As the dust settles on Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute’s high profile visit to Bamenda from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 July 2025, one question continues to echo across the North West Region: Did anyone hear the President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafor?
Despite delivering a statesmanlike address full of gratitude and hope, Prof Angwafor’s speech though warmly received was met with conspicuous silence from visiting ministers on several pressing issues he raised, notably the plight of Lake Nyos survivors, the victims of the recent Bamenda Main Market inferno, and those displaced by the protracted armed conflict in the region.
Prof Fru Angwafor, President North West Regional Assembly
In the presence of Prime Minister Dion Ngute and top government officials including Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and Housing and Urban Development Minister Célestine Ketcha Courtes, Prof Angwafor laid bare the continuing suffering of many in the region. While road development was a dominant focus of the ministers’ remarks, there was little acknowledgment let alone commitment to the unresolved humanitarian concerns that Prof Angwafor implored the government to address.
The Assembly President began his remarks with deep reverence, thanking President Paul Biya for “sending an emissary of your calibre” and pledging the region’s support for his candidacy in the upcoming October presidential election. He praised decentralisation efforts, particularly the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development (PPRD), which is funding the construction and rehabilitation of twelve secondary schools across the region in 2025.
He also highlighted several government projects, including the long-awaited completion of the Bamenda-Babadjou road, the operationalisation of the Bangshie Gas Plant, and progress on the Ring Road.
But the tone shifted as he addressed the “asks” of the people.
Prof Angwafor pointedly referenced the poor state of roads across the region, stressing that even flagship projects like the gas plant risk underperforming without improved access. He called out the disrepair of key roads within Bamenda, including the Airport–Fon of Mankon stretch and intra-urban links vital for economic activity.
More striking, however, were his appeals on humanitarian grounds. He reminded the Prime Minister and delegation that victims of the 1985 Lake Nyos disaster remain uncompensated, their pain compounded by years of institutional silence. Likewise, victims of the recent Bamenda Main Market fire are struggling without support, and many whose homes were razed in the ongoing conflict await reconstruction or compensation.
In an emotional undercurrent, he added that whole Divisions; Momo, Bui, Donga-Mantung and Menchum still face chronic electricity shortages, while prisons and dams in Ngoketunjia remain in dangerously poor condition.
His final appeal was for greater devolution of power and resources which are tools he says local leaders need to “respond more efficiently to local aspirations.”
Prof Fru Angwafor handing speech to Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute
While Minister Nganou Djoumessi and Minister Ketcha Courtes detailed government efforts to improve infrastructure in the region, neither addressed Prof Angwafor’s human rights and social justice concerns. No mention was made of Lake Nyos victims. No response to the Bamenda market fire survivors. Not a word on crisis-displaced populations.
“To hear all that and then see the ministers act as if he said nothing, it is disheartening. If the Assembly President’s voice cannot bring attention to these issues, who can?” Ranson Ngeh, a local civil society leader who attended the event remarked to Hilltopvoices.
Prof Angwafor’s words reflected a deep belief in national unity and central government goodwill. Yet the muted response to his urgent concerns raises questions about whether genuine reconciliation and development can occur without accountability and empathy for those still suffering.
As Bamenda rebuilds from conflict and fire, and as the region prepares for another high-stakes presidential election, the people may be left wondering: If the President of the Regional Assembly cannot get an answer, who can?
For now, Prof Angwafor’s call remains a lone voice in a hall of applause, echoing in silence.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom