SDF Tiko Set For Bamenda Convention

By Pegue Manga

Militants of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, party in Tiko have been bracing up for the party's elective convention slated for May 26 in Bamenda. A press release signed by Tiko Electoral District Chairman, Mr. Gabriel Mbua Mofoke, calls on militants to "serenely prepare for the Bamenda Convention and to shun rumour being maliciously circulated that he (Mofoke) has declared for Ngwasiri's Yaounde Convention."

Mofoke is said to have signed a memo, which according to the District Chairman, was directed to the Founding Fathers for deliberation and not to be used by anybody to destabilise the party, stated the release that was broadcast several times on CRTV Radio.

In an enlarged District Executive meeting on April 30, held in Mosac Conference Hall, Buea Road Mutengene, six delegates to the Convention were named and elected as per the SDF constitution.

Mofoke told The Post that during a Provincial Executive meeting to ascertain the position of the various Districts vis-à-vis the Yaounde and Bamenda conventions, Tiko declared for Bamenda for the sake of "unity, legality and constitutionality."

This position, Mofoke said, was amplified in a resolution taken in an emergency Tiko Executive Committee meeting on April 19. "The resolution was transmitted through Tiko National Executive Committee, NEC, member, Mrs. Augustina Ndome for the attention of a NEC meeting on April 21.

"So Tiko is bracing up for the convention. More militants are involved in party activities and meetings are being held to raise awareness on the ongoing events in the SDF," Mofoke said. He urged militants to stay within the mainstream of the party and be steadfast.

The April 30 meeting was attended by the district Bureau and Chairperson of all the wards, the Buea District Chairperson, Barrister Eta-Besong Junior and two of his bureau members and Fako Divisional Coordinator, Agnes Makia.

NGOs Recommend Approach To Reintegrate Orphans In Society 

NGOs and associations recruited to cater for orphans and vulnerable children for this year have recommended that a methodological approach be employed in the implementation of the programme.

They made the recommendation at a three-day seminar on the reinforcement of capacities that held at the Yaounde Conference Centre recently, presided at by the Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock, in the presence of the Minister of Public Health and President of the National AIDS Control Committee, Urbain Olanguena Awono.

The methodological approach towards the insertion of the 1,44,565 orphans identified in 2005, 122,670 whose predicament is a result of the ravaging HIV/AIDS, emphasised on the reinforcement of capacities of NGOs and associations selected by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Furthermore, participants called for the development of intervention tools, putting in place mechanisms for local partnership, follow-up and evaluation and the elaboration of a manual of evaluation.

Besides, participants selected from 42 NGOs and associations called for the refresher course to boost the capacity of recruited social workers, personnel of the Ministry of Social Affairs and others involved in the project.

Orphans, according to participants, are children aged from 0-18 years, having lost one or two parents or legal guardian, infected with HIV/AIDS, or whose parents, either of the two are infected and are unable to take up their responsibilities; children abandoned to themselves, and exposed to distress as a result of lack of care and support.

In addition, the characteristics and criteria that qualify a child as vulnerable were also highlighted. These amongst others are abandonment by parents, death of parent(s) and poverty of family amongst others.

Education, nutrition, health, psychological and judicial domains fall under priority areas within which orphans and vulnerable children would be supported, the participants identified.

In his capacity as the President of the National AIDS Control Committee, Olanguena Awono, lauded the initiative adding that the contribution of the committee towards the execution of the project would take the form ensuring national coverage, reinforcement of technical capacities of NGOs besides permanent evaluation to ensure efficacy and efficiency in the insertion of orphans and vulnerable children in the society.
Bongben Leocadia

Inmate Dies After Mob Attack

An inmate at the Kumbo Principal Prison, Fonyuy Sule of Kingomen origin died at the Shisong Catholic Hospital recently after being battered by a mob at Bamkika-ai allegedly for stealing a fowl.

According to sources at the prison, Fonyuy left the prison yard and went to Bamkika- ai on that fateful day to visit his relatives. The story goes that while at Bamkika-ai Sule was accused of stealing a fowl and a mob fell on him and almost beat him and left him for dead.

It is reported that Sule was taken to the Gendarmerie Brigade Kumbo for detention. At the Gendarmerie Brigade, Fonyuy, according to our source, told the gendarmes that he was coming from Kumbo Principal Prison.

Fonyuy was then taken to the Sub-divisional Hospital Kumbo for treatment. At the hospital, Fonyuy fell unconscious and was transferred to Catholic Hospital Shisong. He died in the night of April 23, 2006 apparently from the beatings he received the previous day.

Bui Farmers Expose  Problems To Agric Delegate

Bui farmers have told the Northwest Provincial Delegate of Agriculture and Rural Development Mbipeh Pius Shidiki the problems, which they say hinder their productivity. The Delegate was visiting Wasi Ber, Bamdzeng, Nseh and Mbonso. At Mbonso Mr. Mbipeh and entourage visited

According to Dr. Lazarius Kongnyuy, a medic turned farmer who leads the AGROPAFO CIG (plantain farm), which carries out mixed farming in oil palm, plantains, maize, pineapple and soya beans, said they went in for mixed farming because locally produced crops are highly consumed.

At the Inland Valley site of Kongsum CIG, Mbonso, where watermelon is grown, the leader of the group, Anthony Lukong, singled out the problem of cattle destroying crops. At Mbonso Farmers' Rice Cooperative, the farmers complained that the president was running the rice huller as a personal property. They expressed the need for a new huller to replace the old one.

Mrs. Florence Verkijika, who runs the Dynamic Mothers CIG Ber that grows tomatoes and maize said only five of the members out of 15 were active. She complained of caterpillars that eat the roots of tomatoes as well as the problem of irrigation.

At the Inland Valley Project of the Wiratur CIG Ber, a retired Divisional Delegate of National Education Nyuyki Ngoran who leads the group that produces pepper, corn and beans said farmers need barbed wire fence to keep stray animals out. Other farmers' groups said they have a tractor but do not have the ploughs, while others stressed the need for irrigation and motor pumps.
By Peter Adi Fonte