Cameroon: Ndian Division- Rich Yet In Abyss of Underdevelopment

Ndian is one of richest regions in terms of natural resources. Yet the area and its indigenes are too backwards in terms of development

By Mofor Samuel

This writer, a health educator, has rightly or wrongly been nicknamed by friends as a professional nomad because he would hardly let go an opportunity to travel round the country. During some such travels, he uses some of the most dangerous stretches of roads, thus he experiences a great deal of what Cameroon has as bad roads and sees its poor rural facilities. His travels within the country have had to do with community education and development.
And this is how recently he found himself going to Mundemba, the headquarters of Ndian Division, of Cameroon.Ndian is arguably one of the richest regions in Cameroon in terms of natural resources. Yet the area and its indigenes are too backwards in terms of development.
Having left Kumba town one fateful afternoon en route to Mundemba, this commentator was marveled by the beautiful vegetation and landscape starting with the palm plantations of Pamol, the ever -green forest, the never- ending water courses, the singing of birds, the mild temperature and the fresh air which overshadowed the poor state of the road and the overloaded Toyota Corolla transporting us from Kumba to Mundemba.
My trip to Mundemba was in June. Right in Mundemba, one could feel the presence of the Korup Park in the greenness, freshness and stillness of the environment. Korup is located some 8.8 km from Mundemba. From the SDO’s Office, which is located on top of one of several hills in town, one can have a panoramic view of the town as well the vegetation cover. In fact, anyone who admires nature will never ever regret it once in Mundemba or Ndian Division as a whole.
To quote from Cameroon Panorama of May 2007: “Ikassa centenary reminds us of Africa being the cradle of humanity and civilization, although the latter somehow eluded our continent and went elsewhere in the world bearing more fruits leaving Africa to suffer the predicament of un-enforced marginalization. We have been told of the richness of the Garden of Eden, and the splendour of the Holy City (not the city of Jerusalem). These two have a common characteristic of being a dwelling place of God Almighty. However a journey to Ikassa leaves one and many with the impression that Ndian Division as a whole remains a land of discovery, a land of promise, a land of glory with abundant natural resources; all attributes which liken this division to the Garden of Eden. Ndian Division could be a dwelling place for our God the omnipotent, the omnipresent, the omniscient, as it harbours the rich oil and fish Bakassi Peninsular and the World class Korup biodiversity reserve. We do believe, it is just a matter of time for this potential to be developed to transform Ndian Division into a paradise regained and not Milton’s Paradise lost.”
Going by the near standstill in infrastructure development in the division, there is every reason to raise eyebrows or even wonder aloud when one takes into consideration that this division possesses the wealth that can take care of its development and even extend a hand to others. Ndian Division lacks a good road network linking it to the rest of the country; most of the sub divisional headquarters are linked to the divisional headquarters by water, schools, hospitals, telecommunications facilities, security posts, electricity and offices are either lacking in personnel or in infrastructure or do not exist at all in some parts of the division. Coupled with that, the situation was compounded by the Bakassi crisis pitting Cameroon and Nigeria over the ownership of the peninsular. Part of the reason for the annexation of this peninsular by Nigeria could be linked or attributed to the almost complete abandonment of this peninsular and by extension the whole of Ndian Division by the powers that be.
The prevailing events in the area during the occupation of parts of the peninsular by Nigeria, gave the impression that the powers that be had one over- riding objective: to explore and exploit the natural , mineral and human resources of the division. During the crisis, residents were constantly subjected to wholesale savagery and brutality- the economy was devastated, their villages and towns were sacked and destroyed, their family and community life was broken, their environment polluted with filth and sorrow, with the stench of unburied corpses and the wailing of the bereaved and the maimed; their will to resist evil and personal and national humiliation had been effectively paralyzed; and greed, selfishness, callousness and hate reigned supreme. The result being that they became morally debased, mentally befogged, psychologically benighted, timid and docile, were lacking in initiative, devoid of self -confidence and of elevating aspirations.
Recently some elites as well as sons and daughters of this division began to raise their voices in an unequivocal protest against the prevailing deprivation, exploitation, oppression and humiliation of the people of Ndian Division. With awakened minds and growing intellectuals, they are able to discern the decades-old injustices done to Ndian Division. So far, one can say that they have achieved for their efforts, the concession for Ndian people to participate in the discussion of their own affairs. That not withstanding organizations and development associations have been formed in Ndian Division with the aim of winning for themselves the right to participate not merely in the discussion of their own affairs, but actually in the running of their own affairs.
Time has come for Ndian to prove to the world that it has a new breed of leaders who are alert, agile and sound, both in body and mind, a breed of leaders who are extremely clever, resourceful, fearless and positively aggressive; indeed,a breed of leaders who are ambitious, self- confident, justifiable proud and who rightly believe that they have a glorious destiny and can hold their own encounter whatsoever and wheresoever.
At the same time, it has a peculiar mass of people who are frantically loyal to their division and who though downtrodden, are conscious of their politico-economic rights, and when pushed to the wall, are prepared to fight for these rights at the risk of their lives.
This paper is coming up after a fact-finding mission from the United Nations in charge of the over seeing of the handing over of the peninsular to Cameroon, has just visited the area to assess the level of infrastructure development being carried out by the Cameroon government. Cameroon’s effective presence is felt administratively but in the area of social amenities, just very much still have to be done judging from press reports.
Some diplomatic missions have also been to the Ndian area to see how they can help to improve the lot of the population in Bakassi and Ndian division as a whole.
It is now left for the sons and daughters of this division to take the bull by the horns and strike the iron now that it is still very hot. Better still, stand up and fight for their own share of the cake now that the plight of Ndian Division has been brought to the limelight both nationally and internationally.