PMUC improves lives of New Bell Prison inmates

The inmates and administration of New Bell Prison in Douala have hailed ‘Pari Mutuel Urbain Camerounais’, PMUC, for its relentless efforts and immeasurable sacrifices over the years to ameliorate the conditions of inmates at the prison.

This message of sincere appreciation was transmitted to a visiting high-level PMUC delegation to the New Bell Prison on December 21, 2015, by the spokesperson of the inmates as well as the representative of the Registrar of the prison.

The message was transmitted during the closing ceremony of the annual sports tournament at the New Bell Prison organized by ‘Association Sportive Pluridisciplinaire et Culturelle’, ASPLUDIC, and sponsored by PMUC.

For close to 20 years, the closing ceremony of the sports competition is also an occasion for PMUC to donate assorted food items and some other necessities to the prison, in a bid to enable the inmates also be part of the end of year festivities.

The spokesperson of the inmates said PMUC’s gestures that include financial and material donations tremendously ease the great pains and stress felt by the prisoners. Both the spokesman of the detainees and the representative of the Prison Registrar declared amidst standing ovation from the over 3000 inmates of the New Bell Prison that PMUC is indisputably a citizen-friendly enterprise.

Sharing With Those In Difficulties

Jean-Pierre Tosi, who represented the General Manager of PMUC at the occasion, recalled that since 1996, the enterprise in its humanitarian spirit has been supporting the inmates of the Prison.

Tosi asserted that it was certain the inmates at the New Bell Prison would have preferred to spend the festive period with their families and loved ones as they used to do in the past when they were not in prison.

He consoled the prisoners that life is full of ups and downs, multiple temptations, happy and unhappy moments, hazards and so on. He said some people along the way, for one reason or the other unfortunately violate set down rules and end up in prison.

He also cautioned the inmates against losing hope and thinking that all have abandoned them. Tosi thus encouraged the inmates to strive to prepare themselves for a healthy reintegration into the society as citizens who have learnt from their past errors.

The representative of the PMUC General Manager promised that faithful to its engagement as a citizen-friendly enterprise, PMUC will continue to support the inmates of the New Bell Prison as long as the means will permit, for there is nothing as good as sharing, especially with those in difficulties.

Prize Awards

The 2015 ASPLUDIC Tournament, which kicked off on December 4, 2015, and ended on December 17, 2015, saw Cell No. 6 winning the male football competition.

The sporting disciplines that featured in the 2015 competition included football, basketball, handball, Ludo, and ‘Songo’.

Football played in two categories; the male category and the minors, females and the elderly persons with the female team winning the competition.

Consolatory prizes were given to the children and elderly.

The handicap football team also received an encouragement award.

Besides the trophies that accompanied financial awards, the best player of the male football competition also won a prize, while the loser of the football final also got a consolatory prize.

‘Super 6’ of Cell No. 11 won the prize for the most disciplined team in the male football competition.

The total cash prizes handed over at the ceremony amounted to FCFA 880,000 while the trophies cost a total of FCFA 542,500.

The food and other gifts that included rice and garri, vegetable oil and sugar, ground nuts, salt, and soap totaled FCFA 1,901,601. In all, PMUC spent FCFA 3,324,101 for the ASPLUDIC Tournament.'

The December 21 ceremony was attended by dignitaries among who were the DO of Douala II, the representative of the Littoral Delegate of Prison Administration, and Gerard Atangana, the Special Adviser to the Board Chairman of PMUC.

The occasion was graced by choral music and as hip-hop. One of the three choral music groups that performed at the event is called the Temple Singers, and the members are drawn from the community of Anglophone inmates at the New Bell Prison.