Multi Billion DDR permanent site to go operational

Fai Yengo visiting the poultry farm

The permanent site to host the Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration centre at Mile 8 Mankon is almost complete

The one billion, 191 million project which is made up of dormitories and a vocational centre, will host ex fighters who decided to drop their guns in the fight against the state

The revelation was made Wednesday 25th November 2020 at the DDR Centre in Bamenda as it's National coordinator, Fai Yengo Francis paid an official visit to the centre

Fai Yengo addressing the Ex Fighters

The National coordinator was amazed with the level of discipline and agricultural works on going at the centre

The centre just benefitted from the special Youth plan with some 1500 broilers donated to the centre to add to other agricultural projects like piggery and farm cultivation. Motivated by this, Fai Yengo promised to initiate more projects that help the fighter as they stay in the centre

The agricultural project has greatly impacted on the lives of the ex fighters. Agoudou Diane is supervising the broilers

"I have learnt how to do poultry here. It is really helpful. Hopefully we will start selling and buying more chicks in the months ahead" Diane said

He further narrated his ordeal as a fighter

"I joined this fight because my business place was looted the day Mancho carried a coffin in town. Since then, I could barely feed my family. My parents were also threatened that if I don't join, they'll deal with them. The frustratons of not having a job pushed me"

Happy that he now has a life to live, the ex fighter just like many others have undertaken driving lessons and are awaiting their licenses

Choir of DDR

Fai Yengo's visit to the centre that has seen some 220 ex fighters passed through, saw the introduction of some 22 more who voluntarily dropped their arms in the last few weeks

11 from Ndumbu, Donga Mantung, 6 from Awing and the others from around the city of Bamenda

The entourage was pleased that more and more young persons are dropping their arms and abandoning a struggle that will instead take them to "Maryland"

Fai Yengo embraces new tenants of the DDR Centre

In his welcome address, the coordinator of the DDR Centre Bamenda, Gabsa Sixtus, cautioned them to strictly respect the rules of the centre and avoid loitering in town

"Some of the fighters don't want to attend classes, others move in and out of the centre haphazardly much because we do not have a fence that surrounds it. We also need some two resident nurses at the centre and more importantly, these children need to stop consuming narcotics"

Worries quickly answered by Fai Yengo who cautioned the ex fighters to be obedient and respectful

Of the 220 that have passed through the center, some 37 are gainfully employed with a state parastetal 

The National coordinator also promised them that their ID cards will be produced soon

"We are looking at the possibility of getting them ID cards. Most of them discarded the document either knowingly or unknowingly."

He also presented a list of items to be provided to the centre for end of year festivities including cows, cartoons of fish, bags of rice, Maize, beans, groundnuts, tomatoes, sardine, 2 TV sets and 2 deep freezers from the Head of state

Items that warranted the senior prefect of the centre, Etchu Emmanuel to comment that "we are receiving more than what we expected"

The visit of the National coordinator adds to previous visits by the Mayor of Bamenda II, the Minister of Youth Affairs, the General Manager of CAMTEL who have stopped over this November

The three DDR centres in Bamenda, Buea and Maroua have at least 800 ex fighters in total

By

Ndi Tsembom Elvis