Reports from the field indicate that despite the restive situation in the North West, South West and Far North Regions, the work is being done.
The strategies set in motion for the validation exercise have been as varied as the localities in which teams worked. For some, the use of social media platforms has been key, for others, phone calls have played their part. All mechanisms put in place by various teams sent to carry out the headcount of CPDM militants have played greatly to their favour even as the operation would have been easier had those in charge had the chance to fully comb remote areas. Nonetheless, it has been a hectic one month for members of validation committees as they have had to devise all means to enlist militants who have pledged unalloyed support to the Party. According to Essong, YCPDM section president for Kupe Muanenguba II in Nguti, his team handed the complete files to the divisional head Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle last week. He highlighted that the exercise was inclusive. Following the instructions that were contained in the circular that sanctioned the validation exercise, they in turn summoned and relayed the information to sub section presidents. The process was painstakingly explained and their greatest satisfaction he said was the adherence of the base to the exercise. “Many people wanted to add their names on the lists as we registered the already existing militants,” Essong said.
The challenges were glaring. In several localities, militants did not have membership cards. Some of the reasons advanced by the YCPDM section president included the fact that some of the cards had been lost in houses consumed by fire. Others he explained had been forced to destroy CPDM membership cards when the crisis was at its peak, to avoid reprisals from terrorist fighters. In all of the abovementioned cases, the team went ahead to register the militants as the headcount aims at establishing a viable database of militants nationwide.
Meanwhile, some elites of the North West and South West regions have been lauded for providing financial support to teams on the field to facilitate the work done. As the curtains fall, the validation exercise has recorded some success as teams have made efforts of registering militants despite the hitches thereby giving the exact picture of the militant base.
Claudette CHIN
