Dr. Tachang Pius: Leading community developer, standout philanthropist.

The community developer has been receiving accolades from across the board, due to his proactivity in coming to the aid of the residents of Bamenda and beyond.

He stands out as a beacon, due to his commendable actions in clearing and disposing garbage from the streets of Bamenda, assisting traders at the Bamenda Main Market, promoting education and awarding scholarships to encourage academic excellence, among others.

These laudable actions have put Dr. Tachang Pius, who is Chief Executive Officer, CEO, his Edge Construction Company, on the front seat as far as Corporate Social Responsibility and philanthropy in Bamenda in particular and North West Region in general are concerned.  

Edge’s philanthropic actions and Corporate Social Responsibility have thrived and become a shining example to compete with other international companies in service delivery. 

One of the largesse by Dr. Tachang Pius and his Edge Construction Company, through Corporate Social Responsibility, was exhibited recently when the man, who has demonstrated remarkable selflessness in his zeal to boost community development, decided to assist the Bamenda City Council and the users of the Bamenda Main Market.

He did this by clearing all the debris left by the fire incident that engulfed over 300 stores and displaced over 1,000 businesspersons, on February 22 this year.

The purpose of that initiative by Dr. Tachang Pius was to share in the pain of the helpless market men and women as well as to encourage authorities to fast-track the market reconstruction process. 

At the end of the close to one-week exercise to clear off the rubble, it was estimated that Edge had spent over 30 million FCFA in mobilising personnel, and equipment and in clearing the site. 

Following a request from the management of Edge, to the North West administration, entitled 'Offer of Free Services to Clean the Remains of the 300 Buildings at the Bamenda Main Market, after the Fire Incident', Dr. Tachang Pius, therefore enunciated the fact “the suffering endured by the traders has not left the management of Edge Construction Company and its personnel indifferent”. 

Dr. Tachang Pius, insisted that there was no better way of sharing in the pain and sorrow of the affected traders than to lend the City Council help at such a great time of need. He was categorical that the cost of the operation was to be borne entirely by Edge Construction Company.

That was not the first time Edge was putting at full throttle its Corporate Social Responsibility machinery at the service of the inhabitants of Bamenda. 

It should be recalled that in 2019, when Bamenda was engulfed by garbage and there was the likelihood of a disease outbreak, Edge came to the aid of the City Council, by clearing the city of 12,000 tons of waste. 

That clearing/cleaning of garbage by Edge Construction Company for 12 days running across Bamenda town in 2019, was valued at 60 million FCFA. 

Edge had embarked on carrying away dirt in the city’s major markets from Nkwen Market to Mille Four and Five, Foncha Street, Mulang, Commercial Avenue, T-Junction and Ntarikon Market. The voluntary clean-up campaign by the company had been baptised, “Fight against health epidemic: Bamenda deserves better”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Edge, Dr Tachang Pius, had disclosed then that the waste disposal process cost the company over 60 million FCFA, which he didn’t regret spending as long as the town is clean and safe for the people of Bamenda.

“In our African culture, when your neighbour is in trouble, you step in to help before asking why…we are not stepping into the shoes of HYSACAM. Our gesture is only to solve a pending health issue that hovers over this city. With all humility, we are not here to replace HYSACAM but doing what we can to help the situation,” the Edge CEO had told the media in Bamenda.

For this vital action, the population of Bamenda had expressed satisfaction over the services of Edge.

Analysts say the fact that the garbage was carried off and dumped in a makeshift dump site below Foncha, donated by Edge for the circumstance, was yet another exultant testimony that Edge is gradually taking a front seat as a responsible citizen enterprise.

By taking such a move, Edge was at the same time working on the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3 about a clean and healthy environment (and also Goals 12, 13, 14 and 15). 

Promoting academic excellence 

Meanwhile, as an academic himself, Dr. Tachang Pius has remained unwavering in his efforts to promote academic excellence. 

His company has been spending hundreds of millions of FCFA to offer quality education through the Pledge educational establishments and scholarships to underprivileged children across the North West Region.

Duty to society

It should be said, and rightly so, that Dr. Tachang Pius' repositioning of Edge as a flag-bearer in Corporate Social Responsibility and a responsible citizen company is based on his belief that businesses have a greater duty to society than just providing jobs and making profits. 

It is a bold attempt to appropriate the key pillars of CSR, which are: environmental responsibility, ethical responsibility, philanthropic responsibility and economic responsibility. 

Investing in community development projects, as has been seen in the case of Edge Construction Company, is a bold step in addressing challenges, fostering positive change, and contributing to the North West Region's and by extension Cameroon’s long-term sustainability.

Sports lover, promoter

Sports, there is no gainsaying, is one of the solidifiers of unity, togetherness, living together, peace and development.

As a development-oriented entrepreneur, Dr. Tachang Pius has not been indifferent when it comes to promoting sports. 

His love for sports, especially basketball, saw him elected as the North West Regional President of the Cameroon Basketball Federation, FECABASKET. 

To promote this sporting discipline, Dr. Tachang Pius has constructed a state-of-the-art basketball playground at the premises of Edge Construction Company at Foncha Street, Bamenda.

Job creation 

Job creation is one of the backbones or livewires of the development of every society. Dr. Tachang Pius is among the front liners in job creation in Bamenda, a town which economy has been battered by the long-drawn sociopolitical crisis. 

Through his Edge Construction Company and Pledge educational establishments, the level-headed, down-to-earth, unassuming entrepreneur, civil engineer, academic and philanthropist, has been creating jobs for the youth in particular and Cameroonians in general.

For this engagement taken by him, Dr. Tachang has been praised as a veritable socioeconomic and development trailblazer, whose selfless contribution to uplift the society should be emulated. 

Exemplary contractor  

Dr. Tachang Pius is also an exemplary contractor, who executes contracts granted him with all the finesse. 

He is unlike other contractors, who, after winning contracts, either abandon them or execute with such levity that the structures they put up do not last long. 

It is therefore no doubt that most of the infrastructures built by Edge Construction Company have stood the test of time.

The praise-worthy Dr. Tachang Pius, is also a lecturer of Civil Engineering at the University of Bamenda, Uba, the same institution from where he earned a PhD in Civil Engineering.

In the opinion of an ordinary Bamenda city dweller, Dr. Tachang Pius stands out as the undisputed development luminary who has contributed enormously to the transformation of Bamenda, the North West Region and Cameroon.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3154 of Sunday June 30, 2024