During Thursday’s high-stakes 7th Steering Committee session of the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development of the North West/South West (PPRD-NW/SW), the Mayor of Nkambe Council, Musa Shey Nfor, made an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute. In a tear-provoking moment, Mayor Nfor struggled momentarily to reach the microphone at the Bamenda Congress Hall, his silence heavy with urgency, before delivering a touching message.
Mayor Musa Shey Nfor speaking at the Bameda congress hall
“Your Excellency, what catches my attention here is that in the presentation, it was clearly stated in terms of school-going population that after Mezam, Nkambe in Donga Mantung has the highest number of pupils. In this population which is very active in school, we also have a lot of internally displaced people (IDPs) and minorities.”
Mayor Nfor’s voice softened with concern as he spoke about the recent natural disaster:
“We are at risk of losing about 1,500 IDPs when school reopens in August because a devastating tornado three weeks ago completely destroyed a school, which is the main centre for IDPs. We need a response within the next two months.” he said.
The tornado referenced is the one that demolished Government Primary School Group Two in Nkambe on 8 June, days before the start of First School Leaving Certificate exams. While no students were present and no lives were lost, the disaster has the potential of disrupting schooling and raised alarm over infrastructure and disaster readiness.
Nkambe, the administrative capital of Donga-Mantung Division, has generally maintained relative calm amid the region’s wider crisis. Thanks to robust local leadership, schools have stayed open, markets operate, and municipal initiatives like the Clean City, Clean Habits campaign continue under Mayor Nfor’s oversight.
Yet the tornado’s destruction laid bare the fragility of those hard-won gains. Mayor Nfor’s plea to Prime Minister Ngute was clear: without immediate intervention, thousands of children risk losing access to education.
Mayor Nfor’s passionate intervention, highlighted the essential role of grassroots leaders in shaping regional development priorities. As the Steering Committee session comes to a close in Bamenda, the attention now turns to concrete action with questions as to whether these IDPs will be left on their own on attended to before the school year begins. Can the PPRD and government agencies deliver a rebuilding plan swiftly enough to safeguard the educational future of 1,500 children? For Nkambe, the question carries urgency and hope in equal measure.