NW: The Ungranted Pardon On Those Arrested Dampen Youth Day participation

The much awaited clemency from the Head of State on those who were arrested from Anglophone regions and taken to Yaounde in connection with Teachers strike which did not come did affect the 2017 Youth day participation. Tempers would have been abated had the Head of State in his usual magnanimity granted clemency on those held in detention given that February 11 happens to be the Day one of the greatest advocate of peace, Nelson Mandela of South Africa was pardoned by the government of his country and released from prison. This unfulfilled expectation rather intensified the ghost towns across the Region.

For three days in same week in February, ghost towns grounded activities in the North West Region as well as in the South West Region. Unlike other ghost towns called by the disbanded Anglophone Consortium of Civil Society Organizations now operating from abroad, the peculiarity of this three days ghost town affected the 51^th Youth day celebration in the entire North West Region but for Bamenda that recorded a good number of participants. To compound issues, almost all schools across the region have for three months been deserted following the Teachers’ strike and have failed to fully resume in spite the suspension of the strike on February 4, 2017 by some Teachers Trade union representatives.

Bamenda: Governor Lele L’afrique Deben Adolphe presided over the march pass at the City grandstand which lasted for eleven minutes. After listening to the Head of State’s message to the Youths, the Chief executive proceeded to hand over prizes of excellence to some youths and football clubs. The Prizes were donated by the Head of Government Prime Minister Yang Philemon. The Prizes which were received by the Press Division of the teams comprised of desk computers, footballs, wheelbarrows and cash. George Chifu received for Bang bullet FC said to have brought glory to the Region was handed two footballs and cash prize of FCFA 25000 and Derrick Bakah for Yong Sport Academy which is presently participating in the Continental tournament taking place in Addis Ababa was handed two footballs, a desktop computer and a cash prize of FCFA 150000. Other youth entrepreneurs and volunteers were handed trophies, wheelbarrows, desktop computers and cash prizes. There after march pass commenced with the lone government primary school army camp with 31 pupils followed by good number of students of the Francophone section of GBHS Bamendankwe . GBHS down town and Bamenda had six students each while students of the University of Bamenda carried the day with over 130 student participation. Youths supporting the indomitable lions and all youth civil servants marched pass. The march pass in Bamenda was crowned by the CPDM Youth wing who were courageous enough and peculiarly the Youth President of Mezam IC, Denis Ngayikfu alias El-Gambo who dressed in complete party regalia inspite the tension within the city. For the Head of State to have declared that he has endorsed all the proposals arrived at after Adhoc committee, means many things shall come to fruition for Cameroonians. Denis Ngayikfu called on youths to be patient with government while its executes the proposals.

Bali: Youth day activities in this SubDivision were disrupted by some youths who stormed the venue chanting liberation songs. This led to arrest of the said youths who even hoisted a flag that was not the green, red and yellow colours.

Batibo: Youthday was stalled by some unidentified youths who had defecated on the grandstand. The whole place was stinking with faeces and made it impossible for the event to be hosted.

Bafut: The Mayor Langsi Abel Ngwanso did receive the Divisional officer at the unerected grandstand and there was no sound system to have a replay of the national anthem. Parents and students did not turn up. The youth day in Bafut was characterized by exchange of handshake between the Mayor and the Divisional Officer and that was all no march pass. According reports, the sound master who was hired to animate the event, return the money back saying he was not interest and the Canopy man did same thereby stalling the occasion.

Wum: Top civil servants registered present at the grandstand and after the replay of the Head of State’s message to the Youths, the occasion came to a close as there were no schools to march pass.

Ndop: No school showed up for the march pass and after the replay of the Head of state’s message the prison wardens, Gendarmarie officers and the Police led by the Central Divisional officer for Ndop did the march pass. The total boycott was partly caused by the arrest of some 24 youths on the night of Wednesday 9 by the forces of law and order suspected of setting fire at Francophone school in Ndop just when the Governor visited and left. These youths were transferred to Bamenda on the same night,says Police. Since then there has been unrest from the population and women came out naked haven adorned themselves with some fetish and chanting war songs and placing curses on the security and the Fon. They have declared the Fon of Bamunka HRH Njoya John, a persona non grata for citing with the administration in support of the arrest of youths.

Kumbo: Four schools participated in Kumbo and a good number of youth groups and CPDM Section Youths also made their presence felt. Senior Divisional Officer Nzeki Theophile expressed his satisfaction with the turnout and participation though it can not be compared to previous editions.

Fundong: Unlike in Njinikom and Belo where nothing took place, the Head quarter of Boyo Division register 13 participants for the marchpass and of the 13, CPDM had seven while militants of United Democratic Party UDP of Bochong Aku Elhadj Lawan Bako and another youth group shared six.