes is not in and
cord, cause divisions amongst communities. of itself a rights violation.” Everything is con-
Considering that previous attempts of the sort textual. In the NW Region, given our current
through Boko Haram, an imposition on Cam- socio-political context and the sacrifices recent-
eroon and the crisis in the North-West and ly made, we cannot afford to be a garden for
the South-West Regions all aimed at dividing hate speech and what it births.
Cameroonians failed; the evil mongers are poi-
soning the minds of the people through hate.” The United Kingdom provides a chilling exam-
The Head of State has been very clear on this. ple of what happens when the law authorizes
throwing people in jail for causing offense. The
Hampshire Government recently passed a law
51
banning “malicious communication,” that is, decent people, and even supporters of white
communication sent “with the intent to cause nationalists like Richard Spencer are quick to
the recipient distress or anxiety.” What was the distance themselves once the speakers’ more
result of this law? People started being arrested odious views become known.
for making memes on social media.
Thirdly, from education initiatives and invest-
Why hate speech is being tackled at all cost
ing in digital literacy programs to listening to
1) Hate speech can cause even physical harm
those most effective by hate speech and holding
to its victims.
companies (Facebook, other social media) to
2) It has nothing to offer the marketplace of
their human rights obligations. Hate speech is
ideas.
a problem, but hate speech suppression might
3) The idea that legal hate speech creates a cul-
present a bigger challenge
tural norm supporting slurs, demoralizing cur-
rent and potential victims. They drive prejudice underground and let it
4) Hate speech primes the pump for violence fester. There is strong evidence that they may
and genocide. actually foster prejudice rather than reduce it.
What we need to combat hate speech is count-
Mchangama writes that “Studies have shown
er-speech and a culture of respect towards our
that Nazi propaganda was most effective on
fellow human, not enforced silence.
young Germans—more impressionable, with
little experience of living in a free society and Most importantly, the authors of hate speech
subject to institutional indoctrination in schools should also be held accountable, to end impu-
and Hitler Youth organizations….” This makes nity. Monitoring and analyzing hate speech is
sense. If you take young people and subject a priority for many at the North-West Regional
them to endless propaganda from teachers Assembly. No one is born to hate. We all need
and other leaders about how XYZ population to put in collective effort and responsibility to
is awful and must be scourged from the earth, tackle this phenomenon. For peaceful coex-
then many of those young people will start to istence and social cohesion, let us all say NO
believe it. Schools mold minds. to hate speech, for it kills living-togetherness
If hate speech laws do not work, what can we and creates social conflict. The success of the
do to reduce hate speech in our communities NWRA PDI will partly be measured by how
and society? good people feel and the words they sputter.
Let us work, continuously work, to contain this
There are three powerful ways to combat
problem.
hate speech, which do not rely on govern-
mental force: counter speech, and giving big-
ots enough rope to hang themselves. Counter
speech—essentially calling out hateful speech
when we see it, and producing powerful argu-
ments against hateful ideas—is the best way
to combat prejudice. US Supreme Court Jus-
tice, Anthony Kennedy, describes it well: “The
remedy for speech that is false is speech that is
true. This is the ordinary course in a free soci-
ety. The response to the unreasoned is the ratio-
nal; to the uninformed, the enlightened; to the
straight-out lie, the simple truth.”
The second way to combat prejudice is to give
bigots a microphone. Most Cameroonians are
52
NWRA: SPORTS DIPLOMACY, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT,

PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT
By Hon. Nfor Marcel vidual to improve their physical, psycholog-
Sports diplomacy has been applied to influ- ical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing
ence diplomatic exercises, social, economic (Lundqvist, 2011). It is the power of sports to
and pollical activities on behalf of various bring different people together across the na-
States, Regions, individuals and group actors tional and international boundaries that makes
(Bolcay,2018). It has achieved greater strides it unique. Subsequently, sporting events are
in achieving international, Regional and local becoming a more common worldwide social
unity. The use of sports as a soft power for trend, which is increasingly attracting more
States and governments has become obvious, participants, organizers and fans (Kasamsap,
repetitive and sometimes clinched. Peace is 2014). The ability of sports to congregate
promoted through sports by respecting human people, allows it to be a useful tool in resolv-
rights, rule of law, and equality among the ing problems of diplomacy among humanity.
participating groups. Sports also enhance uni- Cameroon is a sports-loving country, stand-
ty, trust, loyalty, friendship and team-building ing tall among many nations, especially in
among conflicting communities. Sports in- athletics, football, volleyball, etc. Camer-
volve physical exertion and skills where in- oonian fans flood the stadia to support their
dividuals or teams compete against another or teams, sometimes accompanied by prominent
others for entertainment (Hughes, 2019). The personalities in government. The stars often
physical activity during sports confers nu- bring home breaking news. The provision
merous benefits to humans allowing the indi- of sports in Cameroon is largely led by the
NW athletes presenting their trophies obtained from the 2023

Mt. Cameroon Race of Hope to the Regional Assembly
53
central government. In 1996, President Paul of Law No. 2019/024 of 24th December 2019
Biya signed a law fixing the charter of sports instituting the General Code of Regional and
and physical activities in Cameroon, which Local Authorities, which devolves the pow-
aims at the consolidation of governance in ers of promoting and managing physical and
sports, supervision of sports associations and sports activities to Regions, and mindful of
development of sports infrastructure for elite the North-West Regional Assembly Session of
and collective community sports. Despite the March 2022 during which a Motion on athlet-
ambitious sports charter, and like other laws, ics and sports was presented, deliberated upon
the application of some of the articles in the and adopted authorizing the Regional Exec-
sports charter are still awaited. utive Council to develop a programme for Re-
Back in 1986, H.E. President Paul BIYA ac- gional athletics, games and sporting activities,
knowledged the need to introduce decentral- the President of the North-West Regional As-
ization in order to raise awareness of citizens’ sembly, Professor Fru F. Angwafo III, noted
responsibilities and participation. The intro- with satisfaction and remarked that encourag-
duction of the law on decentralization in 2004 ing athletics and sports as a whole will bring
empowered local authorities to become active hope and new opportunities to talented youths
players once financial and human resources of the Region and pledged full respect and im-
are put at their disposal. The Major National plementation of this Deliberation.
Dialogue of 2019 witnessed an irreversible To accomplish his mission statement that
step forward for the process of decentraliza- same year, he mobilised the entire Regional
tion, accompanied by legal instruments of Assembly morally, physically and financially
application to ensure better organisation and to support PWD Bamenda who had qualified
coordination of intervention of stakeholders. for the Cameroon Cup finals to emerge cham-
In compliance with Chapter 3, Section 272 pions of the Cameroon first division football
54
league for the very first time in the history of on youth empowerment. Through athletics,
this old football flag bearers of the Region the youths are economically empowered and
after several failed attempts. The auditori- the impact of athletics not only influences the
um of the Regional Assembly was visibly youth but also the community at large.
overwhelmed with joy and total jubilation at The North-West Region has registered some
the triumphant entry of the players and Exco very talented footballers and athletes over the
members of PWD with the coveted Cameroon years, particularly with regards to the Mount
Football Cup to present to the House, in rec- Cameroon Race of Hope, some of whom have
ognition of the wonderful support that pushed gone to represent our beloved country in in-
them to victory over Astre of Douala. This ternational competitions. Thursday, April 19,
was red feather number one for the NWRA. 2023 afternoon was another red feather for
the Regional Assembly, spiced by total ex-
The NW is a great sporting Region. At this citement and jubilation before the watchful
juncture, it should be recalled that marathon eyes of the President and the Representative
and football are very popular sporting events of State, as the team of North-West athletes,
across the Region. The name Bamenda has be- led by the focal point for athletics and sports
come an epitome of athletic prowess, thanks at the Regional Assembly, Hon. Nfor Mar-
to its youthful and strong athletes. At many cel Shey and Mr Jick Barnabas, President of
recent and past editions of the Mount Cam- the North-West Athletic League, stormed the
eroon Race of Hope, the sight of north-west- Regional Assembly auditorium with multiple
erners winning such event has become a trophies and medals from the 28th edition of
norm. From such successes, coupled the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, organ-
with high rates of unemployment among the ised by the Cameroon Athletics Federation
NW youths, many young people are now at- in Buea on February 25, 2023. The 40km
tempting to participate in athletics as an ave- Mount Cameroon Race of Hope draws sev-
nue to empower themselves and be part of the eral hundred of runners from different parts
success arena. Athletics has a positive impact of the world each year. The 28th edition saw
NWRA accompanied University of Bamenda to the 2003 Ngoundere University Games
55
Tata Carine Wiysenyuy and Adamu Issa Buba Cameroonians, North-Westerners inclusive,
from the North-West Region steer themselves take pride in victories at domestic and in-
to victory ahead of their compatriots and international competitions, making sports an
ternational runners from 14 other competing important source of national unity, peaceful
countries. At the end of the race, North-West co-existence and development. Mindful of
athletes backed home four goal medals, six the dignity this outstanding performance has
silver and six bronze, giving a total of sixteen brought to the individual athletes, the organiz-
medals out of the eighteen medals competed ers, the promoters, the Region and the nation
for, besides numerous trophies of different at large, we, the coordinators, seize this op-
sizes and shapes. Worthy of note is the perti- portunity to register our sincere gratitude to
nent fact that the brain behind this exception- the President and the entire Regional Assem-
ally wonderful performance is the North-West bly for the wonderful magnificent booster that
Regional Assembly. Prior to the competition, served as a motivating factor, which has pro-
in response to an appeal letter submitted by moted, inspired and nurtured the present and
the focal point, Hon. Nfor Marcel, who dou- future talented youths to go for more training.
bles as the Vice President of the NW athletics Our hearts and souls are forever indebted to
league, the President of the Regional Exec- Professor Fru F. Angwafo III, President of the
utive Council (REC), Professor Fru F. Ang- NW Regional Executive Council and the entire
wafo III, signed a cheque worth two million Regional Assembly members for enabling us,
(2,000,000) CFA to motivate the athletes par- your flag bearers, to stand out conspicuously
ticipate and outclass others during the com- on the rostrum in Buea, thereby distinguishing
petition. Faithfully, the gods of our fatherland our beloved Region at this international com-
blessed and accepted this goodwill gesture petition, which witnessed the participation
with the highest number of trophies ever won of more than 600 athletes from 14 different
by our athletes in the history of the Mount countries. We really appreciate this support,
Cameroon Race of Hope. which inspired and blessed us with wonderful
RA celebrating the trophy of PWD Bamenda after the 2021 cup of Cameroon
56
results. Mindful of the on-going decentralisation pro-
The North-West Regional Assembly has defi- cess and the Special Status accorded the NW
nitely come to stay as one of the biggest sports and SW Regions, I strongly opine that our en-
influencers of the Region, with recent crowd dowment with a vast array of sporting poten-
pulling achievements, notably the aforemen- tial, if well-coordinated, can greatly transform
tioned, as well as recently accompanying the our beloved Region into a sporting bonanza.
University of Bamenda to the Ngoundere Va- Again, given the sustained athletic dominance
sity Games. Our utmost desire is to see other in the wake of changing generations, no one
key stakeholders like the Municipal Councils, truly knows why a single community produc-
City Council, UNVDA, MIDENO, etc, prom- es more than 75% of Cameroon’s mountain
inent elite and other philanthropists join this runners; but it has been blamed on everything
train of supporters to enhance maximum mo- from altitude to a supergene, thus the dire need
bilization and harnessing of the many young to diversify more in track and field events to
enthusiastic talents of the Region. broaden the scope of competition to sustain
At this juncture, permit me draw your atten- and solidify the status of being a powerhouse
tion to some of the pertinent challenges that in mountaineering, track and field events.
limit our young people from building up a The NW Region in actual fact is the Kenya of
good reputation from their knowledge and ex- Cameroon, and if we invest well in athletics
pertise in different sporting domains. This in- like Kenya does, we will produce so many so-
cludes, among others, the lack of encourage- cial media influencers who will generate large
ment, support or companionship from family followers who pay close attention to their ac-
and friends; inadequate sporting facilities and tivities and remember that Brands love social
sporting participation opportunities; inade- media influencers because they can create
quate higher education sports practitioners or trends and encourage their followers to buy
coaches, just to mention a few. products they promote, besides other finan-
cial and materi-
al benefits. The
trickle-down
effect would go
a long way to
boost the social,
economic and
environmental
development of
our Region.
The challenge
to rebrand our
common desti-
ny is upon us.
President, NWRA congratulating the athletes

57
NWRA NEWS AND UPDATES

VISITS
PROMOTIONS
58
EVENTS
SOCIAL ACTIONS
59
RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY
SAD PAGE
The House of Chiefs The Regional Assembly With deepest sympathy,

anounces with deep- condoles wiith the Com- the Regional Assembly
est sorrow the dissa- missioner for Education, condoles with our col-
pearance of HRM Fon Sports and Cultural De- league and brother, Mr
Fuekemshi 11 of Baba velopment, Prof. Anjoh Ndi Alex for the loss of
1 who was a member Frii-Manyi Rose, for the his wife, Ngwayi Eileen
of House of Chiefs. He passing on of her moth- epse Ndi, who passed
went missing on Tues- er, Mami Serah Mweti away on Friday April
day May 02, 2023. RIP. Anjoh, who will be in- 14, 2023. May her soul
terred on the 15th of July rest in peace.
2023. May mama’s soul
rest in peace.
60
61
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THE NORTH-WESTERNER NO 004 - JUNE 2023

53 - NWRA: Sport Diplomacy: Youth empowerment, peace and development

58 NWRA NEWS AND UPDATES

Excerpts below. President: The NW Regional Assembly is

give an account of our stewardship. A diversi-

President: On the contrary! Again, we have

THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE LAW:

By Hon. Jude Nsom Waindim

INSIDE THE HOUSE OF CHIEFS

THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE 18 months in captivity. It was about mid-day

President of the House of Chiefs welcomed at the Regional Assembly

President welcomed by the Representative of State, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique

President HOC and Fons of Mankon, Aghem, and Akum

House Of Chiefs: Realizations 30 Months On

Talking about the balance sheet of the North-

We prayed for his safety and good

so, I further confirmed with the Commis-

Regaining his freedom after 18 months is

With his release, we, as Fons, will fully sup-

HRH Fon Aaron Kulla Bumkang of

We thank God for the release

So, everybody across the board had been

HRH Fon Asana II of

“The abduction of the fon of Bambalang over

With the return of the King, peace never experi-

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY ON THE MOVE

Regional Executive Council in Session

NWRA constructs a block of 2 classrooms for CCAST Bambili

DECENTRALIZED COOPERATION: MILESTONES

By Hon. Jude Nsom Waindim

Customs Department: The North-West Region- NOWERAMEP

ACCOUNTABILITY: THE FOUNDATION OF TRUST IN THE

“Abject competition to the detriment of all has

The vision-bearer of the North-West Re-

REBRANDING THE REGION: IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL DRIVERS OF

NWRA PATRONIZING UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

ZOOMING IN ON THE NORTH-WEST REGIONAL

CHSD, RA handing over Medshare package to DMOs

NEF/NWRA organise Open door day for youths

Youth Affairs, Sports and Leisure

MEZAM DIVISION Other fascinating tourist attractions worth

NGOKETUNJIA DIVISION tistic and cultural wealth of the artefacts pro-

NWRA: SPORTS DIPLOMACY, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT,

NW athletes presenting their trophies obtained from the 2023

NWRA accompanied University of Bamenda to the 2003 Ngoundere University Games

President, NWRA congratulating the athletes

NWRA NEWS AND UPDATES

RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY

The House of Chiefs The Regional Assembly With deepest sympathy,

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