Santa Subdivision: Minister Mounouna Foutsou inaugurates Multipurpose Youth Empowerment Centre in Baligham.

The modern structure which is located in Baligham village was inaugurated Thursday May 11. This was during a working visit the minister paid to the North West Region. 

The visit was within the framework of the civil events prior to the celebration of the 51st edition of the National Day on May 20. 

The minister’s visit to the region was also to hand over of material and equipment to the beneficiaries of the 2022 Triennial Special Youth Plan and to inaugurate other youth empowerment centres built in other municipalities of the region. 

Minister Mounouna, iut should be said, was accompanied to Baligham by the Governor of the North West Region, Aldophe Lele Lafrique; other regional administrative and municipal authorities, his close collaborators from the central and regional services, alongside other officials. 

Addressing the mammoth crowd that had gathered and given him a hero’s welcome to Baligham, Minister Mounouna said the newly constructed centre will provide a space for training and development for the youth of Santa Subdivision in general those of Baligham in particular. 

The minister said the youth empowerment centre was built with modern equipment to meet current standards and is furnished with state-of-the-art equipment to ensure high quality training of youth. 

Mounouna Foutsou said that the inauguration ceremony is in line with government's desire to build infrastructure nationwide and particularly in the North West Region for the empowerment of youth to ensure their growth. 

The member of government urged youth of the Subdivision to visit the centre and "get what the government of the Republic has in store for you under the leadership of H.E President Paul Biya”.

“Do not hesitate to approach the centre for appropriate support while you struggle to find your place in the sun. He also recommended to the youth to put all their potential in the development of the country,” he added. 

Minister Mounouna Foutsou also reiterated that the architectural jewel offered to the youth of Santa Subdivision is testimony of the determination of the Head of State to support Cameroonian youth nationwide.  

He said it was thanks to the resilience of the people of Santa Subdivision that the project was successfully realised and enjoined youth make good youth of the centre to arm themselves with income-generating skills in different fields.

The minister appealed to youth of the Subdivision to not only own but protect the youth empowerment centre for it to serve the purpose for which it was constructed. 

He also called on youth and the population of the Santa Subdivision to embrace peace and, insisting that there cannot be any meaningful development without peace and normalcy. 

Enter Santa Mayor

In his welcome address, the Mayor of Santa who doubles as Fon of Baligham village, His Royal Majesty, Fon Doh Gahnyam II, said it was with immense joy and much gratitude that he was mounting the podium on the important day in the life of the people of Santa Subdivision to welcome the minister for the inauguration.  

“The joy of the population goes beyond my words. This can be seen in the massive response of my population of Santa Subdivision to receive our authority and his delegation,” Fon Doh Gahnyam II said. 

He used the ceremony to extend gratitude to the Head of State, Paul Biya, for choosing Santa Subdivision to benefit from the largess of the government. 

The municipal authority cum traditional ruler in expressing gratitude to the population for their massive turnout to welcome the minister and his entourage, described Baligham village where the youth empowerment centre is constructed as one of the “most peaceful and exemplary village of government policy implementation within Santa municipality”.

Fon Doh Gahnyam II assured the minister the thousands that gathered to witness the inauguration of the centre that the Santa municipality is on the path of development despite the challenges. 

He said the municipality is ready for the youth empowerment centre, which he stated, contributes to enhance the reconstruction program of the administrative unit. 

On his part, the Head of the youth empowerment centre, Fongang Tikum Eugene, thanked Minister Mounouna Foutsou for the gift to the municipality. 

He then gave an overview of the centre’s activities, mentioning that more than 14 participants had already registered and that 21 young people had already benefited from the Three-Year Special Youth Plan (PTS-JEUNES).

Fongang Tikum said more youth will be inserted into the economic microcosm through the CMPJ program which will give them the necessary skills for entrepreneurship.

He noted that the establishment of the multipurpose youth empowerment centre creates a greater enthusiasm among youth of the municipality. 

The newly inaugurated centre, it should be said, aims at disarming youth who have been misled to pick up arms against the state, hone their skills and empower them through vocational trainings and income-generating activities to become self-employed. 

The inauguration, it should be said, was by the presence of traditional rulers of other villages, internal and external elite of the Subdivision and Baligham in particular.