PM Dion Ngute Says Peace Is Only Way Out

By Noela Bisong

 

Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, has said as far as the attainment of the resolutions of the Major National Dialogue is concerned, peace has to take precedence.

According to Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, this is the only way out for the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, and it is now or never.

The Prime Minister was speaking in Buea on September 22, during the second session of the Committee to follow up the implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue.

The event which brought together key stakeholders of the endeavour was held at the premises of the National School of Local Administration, NASLA.

The Prime Minister also has urged the entire populations of the North West and South West regions to rise up as one man to strive for peace with all their might.

Chairing the event, PM Dion Ngute took time to outline some significant progress made so far in response to the needs of the populations of the North West and South West regions, which he mentioned were reflective in certain positive indicators including among other things increasing school enrollment figures for the academic year just starting, areas of relative security, re-start of economic activities as well as gradual return of Internally Displaced Persons in some areas.

However, the state man regretted recent attacks "with advanced devices" by separatists, which have led to military casualties, as well as kidnappings, highway banditry, attacks on Churches etc, all negatively impacting the current fragile economies of the North West and South West regions and enormous hardships on the people.

"Destructive activities are key impediments to effective implementation of reconstruction efforts especially in rural areas", he said, pressing that "each and every one of us has a key role to play in ensuring that progress is attained... only through efforts of all well-meaning Cameroonians that this plan will succeed."

Among other things, PM Dion Ngute is positive that government has engaged significant reforms so far in line with the implementation of the recommendations of the MND, as he mentioned the bill to institute the General Code on Regional and Local Authorities which brings in place the Special Status for the North West and South West regions, the Presidential plan for the reconstruction of the two regions which addresses their immediate needs, promotion of the commission of bilingualism and multiculturalism, creation of the DDR Centers as a political strategy towards a path to peace as well as government's attention on IDPs.

The Head of government lamented youth unemployment, the hardships of the Cameroon Development Corporation CDC, PAMOL, the National Refining Company SONARA, the Bamenda ring-road project, Limbe Deep Seaport project as key issues currently giving government sleepless nights.

While observing that all is being done to transcribe outlined recommendations into palpable actions, Dion Ngute again beseeched his Anglophone brethren to take upon themselves the peace crusade as a personal responsibility as well as communicate and defend the reconstruction package wherever and whenever necessary, which is geared towards nothing else than their well being.

Concluding his about 20 minutes address, Dion Ngute stated that "Without peace, without security, there can be no sustainable development."

An over four-hour in-camera session was held by the follow-up committee to assess the journey so far and what lies ahead for the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, held in Cameroon's political capital Yaounde, September 30 to October 4, 2019.

 It was programmed to bring in solutions to end the bloodbath in the crisis-sticken North West and South West regions of Cameroon, plunged in an armed conflict since 2017.

PM Dion Ngute maintains that in the interest of the population of these two regions who enjoyed relative peace and progress until late 2016, the time to strive for that peace is now, from all fronts and by all!