At Silver Jubilee: Minister Mengot salutes strides of Manyu Dynamic Club.

It was attended by distinguished sons and daughters of Manyu origin, who came from the length and breadth of the country and beyond.

The anniversary celebration, which held under the theme: “25 years of solidarity, service and excellence: Celebrating our heritage, investing in our people, building our future”, provided an opportunity for members of the association to count their achievements, naming them one by one.

In his scripted keynote address, delivered at Saturday’s gathering, Minister Mengot, who is also founder of the A.D Mengot Foundation, told guests that twenty-five years wasn’t merely a number but a journey. 

The trained civil engineer and veteran politician told the gathering that the story of Manyu Dynamic Club, for the past 25 years, has been written by men and women who believed that notwithstanding their different backgrounds, professions, generations and places of residence, they remain bound together by something powerful and enduring.

“Today, therefore, we join you to celebrate not simply a Club. We celebrate an idea. We celebrate the idea that when the sons and daughters of Manyu come together in unity, they can accomplish far more collectively than they can individually. We celebrate the conviction that solidarity is not merely a slogan, but a responsibility; and development is not merely an aspiration, but a duty,” he said of the journey covered.

Solid foundation laid, founders praised

Speaking further at Saturday’s ceremony, Minister Mengot noted that twenty-five years ago, the pioneers of the Manyu Dynamic Club could not have known exactly what the future would hold. 

He quickly added that: “But they had the courage to begin. They understood that associations such as MDC have a special role to play in preserving our identity, strengthening our bonds, supporting our members and contributing to the development of our communities”.

“Today, we owe those pioneers a debt of gratitude,” he said, insisting that the association must remember the Founding Fathers and mothers, the past leaders, the members who sustained the Club through difficult periods, those who contributed financially and materially, those who offered their time and ideas, and all those who believed in the MDC vision, even when the results were not immediately visible. 

He was blunt that an organisation that celebrates its anniversary without remembering those who built it, risks celebrating a tree while forgetting the people who planted and watered it. 

“Let us therefore salute all those who have carried the MDC torch over these twenty-five years,” Minister Mengot urged, before stating that the torch has reached those of “you here because previous generations refused to let it go out”.

He said the responsibility of current members of the Club should be to ensure that the torch burns even brighter for the generation that will follow them. 

For the member of government, the first part of the MDC mission that deserves “our renewed attention is solidarity”.

Minister Mengot, who sits atop the Board of Directors of the Electricity Development Corporation, EDC, boasted that Manyu has a proud tradition of community, mutual assistance and collective responsibility. He, was however quick to state that solidarity must evolve with the times. 

The member of government insisted that “solidarity cannot mean that we only come together when there is a crisis, a funeral, a wedding or a major social occasion”. 

He said true solidarity means “supporting the vulnerable, opening doors for young people, mentoring one another, sharing knowledge and opportunities. It means celebrating the success of one of our own without jealousy and responding to the difficulties of another without indifference,” he added.

Minister Mengot told the people of Manyu that the Division's greatest resource is not the land beneath their feet but “the human capital of Manyu- the intelligence, creativity, resilience and determination of our people.”

He was categorical that: “If we can harness that human capital through unity, discipline and purposeful collaboration, there is no reason why Manyu Division cannot make an even greater contribution to the development of Cameroon and beyond.”

Investments worth the salt

Stil in his keynote address last Saturday, Minister Victor Arrey Mengot singled out members of the Manyu Dynamic Club for praises. The senior State official described support to the education of the Manyu child as one of the most consequential decisions the club has ever made. 

Minister Mengot was unequivocal that: “A community that educates its children is investing not only in individuals, but in its own future.”

“But the real value education goes much further. Education creates confidence, it creates opportunity. Education develops leadership and it breaks the cycles of poverty,” he explained, before further noting that education gives a young person the ability to dream beyond the circumstances into which he or she was born. 

“And, most importantly, education enables our people to become architects of their own future,” he added, stating that: “It is for this reason that I am especially pleased with the partnership between the Manyu Dynamic Club and the A. D. Mengot Foundation, in promoting educational excellence.”

The minister said the partnership represents something larger than financial assistance to students. He however declared that the education of young people is a collective responsibility. Through the AD Mengot Foundation, the organisation encourages not merely school attendance, but excellence. 

“To the A. D. Mengot Foundation, I say this: let us continue to invest in the most precious resource available to us- our young people and their potential. To the parents, teachers and mentors who nurture our children, I say: you are partners in this mission. And to the young people of Manyu, I say: the future is yours, but it will not be handed to you. Build, earn and shape it. And when you succeed, reach back and bring someone else along,” Minister Mengot advised.

He said twenty-five years ago, a vision was planted, but “Today, we see the tree. But the work is not finished. There are still branches to grow, fruits to bear and seeds to plant”.

He, however, advised that: “Let this 25th Anniversary therefore be more than a celebration of where you have come from. Let it be a pledge about where you are going.” 

“Let us leave this anniversary with a renewed determination that the next twenty-five years of the Manyu Dynamic Club will be defined by even greater solidarity, stronger institutions, greater educational achievement, wider opportunities for our young people and a deeper commitment to community development,” Minister Mengot concluded.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3890 of Wednesday August 26, 2026