The Paramount Fon of Mankon, His Royal Majesty Fon Fru Asaah Angwafo IV, has called on parents across Mankon to personally accompany their children back to school, warning that any attempt to keep children away from classrooms amounts to working against their future.
His Royal Majesty Fon Fru Asaah Angwafo IV addressing final eventThe call came on Sunday at Mankon Plaza Field during the final of the 14th edition of the Mankon Unity Cup, an event that brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, elites, footballers and thousands of residents in a celebration that combined sport, culture and a broader appeal for peace and education.
“Let each and every one hold your child's hand to school,” the Fon told the gathering in his closing remarks, as the community prepares for the start of the 2026/2027 academic year.
He described education as the foundation of life and said the development of Mankon ultimately rests with its children.
“The development of Mankon is in the hands of the children. They are the ones who will design our future,” Fon Angwafo said, urging parents and community members to ensure that no child in Mankon is left behind as schools reopen.
His Royal Majesty Fon Fru Asaah Angwafo IV with Fon of Bambili (R) and Bamendakwe (L)The Paramount Fon said the youth themselves had demonstrated during the tournament that they wanted to return to school and take responsibility for the future of their community.
He said the years of crisis had created a serious setback for education but insisted that the community could not afford to continue promoting illiteracy.
“We cannot promote illiteracy,” he said, stressing that many of the country's accomplished professionals and people holding important positions at home and abroad had built their futures through education.
The Fon also appealed to parents and Mankon elites to go beyond simply sending children to school by accompanying them and following up on their education.
He said elites had already decided to support younger members of the community with school fees and learning materials, while the various quarters of Mankon were using community activities to encourage school resumption.
The organiser of the Mankon Unity Cup, Prince Muma Angwafo, said the tournament was conceived as a vehicle for bringing the community together at a time when social divisions and the prolonged crisis had placed enormous pressure on young people.
“Football is the reason, but the trophy is unity,” Prince Muma said.
He said the 2026 edition had demonstrated the power of collective action, with people from different political, religious and social backgrounds gathering around a common community platform.
Mankon, he noted, is a cosmopolitan community where people of different political parties, religions and backgrounds live together.
His appeal was therefore for residents and those living in Mankon to respect the laws and traditions of the community and take responsibility for rebuilding its future.
Prince Muma also made a direct appeal for children to return to school, saying the community's educational foundation had suffered severely during the crisis.
“For 10 years we have been at home,” he said, calling on those advocating continued disruption to allow the younger generation an opportunity to rebuild their lives through education.
He pointed to strong academic performances by some Mankon students despite the crisis as evidence of what could be achieved when children are given the opportunity to learn.
He said the community was looking to identify promising children and provide them with school fees and didactic materials, with support from Mankon elites around the world.
The objective, he said, is to ensure that today's children become tomorrow's doctors, engineers and other professionals capable of transforming the community.
Prof Fru Angwafo III, President of the North West Regional Assembly and a son and elite of Mankon, described the final as a significant demonstration of the community's evolution.
He said the event had grown beyond football to become an expression of unity, peace and support for education.
According to Prof Angwafo III, the tournament offered an opportunity to make a wider appeal for reconciliation and a halt to the deterioration of social relations in the North West.
He linked the gathering to growing calls for an end to ghost towns and for children to return to school, arguing that youth engagement through sport and education could contribute to restoring stability.
“What better way to recognise the youth today as they are here for the finals?” he asked, pointing to the tournament as an example of positive youth engagement.
He said the competition had also demonstrated the potential of sport to contribute to development, noting that the community tournament at quarter level feeds into higher levels of football competition.
Prof Fru Angwafo III said the movement of young people into sport, education and economic activity offered grounds for hope for the region, provided communities embraced forgiveness and reconciliation.
The final attracted a strong representation of traditional authorities, underlining the importance attached to the event.
Among those present were HRH Musi Waa Tenghefeng of Nipanimekyne Pinyin, HRH Fon Afungchwi III of Bambili and His Royal Majesty Fon Forchesiri III of Bamendakwe.
The Paramount Fon of Mankon was also accompanied by traditional collaborators and community personalities, including Prof Fru Angwafo III and Dr Tse Louis Angwafo.
The gathering was further marked by traditional dances, masquerade performances and a presentation by the Forest Children led by rising artist Jato Sonita.
The cultural performances provided a strong expression of Mankon heritage while the football competition supplied the platform for the community's wider messages.
The Mankon Anthem was also sung before the final, with participants standing and placing their hands on their chests as the teams lined up on the pitch.
The ceremonial presentation of the champions' trophy carried its own symbolism. A child brought the trophy into the arena following the arrival of the Paramount Fon, before it was received and presented to the Fon by an elderly man, creating a visible link between generations.
Ndonwi Derick Shu, President of Ntambeng Cooperative Credit Union Limited and an awardee and guest at the final, said the event demonstrated that the Unity Cup was achieving its fundamental objective.
He said the gathering was evidence of unity within Mankon and called for greater support for school resumption and peace.
“We need to promote this. We need to support back to school. We need to see how much we can push peace within our own ranks,” he said.
For Ndefru Melanie, daughter of Mankon and Communications Officer at the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator for the North West Region, the size of the crowd offered a rare sense of hope after years of crisis.
“As a daughter of the soil, the finals brings some sort of hope,” she said, describing the gathering as a demonstration of unity and love.
She said the return of large numbers of people to a community event raised hopes that Mankon could regain the vibrancy it had enjoyed before the crisis.
Beyond education and peace, the tournament also became a platform for addressing drug consumption among young people.
The Paramount Fon said drug abuse had become a growing concern in communities affected by prolonged crisis and that Mankon had identified the problem as one requiring sustained intervention.
He said the tournament was being used to bring young people together while providing an opportunity to address the risks associated with drug consumption.
The Fon disclosed plans to work with Mankon elites and partners abroad to acquire equipment capable of testing drug use among players in future editions.
The objective, he said, is to ensure that participating players are drug free and to confront a problem he considers particularly dangerous for a generation already affected by years of instability.
The message was also reflected in the arrival of Alakuma FC, whose team used its entrance to promote a “No to Drugs” campaign. Their opponents, Shockers FC of Mile 7, arrived with a fire carrying mascot, adding spectacle to the final's build up.
On the pitch, Shockers FC of Mile 7 completed the day's sporting story by defeating Alakuma FC 1–0 in the men's final.
The victory means the trophy returns to Mile 7 for the third consecutive year, extending Shockers FC's dominance of the competition.
The narrow scoreline reflected a closely contested final in which a single goal was enough to separate the two sides.
While Alakuma FC ended the campaign without the trophy, their presence in the final and their anti drug message formed part of the wider community purpose attached to the competition.
For Shockers FC, however, the 1–0 victory secured another championship and ensured that the Mankon Unity Cup remained in Mile 7 for a third successive year.
The result brought to an end a final in which football was only one part of a much larger community gathering.
But as the celebrations ended, the Paramount Fon left the community with a clear instruction ahead of the new school year stating that parents must take personal responsibility for getting their children back into classrooms.
The message was not simply to send children to school, but to accompany them.
“Hold your child's hand to school,” Fon Angwafo said.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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