Kum Henry has described politics practiced in the Northwest region of Cameroon as partisan politics, has called for Elites to stop running each other down and focus on building the region again, so that the much talk about Peace can return to the armed conflict thorn region.
"The DDR is not Politics, we are dealing with people's lives. There are good number of people out there who don't know how these boys look like. Let's assist each other and build the region. What is bringing us down in the Northwest region is that we are trying to run down each other. All Elites in the Northwest, everyone is trying to run the other down and by doing so the communities are affected. The Northwesterner is not taken serious".
He speaks firmly in a press briefing and told Press men that if NW Elite can't return home, then Peace in the region is far fetched or short-lived.
"Most Elite talk about Peace and Peace in the Northwest, mentioning the DDR, a place that a greater majority of them haven't visited. If you are an Elite and you know that the DDR is part of the Peace building process then you should visit the place and get real information from the children there".
Kum Henry, NW Regional Coordinator of the DDR Centre resolved that it is important to speak truth to someone's face than speak bitterness in hiding.
"Most NW Elite are not playing any major role, Peace will not come from the literature that is discussed in Yaoundé. The Peace in the NW will come from the collective efforts of all Elite in their various divisions and various villages", speaking during a Press briefing in Bamenda.
The administrator frounds at the fact that majority of the Northwest elite get to the region in armoured cars, to discuss Peace strategies in Ayaba hotel and return to Yaoundé with little or no work done.
"NW Elite enter armoured cars from matazen and come out at Ayaba, sit in Ayaba, talk Peace, then return to Yde. But when in Yaoundé, they start talking of the DDR. My appeal is that these Elite who are interested in Peace in the NW should have good information on the DDR. When the children were marching I didn't hear NW Elite talk of DDR Bamenda but now that places are quiet they begin to talk about the DDR".
"If you call yourself an Elite, play a major role in bringing Peace in these region. A greater majority of the Elites cannot go to their villages. When they come, they end up in Ayaba and cannot even recieve people, they only receive a very few people", Kum Henry, DDR NW.
Kum Henry's outing with the press has proven that he has made the press corp an intergral part of the DDR Bamenda, an observation that wasn't noticed with his predecessor.
Kum Henry took over office on September 2021, according to him the number of people dropping arms against the State has been on a steady rise.
"We believe the Head of State's largesse to create the DDR was an avenue for these young men to lay down arms. We have changed the face of the centre, reinforces training and educational capacity, engaged them in alot of social activities which is part of their reintegration into society".
"They have played matches against the administration of Bamenda II, administration of the NW. We engaged the girls at the centre in handball games and they took part in 11 February celebrations. At DDR skills of young men and women are built, impacting their lives, preparing them for social and professional independence".
He appealed to government that despite the efforts made at the centre to prepare the ex-fighters for reintergration, materialy the should be ready for them to settle while laying emphasis on agriculture and livestock.
By Ndefru Melanie in Bamenda
670426692
ndefrumelany@gmail.com