National Youth Day 2014: Youth Council Decry Marginalization, Menace strike Action

They Almost Disrupted Youth Day Activities

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-The celebration of the 48^th edition of the National Youth Day in Nkambe, the administrative headquarters of the Donga Mantung Division almost took place without the youths.

Accordingly, before the arrival of the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung to the Fon Nfor Ibrahim Jabfu grandstand, youths from the subdivision had mobilized to disrupt activities on grounds that the neither the Divisional nor the sub divisional president of the Cameroon National Youth Council in that part of the country was recognized by the organizers of the activities.

This scene almost led to a pandemonium, until the CNYC divisional president for Donga Mantung, Mr. Marcel Abanda intervene and called on them to perform their civic duties in all serenity promising them that they were going to see into their grievances after the march pass.

Thus, upon the arrival of the SDO, the national Anthem was sung which was followed by a rebroadcast of the Head of State’s address to the youths on the occasion, then march pass proper began.

Pupils from some 14 Nursery and 23 Primary schools opened the march pass that was followed by their seniors from some 7 colleges. The colorful march pass ceremony that earned rounds of applauds from onlookers and the grandstand was closely followed by youths of the CNYC led its Divisional president and those from a host of professional institutions, youth groups and associations with those of the youth wing of the CPDM party ending.

It was not just about march pass and dancing , some youths, youth groups were awarded cash and material prizes for their active involvement in the youth day activities since from the day the activities were launched.

In a gala night at the CamCCUL hall to crown the 48th National Youth Day in Nkambe, the SDO, Mr. Ngone Ndodemessape Bernard who chaired the activities expressed satisfaction with the successful organization of the day and congratulated the youths for their massive turnout and participation.

Council Executives Face the Press

Shortly after the official activities at the grandstand, the Divisional President of the Cameroon National Youth Council for Donga Mantung, Mr. Marcel Abanda who was accompanied by his predecessor, Mr. Julius Tata Nfor and the Nkambe communal branch president of the council gave a press briefing in which they decried the marginalization of the council by the administration.

Talking to the press, Mr. Abanda appreciated the youths of Donga Mantung for their active participation in the youth week and youth day activities in all the centers of the Division.

The Donga Mantung CNYC president told media men and women that they called the press conference to express their discontent with the administration of the Division.

“We cannot understand why we are celebrating a youth day and elected youth representatives and the institutions they incarnate are not given the status they merit”, Mr. Abanda wondered. He explained that neither the CNYC Divisional president nor the communal president for Nkambe had a place at the grandstand.

 Answering questions from journalists, Mr. Abanda said “it was because there was no seat for the institution in charge of the youth that I was missing in the crowd”. The Divisional President made it clearly that, since the creation of the CNYC, this has never happen in the Donga Mantung.

The pioneer president of the CNYC for Donga Mantung, Mr. Julius Tata told the press that during his reign, the administrators then will not seat if they don’t see the youth representative in his rightful position. “I was in the entourage of the past SDO during his meet the peoples tours, but I don’t know what is happening today”, Mr. Julius Tata.

Mr. Abanda used the press briefing to thank some elite of the division who supported them since the launching of the youth day activities in Wum by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, to the day proper.

By McDonald Kanjo in Nkambe