A lot of appraisal and controversy surrounds the Mayor of Kumbo’s welcome speech at the Inaugural Ceremony of the New SDO for Bui yesterday at the Tobin Municipal Stadium. Here is the full speech for your opinions. We in BaretaNews are more concerned of the last paragraphs.

A SPEECH PRESENTED BY THE 1ST DEPUTY MAYOR KUMBO COUNCIL MME LUKONG MAGARET BERI ON BEHALF OF THE LORD MAYOR KUMBO-COUNCIL WHO IS UNVAVOIDABLY ABSENT DURING THE HANDING OVER CEREMONY BETWEEN THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING SENIOR DIVISIONAL OFFICER, BUI, MR. NZEKI THEOPHILE AND MOOH EMILE SIMON BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF THE NORTH WEST REGION MR. LELE L’AFRIQUE CHOFO AT THE TOBIN MUNICIPAL STADIUM TODAY TUESDAY 18TH JULY 2017

HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF THE NORTH WEST REGION,
THE OUTGOING AND THE INCOMING SDO – BUI
THE DIVISIONAL OFFICERS BUI,
HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT BUI,
DIVISIONAL DELEGATES AND SERVICE HEADS BUI,
HIS MAJESTY THE FON OF NSO, PARAMOUNT FON OF BUI,
TRADITIONAL, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL AUTHORITIES,
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ELITES
INVITED PERSONALITIES
DISTIGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

On behalf of the great people of Bui, I have the honor to welcome you all who have come from far to send off the outgoing Senior Divisional Officer and to receive the incoming Senior Divisional Officer.

On the 31st of October 2012, Mr. Nzeki Theophile was installed by His Excellency the Governor of the North West Region, Mr. Adolphe Lele L’Afrique Debben Tchofo. Today the 18th day of July 2017 he is here again to perform the same ritual. We are thankful to the Almighty God for the Strength and Wisdom given to His Excellency the Governor of this Region, that has guided him to serve the people of this Region with the zeal and enthusiasm for the interest of the Region and Bui Division in particular. We remain grateful to you for the numerous trips to Kumbo in particular and Bui Division in general to solve burning issues affecting the lives of your people. We are equally thankful for the on going works on the National Road 11. This had eased movement and economic activities. Equally we are happy with the last visit of the Minister of Public Works, who instructed for feasibility studies of some priority streets in Jakiri, Nkum and especially Kumbo the divisional Head Quarter and the largest town after Bamenda. We hope, His Excellency, the Minister of Public Works VIA His Excellency the Governor will keep to his promises compensation of houses at Kimbo Squares work of the street of Kumbo. We equally pray you to ensure that various Technical Services like the Divisional Delegation of Public works be provided with a service vehicle.

We are happy to salute the outgoing Divisional Officer, who has been with us for over four years, eight months. On this occasion we will like to look back and thank you for the time spent whether they were well spent of not. For your shortcomings we forgive you because we did not expect you to use your left hand at old age. We regret very much the fact that you are leaving behind a fractured society totally disintegrated and almost ruined. The love, happiness and brotherhood that reigned in Kumbo is gone because of the tactless leadership, since the Adminitration condoned with lawlessness and mediocrity. The Kumbo Water Crises had to drag for so long, because the Administration closed its eyes on the law and gave it ears to street talk. Today the prople of Kumbo go for months without water. This is the legacy you are leaving behind. The Administration failed in its responsibility to enforce the law and to protect lives and property regarding the water crises. You are leaving behind a Muslim community scattered with daggers drawn simply because you refused to support the status quo. Every Religion has a tradition which should determine how it functions.

You are leaving behind an ant-decentralization transfer process of an important public utility (Kumbo Water) that was well managed comfortably under the ambit of the Kumbo Water Authority, supervised by the local government to a state cooperation. Whatever the case, we are grateful that pursuance to the instructions of the Head of State, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Rebublic Incharge of the Supreme State Audit sent a Mobile Audit Team to audit the Management of Kumbo Water Authority and Nso community Water scheme. The team was with us for 3 months and did it assignment. Now that the Kumbo Main Water Scheme is being managed by Ad Hoc Committee under the Ministry of Water and Energy, we enjoin them to ensure that all the quarters in Kumbo should have access to save drinking portable water.

Welcome to Mr. Mooh Emile Simon to Bui Divivison. We receive you with open hands: Bui Division is one of the most important Divisions in this country. It is the home Yang Philemon, Prime Minister of Cameroon, Christian Cardinal Tumi – the first ever Cardinal in the Central African Region. The home of General Ivo Yenwo -Director of the Presidential security. It is the Kingdom of one of the most powerful Fons of the Grassfields, His Majesty the Fon of Nso and you are going to take residence in the town where the sheriff is one of the most experienced Mayor of the Republic. All of these people want you to succeed and will support you if are open to them.

You are coming into an ant hill. Please be cautious so that the aunts should not bite you. You are taking over a Prefecture where the laws were replaced by Tikar proverbs. Thank God you are not a Tikar notable, therefore use the laws of the state and apply them according to your conscience. The people of Bui are peaceful particularly those of Kumbo. They are very conscious of their rights, hospitable and welcoming. Beware of politicians who will be coming to loiter around you for favor. They are the very ones that will pray for your downfall. The peace of this Division is in the hands of the population and no one else. If there is peace in this Division, it is thanks to the fact that the people have refused to be provoked.

We appeal to the Governor to pray that powers that be to do everything possible to solve the Anglophone Minority crises in the North West and South West Regions. For one academic year now, our children are not going to school. In Kumbo and many other areas we are living under an undeclared State of Emergency, characterized by illegal arrests, extortion of money from the poor citizens, beatings and breaking people’s bones, tear gassing at funeral ceremonies, tear gassing of the peaceful people of Kumbo, destruction of property particularly motorbikes of poor unemployed youths, breaking into off licenses and destroying valuable items etc…and use of life ammunition on our citizens and dragging them to torture centers and collecting money from them and those who cannot pay are sent to Yaounde for detention. All these misdeeds against our people are perpetuated by the overzealous forces of law and order that pride themselves that they can only take instruction from Yaounde. Let the head of state take all necessary measures to solve the crises and stop overzealous forces of law of order who take delight in maltreating the citizens.

We want to pledge our total support and collaboration to our Senior Divisional Officer Mr. Mooh Emile Simon. We will jointly sing Alleluya if you succeed in mending the wounds of the people of Bui who are now distanced from each other. Our Fons are auxiliary to the Administration and need to be united to work with the Administration and the population. Mr. SDO, we pray you to ensure that there is conviviality amongst the traditional authorities of this Division.
Once more, I wish everybody a happy stay with us here and safe return to their various destinations

God Bless Kumbo,
God Bless Cameroon.