Sen. Awanga tasked to disenclave Ngie subdivision

The population of Andek in Ngie Subdivision have pleaded with Senator Zacharia Awanga to disenclave the Subdivision before his mandate expires in three years.

Welcoming Sen. Awanga, the Mayor of Andek Council, Samuel Awetua Ukeinia, who is also Section President of the CPDM, said, since 2007, the party “has continuously gathered momentum in the Momo West Section (Ngie) with over 3,500 militants out of 4,200 voters in the Subdivision. That is why we floored opposition parties by scoring 100 percent at the Senatorial, Parliamentary and Municipal polls two years ago.”

He said one other positive indicators of the special attachment of the people of Ngie to the CPDM is the purchase of 3,378 party cards within two months by militants. He assured Awanga that Momo West Constituency, which constitutes Ngie, Njikwa and Widikum is the “most enclaved and underdeveloped Constituency in Cameroon.

“There is not even a kilometre of an all-season road and the very few seasonal roads that exist are not passable for many months of the year. Even so, the roads are not often maintained. There is no electricity in Njikwa and Ngie Subdivisions and 90 percent of Widikum Subdivision. Our agriculture is in a state of neglect with the resultant effect of rural exodus of youths to big towns in other Regions of Cameroon,” Mayor Awetua remarked.

He reported that work on the stretch of Njikwa-Andek-Widikum road has been abandoned by the contractor who collected FCFA 400 million for the 40km road and has vamoosed. Such a road, he said, if realised, would link the entire Momo West Constituency to the Trans-African Highway and accelerate socio-economic development.

He urged the Senator to create a Momo West Rural Development Authority, to handle special problems of food insecurity and rural development. He thanked Sen. Awanga for offering motorcycles to the Council to facilitate movement. On behalf of the elites, Godfred Abucho, said though the Subdivision is without electricity, there is pipe-borne water, plus some health units and schools.

He appealed to the Senator to influence the appointment of sons and daughters of Ngie to top jobs in Government.

Awanga observed that the village has great potentials, naming the oil mill at Teze, the fertile lands, highly educated youths.

He challenged Ngie people to shun laziness and emulate the Bamilekes who have “gained economic importance in Cameroon.”

Observing that solutions to the problems of electricity, road network, water supply, educational and health facilities were being sought, Awanga said he cannot carryout development of Ngie alone and appealed to the people to initiate projects so that, together, they can develop Ngie. He said the new motorcycles he bought are for the Councillors to reach all remote parts of Ngie at all times.

He frowned at parents who deprive their girl children of education and force them into early marriages.

Given that Ngie shares borders with Nigeria, Awanga cautioned the people to stay alert because of Boko Haram insurgents. He conducted a fundraising on the spot to support the armed forces. FCFA 750,000 was raised and handed over to the Momo SDO.

The SDO for Momo, Justine Dieudonne Ngong, thanked Ngie people for supporting the soldiers and promised to dispatch the money to the Minister of Defence the next day.