Nyassoso elite preach fraternity, dev’t

Sons and Daughters of Nyasoso, in Tombel Sub-division of Kupe Muanenguba Division, Southwest Region, have pledged to reinforce love and brotherhood among themselves and revitalize their cultural heritage this, with a view to promoting the development of their once buoyant and promising but now moribund homeland. They also resolved to revamp the activities of the Nyasoso Cultural and Development Association, NYACUDA and chart a better way forward for the colonial resort clan.

These were only some of the resolutions of the Annual Festival of NYACUDA that took place on 4 April 2015, in Nyassoso, chaired by its President General, Herbert Apande Ediage.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ediage underscored the objectives of NYACUDA which is mainly to promote brotherhood and unity among people of Nyassoso extraction, and impart in them a sense of self-reliant development.

It was on a firm note therefore that Herbert Ediage called on sons and daughters of Nyasoso especially the youths to eschew idleness, alcoholism and drug addiction, and embrace income generating activities especially agriculture.

Harping on the theme of the festival: “Come let us rebuild”, Herbert Ediage recalled the many development projects championed by NYACUDA in the past including notably: the construction of a multi-purpose community hall; extension of the age-old Nyasoso water project; procurement of the Nyassoso Community Radio and upgrading of the Presbyterian Health Centre to a fully-fledged District Hospital. He noted that NYACUDA also supervised the construction of more classrooms in schools apart from lobbying for the creation of a police post and a tele-centre in Nyassoso.

But Mr. Ediage at once regretted that for some time now members of NYACUDA have lost their sense of community development. He said it was in cognizance of this that “Come Let Us Rebuild” was chosen as theme for this year’s annual conference.

Apart from the resolve to instill a New Impetus in NYACUDA, the Annual Conference also served as forum to raise funds to finance vital projects notably hygiene and sanitation campaigns; rehabilitation of the community hall; construction of NYACUDA permanent secretariat; reinforcement of scholarship schemes and promotion of inter-school sports competitions.

Mr. Ediage chastised Nyassoso youths, who instead of going to their farms in the mornings prefer to go about drinking alcohol (kitoko). He also blamed the elders for failing to show the good example.

He urged Nyassoso indigenes to once again inculcate good habbits and be of exemplary behavior this, so as to restore the dignity and pride of their once revered and feared paramount ruler.

“The dignity of any chief lies on the quality of his subjects and the development they bring to their community,” Ediage emphasized.

He frowned at the wanton exploitation of the Kupe Mountain forest by unscrupulous villagers; he called on the population to be watchful and to report defaulters to the traditional council.

Of the FCFA 18 million targeted for development projects in 2015 some about FCFA 5.7 million was raised during the annual festival.

The festival was also occasion for Nyassoso indigenes to express concern and solidarity with the soldiers engaged in the war against the Islamic Sect Boko Haram. They also lamented over the plight of displaced persons in the Far North, and strongly hailed the efforts of the Head of State, President Paul Biya in containing the insurgency.

For his part, the home branch president of NYACUDA, Ntoko Richard Njume, regretted that Nyasoso which was once considered the cradle of civilization in West Cameroon with its enviable health, educational, Christianity and tourism facilities, has become a shadow of itself.

“Nyassoso no longer reflects the land our forefathers bequeathed to us,” Ntoko Njume lamented, calling on elites to “join hands and rebuild Nyassoso.”

The annual festival was spiced by prize awards to the cleanest quarters in Nyasoso. There was also a marathon race.

Nyassoso at a glance

Nyasoso clan is made up of three villages. It has a population of over 2000 inhabitants who are mostly involved in agriculture. Major attractions include: Mt Kupe with its rich Flora and Fauna; the cold, inviting weather and the hospitality of the people. It was a combination of the foregoing that caused the first Missionaries to settle in Nyassoso and set up the first Presbyterian Church and mission in 1896. The first primary school and dispensary were also created in 1931.

In 1932, the Basel Missionaries brought pipe borne water to Nyasoso. The water source still exists till today. Meanwhile, in 1944, an Elementary Teacher’s Training College was created. It was later transformed into a Government Secondary School, GSS Kupe-Muanenguba. The Presbyterian Theological Seminary was created in 1946 and was later transferred to Kumba in 1988.