By FC Junior
It was during the official launching of activities of the 48th Youth Day Celebration in the North West Region that Youth Affairs Minister Ismael Bidoung Mpkatt was told the truth that youths have developed more interest in joining secessionist movements than the Cameroon National Youth Council-CNYC. The Minister of Youth Affairs who braved the bumpy stretch of the Ring road to launch Youth Day activities in Wum, Menchum Division was taken aback when he was told that the Southern Cameroons National Council-SCNC has swept away the minds of many youths. Donga Mantung Delegation which was led by Abanda Marcel confirmed that many youths have acquired UNO State/SCNC cards and that there is massive recruitment into the movement given the scramble that has been observed. In addition, Ismael Bidoung Mpkatt was also told that those recruiting youths into the movements have promised jobs and the creation of small enterprises where youths will be stakeholders.
In a shocking mode to the revelation, Ismael Bidoung Mpkatt called on North West youths to take their responsibilities as leaders to educate their peers on reasons why they should not adhere to the ideologies of a separatist movement. Delegations from other Divisions also confirmed that the euphoria by youths in joining SCNC has increased at an alarming rate. A delegate for Mezam confidentially told this reporter that majority of the youths say that SCNC and or UNO State is the only solution to the Anglophone marginalization in this country. As for another delegate for Boyo youths are very reluctant in the activities of the Cameroon National Youth Council. “Some youths even look at us as spice for the government”.
In a phone conversation with the President of the Cameroon National Youth Council, Donga Mantung Abanda Marcel, he said that he also told the Minister that as leaders they are doing their best to educate their peers especially at this point in time that much is being said about national integration. “We also told the minister that there are a lot of human rights abuses in our Division. Soldiers even brutalize us and some go as far as calling us Biafras. We equally invited the Minister to launch the Youth day in Nwa considering that there are 5 villages from Nigeria that were handed to Cameroon around Yang area and the youths of these village don't feel belonging to Cameroon”, he emphasized. In addition Abanda Marcel also revealed that Donga Mantung also submitted 25 projects to the Minister for funding. The projects he said are aimed at mitigating the mad rush into the SCNC and also to empower youths economically given that poverty and unemployment are the root causes. Abanda Marcel also revealed that each member of his delegation contributed 15.000 FCFA for transportation excluding lodging and feeding. He also reiterated that it was MINEPAT Divisional Delegate for Menchum that gave them 5.000 FCFA before they could afford to buy water. He lamented that they left Wum as they came hoping that the Ministry will respond positively to their submissions.
Harping on the mobilization ahead of February 11 celebrations in Nkambe, Abanda Marcel CNYC Donga Mantung has received not a dime from the Divisional Delegation, Regional or the Ministry to mobilize youths. He said at the level of the elite(s) only Madame Achidi Achu Judith supported them with T-shirts and a sum of 30.000 FCFA. He also added that Gerard Ngala also called few hours ago telling him that he has to offer tem snacks to take after march-pass. Senator Jikong Stephen, Marcel disclosed had promised to support them with a sum of 50.000 FCFA and also requested that they should give him any of their project for funding. “But we are still to get back to him”. Apart from these three elite(s), The Eye gathered that others elite(s) are so self-centered that they see nothing good in anything except in the form of bread for their personal or family consumption. Some of them have even been tagged with names such as Japanese handbrakes given that they are even stingy to themselves. On the organization, he said CNYC is part of organization but is never part of the management. “In the days of SDO Nzeki Theophile, CNYC use to have small allocation to mobilize youths but today there nothing”. It should be noted that the Cameroon National Youth Council is more of a ceremonial outfit than a setup to empower youths. The Eye is aware that since creation, the Cameroon National Youth Council has no Divisional structures and not to talk of running credit. Allegedly some youths who joined it thinking that it was a chop-pot finally throw the towel to the dogs and left.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa
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