Hon Ngala Gerard: Enfant chéri of Nkambe.

Many have, in the heat of death threats from gun-totting youngsters passing for freedom fighters in the restive English-speaking Regions, fled for safety, not minding what becomes of the majority underprivileged citizens in their communities. 

However, in the midst of such growing insecurity, there are still braved patriots mustering the courage and standing their ground to continue supporting community development initiatives, promoting peace and especially education of young Cameroonians to counter separatist-imposed school boycott calls. 

A rare character who has scaled through such threats to be continuously be marshalling actions in this direction for common good, is the Member of Parliament, MP, for Donga Mantung Central Constituency (Nkambe), Honourable Ta Nformi Ngala Gerard. 

The young, inspiring and celebrated grassroots politician, many have attested and rightly so, has contributed enormously to not only peace efforts but the promotion of the right to education in Nkambe Central Subdivision and Donga Mantung Division as a whole. 

His resolute commitment to the wellbeing of his people and the breathtaking achievements in promoting education, many also say, put Hon Ngala Gerard in the ceiling of an enfant chéri de Nkambe. 

The dare-devil role of the community mobiliser in cautioning youth of the area not to pick up arms against the state, republican institutions and those who incarnate them, others are equally saying, makes Hon Ngala Gerard an inspiration for youth and the community at large. 

Hon Ngala the unsung education promoter 

Hon Ngala Gerard, it should be said, has recorded countless milestones within his sustained campaign to ensure effective schooling in not just his constituency but the entire Donga Mantung Division, since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis. 

Hon Ngala Gerard has since the start of the crisis rocking the two English-speaking Regions, vowed to even take bullets just to ensure children are educated in these parts of the country.

Refurbishes GBHS Nkambe 

The unsung and diehard education promoter, has in a bid to make learning environment more conducive, completely refurbished Government Bilingual High School, GBHS Nkambe.

The business mogul, who is affectionately referred to as Ta Nformi Ngala, carried out the project which has given a new facelift to the giant GBHS Nkambe campus, recently. 

The administration of the school and thousands of students have been jumping for joy since the school campus was completely transformed by the lawmaker. 

Sparkling images of the newly renovated GBHS Nkambe campus has been making rounds on the social media, with many hailing the sustained role of Hon Ngala Gerard in promoting education within and without his constituency.

Through the financial support of Hon Ngala Gerard, the administrative block and one storey building of six classrooms have been painted.

“The administration of GBHS Nkambe, the entire staff and the students are very grateful and thank in a special way our Member of Parliament, Honourable Ta Nformi Ngala Gerard, for his unmeasurable generosity. May God replenish the source Honourable,” the Principal of GBHS Nkambe said in a viral message over the weekend. The message is also posted on the verified Facebook page of Hon Ngala Gerard. 

The school administrator also thanked officials of PADESCE project for renovating one- storey building of six classrooms on the campus for what he described as a “marvelous job”.

He also lauded the GBHS Nkambe School Council for refurbishing the science laboratory, Upper Sixth Science block and the multimedia centre of the school. 

Other projects realised by Hon Ngala 

Aside funding the refurbishing of GBHS Nkambe, the lawmaker recently constructed two bridges and three roads linking quarters in Tabenken village.

The people-friendly MP has also donated Women’s Day fabric to women in Nkambe Central Subdivision as well as didactic materials and football jerseys to schools in his constituency. 

Hon Ngala Gerard, who has been described as a father to the fatherless and husband to widows, has also paid bills for vulnerable and underprivileged persons and repeatedly supported community development initiatives in the administrative unit. 

Hon Ngala the peace advocate

Hon Ngala Gerard’s name is unarguably on the lips of everyone in Donga Mantung Division and beyond, largely because of his peace advocacy since the crisis in the North West and South West Regions escalated into a conflict. 

He is among few elite of the two restive Regions who have remained in touch with their political bases since 2017.

Hon Ngala who is Section President of ruling CPDM for Donga Mantung I, Nkambe, has been on his feet ensuring peace and normalcy reigns in his constituency, despite challenges.

He has repeatedly crisscrossed especially the Nkambe and Ndu Subdivisions with a message of peace, social cohesion, living together and national unity. 

Despite mounting threats, he has sustained a fierce battle against school boycott and respect for ghost towns in Donga Mantung Division which has hugely paid off over the years, with nursery, secondary and high schools staying afloat. 

Hon Ngala, it should be said, has not only been at the fore of efforts to ensure all national and international days are celebrated in Nkambe but equally braves the odds to personally attend all the commemorations. 

Ready to die to educate pupils, students 

Hon Ngala has repeatedly toured schools in all the villages of Nkambe Central Subdivision, joined villagers in clean campuses and donated school kits to pupils and students and other didactics to teachers.

Motivated by the positive response to his efforts by parents in the area and students, Hon Ngala Gerard once declared that he was ready to take bullets just to see that children across the North West and South West Regions return to school. 

His declaration made leaders of Ambazonia separatist fighters to offer 50 million FCFA to whoever could kidnap the MP. 

While he was traveling, as usual by road from his native Nkambe back to Douala via Kumbo, armed men attacked Hon Ngala Gerard’s delegation firing at his car. 

Separatist leaders later announced and celebrated his death on the social media. But to their dismay, the MP appeared in a live video debunking the story.

Such attempts to take his life and his close aides, have not discouraged the outspoken and fearless lawmaker. 

The lawmaker has repeatedly disagreed with the use of violence to express grievances.