Droves of students and pupils continue to attend school in Nkambe, divisional headquarters of Donga Mantung amid boycott calls from armed groups.
More students, than last year, were in their classrooms on school resumption day September 9, 2024. «We have visited approximately 12 schools and there are over 4,000 learners in the schools. I think this is a good start,” the DO Nkambe Central Subdivision Boukar said after visiting schools last Monday. Here, classrooms have welcomed more students and pupils in the past seven years, since a strike action by lawyers and teachers in 2017 was hijacked and transformed into an armed conflict – and separatist fighters started attacking schoolchildren and struggling to enforce a school boycott order from their leaders.
Elsewhere in the North West and South West regions such an atmosphere is a fairy tale, because the armed separatists that government has called terrorists would attack or kidnap the students for ransom. In some areas, parents, teachers and schoolchildren are waiting for the one-week lockdown declared by separatist leaders to expire. But the students might not attend classes with uniforms for fear of attacks. While in Nkambe children go to school and come back in uniforms.
The success story of schooling in Nkambe, in particular, and Donga Mantung in general is because of the «concerted effort by the elite, the security forces, the administration, the local authorities, traditional rulers, and particularly myself (the MP), the Mayor of Nkambe council (Shey Musa Nfor), and mayors from the other (four) Sub-divisions,» the MP for Nkambe Central Constituency Hon Ngala Gerald said in an interview aired over CRTV National Station. Locals have cited among other elite, the Head of the Donga Mantung CPDM Permanent Divisional Delegation Shey Jones Yembe, the Acting Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Prof Fuh Calistus Gentry, and the General Manager of Camtel Judith Yah Sunday Epse Achidi.
The population seems to be resolute about classrooms remaining open. Not even the IED blast of February 11, 2024 at the Nkambe grandstand that killed one student, injuring eight on the National Youth Day has deterred parents from sending their kids to school or push children to shun classrooms.
Not Without Attacks
The feat seems to upset people that the Hon Ngala has described as «blackmailers». Barrister Nico Amungwa Tanyi has accused the Mayor, and MP of Nkambe of «alleged acts of terrorism, financing of acts of terrorism…,” The Post newspaper said on Monday – citing a petition from the lawyer – that L’Action has not seen a copy – addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on September 3, 2024 asking for the immunity of Hon Ngala to be lifted. The MP says Amungwa is a «dancer» with «drummers in the bush».
Jude VIBAN
