The Wimbum Community in Douala, Littoral region and its environs have pledged their unalloyed support to the Member of Parliament for Donga Mantung Centre, Nkambe, Hon. Ngala Gerard.
The pledge was made during a massively-attended civic reception in honour of the Member of the National Assembly. The crowd-pulling occasion took place Saturday, November 7.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Nformi Joseph, president of the Douala branch of the Wimbum Cultural and Development Association (WICUDA), said the event was organised not only to welcome the MP, but also to recognise his unmatched contribution to the development of the Wimbum community both in Douala and back home. He described Hon. Ngala as a man with an exceptional taste for community development with a long track record of assisting communities back home.
“Hon. Ta Nformi Ngala Gerard is a cultural bulldozer with deep-rooted moral values and has always been a driving force and a pillar with us as a community in times of joy and sorrow,” Nformi Joseph said, adding that “we of the (three) clans pledge to stand with, and by him in every endeavour”.
He expressed delight that with Hon Ngala’s new position as the people’s representative to the Ngoa-Ekelle Glass House in Yaounde, they have no iota of doubt that he is going to do more.
Amongst the outstanding gestures the young politician and successful businessman has done to the Wimbum community in the country’s economic hub, the WICUDA president said, is his immense contribution to the erection of the WICUDA main hall in Douala town.
Irrespective of village, clan, political or religious leaning, the Wimbum people in Douala and its environs massively showed up for the event that saw the participation of at least 20 traditional dance groups from the Mbum land.
The Wimbum community in Douala and its environs also joined hands with the MP “to strongly condemn the unpatriotic gruesome happenings that took place in Kumba on Saturday, October 24 and other sad incidences all over the national territory.”
As he took the floor, the chief celebrant of the day, Hon. Ngala Gerard reminded his people that he promised to make a difference as Member of the National Assembly, and he has to live up to the promise. This, he emphasised, does not mean his predecessor did not do anything for the constituency, but that he has to ensure continuity.
“I acknowledge and appreciate what my predecessor, Hon. Awudu Mbaya, did for the constituency during his tenure,” Hon Ngala Gerard said, and was greeted with thunderous applause by the crowd that turned out for the civic reception.
The go-getter MP emphatically told the Wimbum community that he has no reason to make promises that cannot be realised. He said he had listened to their plight, topmost amongst which is the road from Nkambe to Kumbo. He disclosed that he had already tabled the problem to the Prime Minister and Head of Government, and “believe you me, before my tenure as MP ends, there must be a tarred road from Kumbo to Misaje,” he pledged.
While waiting for the aforementioned road, which is part of the ring road project to be realised, Hon. Ngala Gerard explained how he fought for the rehabilitation of an alternative road—the MbawNso – Ntaba stretch to ease movement for the Donga Mantung population. He also cited other roads which he said are in the pipeline, promising they will be realised before his mandate ends.
Though already profoundly praised by WICUDA for “immense contribution” to the construction of their hall in the New Bell neighbourhood, Hon. Ngala Gerard again on-the-spot offered the sum of FCFA one million to the group as additional support.
“You can always count on me. Together, we build with love,” the MP said.
The Donga Mantung Centre, Nkambe, MP was accompanied to the civic reception by his colleagues from Ndu, Hon. Naomi Ngando, Donga Mantung East, Nwa, Hon. Adamu Edward, Wouri West, Bonaberi, Hon. Gabriel Fandja and the mayor of the Nkambe council, Shey Nfor Musa amongst others.
Reacting after the event, Bakari Alfred, Wimbum Community chief for Douala town and Waka Emmanuel Nfor, former WICUDA Douala president both said they were welcoming the MP as one of their members.
“Hon Ngala Gerard has helped us in many ways in Douala here and even at home. He has helped us build a magnificent Wimbum Cultural and Development Association (WICUDA) hall here in Douala, at New Bell. For that and more, we came to welcome him because he is one of us and also to thank him,” Bakari Alfred said.
Besides the congratulations and the thanks, Waka Emmanuel said: “we also came to let him know that he still needs to do more for more development to come and for peace and social coexistence to be reinforced amongst the community.”
