Manyu Division: Mamfe mayor uses sports to crusade effective schooling, peace.

The municipal authority has through the annual “Manyu Unity Football Tournament” and other sporting activities such as Manyu Unity Sport Walk and the Manyu Women and Girls Marathon, which he has initiated and is bankrolling, drummed the need for children to be allowed to freely go to school.

In a morale-boosting message during the crowd-pulling final of the inter-quarter football tournament, the mayor challenged the population to embrace peace and push for effective schooling as the new school year kicks off today. 

The tourney, placed under the patronage of the Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic, H.E Victor Arrey Nkongho Mengot, was staged under the slogan: “Ndamba na to promote peace, unity and back to school in Manyu Division”. 

The thrilling final of the tourney, watched by over 7,000 people, was played at the Mamfe Municipal Stadium. 

Embrace peace, boost effecting schooling

Speaking to the press at the end of the events, the Mayor Tabenchong Ashu, expressed gratitude to the population for their continuous show of solidarity and trust in the authorities. 

He particularly hailed the population for contributing in the smooth organisation of the unity tournament which he said the council had pumped in 10 million FCFA to ensure its success. 

Mayor Tabenchong Ashu challenged the population not only maintain the same spirit displayed during the sporting events but to capitalize on the opportunities that the council is making availability in its bid to support parents and learners to boost effecting schooling.

“The Mamfe Council has spent about 70 million in supporting the parents, the students and the pupils on the fact that school must go on. I think we are doing our best and we are very prepared. I am very happy with my population,” he said, noting that the “money is going to go a long way to support the parents”.

Mayor Tabenchong said similar financial assistance put at its disposal of the population, notably through the marathon competition where 50 of the 500 students got compensations for their participation, will also assist them.

Locals urged to be wise, brave

While admitting existing challenges due to the crisis, Mayor Tabenchong said they are doing their utmost for effective schooling. He urged the population to beat fear to ensure that all persons of school-going age resume classes.

Mayor Tabenchong reminded the population that education and education alone is the only way through which they can shape a better future for their children and those of the generations after them. 

“Our children have stayed in the house for a very long time. They must go back to school. Education is the way forward. Education is the key to every success in this our country,” he stated, insisting that peace and unity will give way for effective schooling. 

“There is no ghost town in this place. We the parents, the teachers, the students and the entire people have unanimously agreed that school must go on,” he emphatically stated.  

SDO lauds population’s solidarity

The Senior Divisional Officer of Manyu, Awounfack Alienou Yves Bertrand, who represented Minister Arrey Nkongho Mengot at the ceremony, hailed the massive turnout of the population for all the sporting activities.

He said the various activities served as a crucial avenue for him and his collaborators to remind parents and learners of the fact that they have to embrace schooling. 

The civil administrator noted that he and his collaborators are doing everything in their capacities to ensure that the academic year goes on hitch free. 

“We know that our environment is being infested by unnecessary messages, threats coming from these separatist movements that are trying to discourage children from going to school. We think it was time that we reassure our children of government’s determination and role to ensure the availability and accessibility of education to the youths,” the SDO said.

Boosting security of learners, teachers, others 

According to the SDO, special security measures have been taken to ensure that the school year goes through smoothly. He said schools in the Manyu will be divided in three zones viz; the green, yellow and red zones.

The SDO said schools in green zones are those without any insecurity issues while those under the yellow zone are those with a few threats hence needing security adjustments. The schools in the red zone, he noted, are those facing real threats, making them unsafe for learners and teachers.

“For the teachers who are in the green and yellow zones, there is no reason for them not to be in school. Those who are in the red zone were deployed in areas where there is security so that they should be effectively present,” Awounfack said, reiterating that all has been put in place by government for a successful school year. 

Population urged to collaborate  

The SDO also called on the population to collaborate more with administrative authorities and defense and security forces by reporting cases of suspected persons. 

This, he said, is the only way through which everybody can easily guarantee the security of the population and give children the right to build brighter futures for themselves through education.

“If they give us information whenever they have a suspected person around their area, we are going to act accordingly,” he said.

Massively attended sports walk, marathon 

Before the final in the Manyu Unity Football Tournament which served as the icing on the cake, a sports walk and a marathon was organised to expand the coverage of the mega school resumption awareness campaign.  

The sport walk dubbed the Manyu Unity Sports Walk was anchored under the slogan: “Manyu Unity Sports Walk to promote peace, unity and effective school resumption in Manyu Division” with the Manyu Women and Girls Marathon riding on a similar message. 

The two events were held under the auspices of the SDO of the Manyu Division who expressed gratitude to the population for actively participating not only in the two events and to the football tourney but for showing heartwarming interest on messages highlighted.

Mind-blowing unity football tournament

The competition that got underway on July 14 saw the participation of 14 teams selected from across the various areas of the division and grouped in two pools for the early stages.

In the senior men’s football event, Batchou Ntai came through victorious after the Mamfe Central Subdivision team secured a hard-earned 5-4 win over the Manyu Home Boys Football Club on post-match penalties. 

This after both teams settled on a 1-1 draw after more than 90 minutes of top-level grassroot football.

Befitting prizes for distinguishing teams 

All the teams that excelled in the competition got juicy prizes both in kind and in cash.

Batchou Nta’s senior football team bagged home a cash prize of one million FCFA and trophy while the runners up, Manyu Home Boys got a cash prize of five hundred thousand FCFA. The third-placed team, Wise Corner FC got 250 thousand FCFA.

Batchou Ntai also got a sum of 300 thousand FCFA after its youth team came through victorious in the boys’ under16 category. This was at the end of 5-4 win on post-match penalties over Era Football Academy following a goalless draw on regular time. 

Era Football Academy got 200 thousand as runners up while Dream Soccer Academy of Mamfe took home 100 thousand after ending the race third. 

Besides the team awards, individual awards were also dished out to best referees, best coach, best goalkeeper, the best goal scorer and the most disciplined player. 

The activities were graced by the presence of administrative, traditional and religious authorities and was animated by several traditional dance groups.

Authorities present included the President of the High Court, Justice Esther, the Divisional Officer of Mamfe Subdivision, the Mayors of Tinto and the Paramount Chief of Mamfe, HRM Chief Godson Oben.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3224 of Monday September 9, 2024