Government Recommends Special Medal Award To Francis Njuakom

Some over 20.000 elderly persons drawn from 232 groups of the Community Development Volunteer for Technical Assistance, CDVTA, converged on Bamenda for the 3rd National Convention of older people on Wednesday, December 5, 2012.

At the groundbreaking convention chaired by the North West Governor, the trappings of Francis Njuakom< the CDVTA Director were acclaimed. Monono< Secretary General at the North West Governor’s office, representating  his Boss, Urged Njuakom to get in touch with the Protocol Service of his office to finalise moves for the award of a Secial Medal.

The Medal,expected to be bestowed on Francis Njuakom next May 20th, would be the first home award/medal to the CDVTA Director. He had however been bestowed with traditional awards, especially in the Palace of the Fon of Kedjom Ketinguh(Cheuh-Fon), including numerous Press awards, for his outstanding billings.

Francis Njuakom had nevertheless been received by Prime Minister Philemon Yang; Social Affairs Minister Catherine Bakang Mbock: these after he was received by Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister at the Number 10 Downing Street in London. There, Njuakom was handed the Sheila McKenin award in 2008.

During the first Elderly people's day staged by CDVTA in Belo in 2010, some 10.000 elderly persons answered present; last year was the second in Oku, with some 15.000 old people in attendance. Last December 5, 2012 was the third. At least 20.000 elderly people converged at  the North West Regional headquarters of Bamenda. They joined CDVTA to plead with the Head of State, President Paul Biya of Cameroon to look again into the burning issues affecting the lives of the elderly with compassion and not only upgrading the ageing department in the Ministry of Social Affairs into a full national government programme on ageing, but more importantly to enshrine into law a national policy on ageing in Cameroon.

They also pleaded with the government to create room for meaningful budget in the government programmes in support of ageing projects all over the country.

In his keynote address at the occasion, the founder cum Director of CDVTA, Francis Njuakom Nchii, observed that in his 17 years of committed actions in support of the older people in Cameroon’s most remote villages, he has often seen with sorrow the human face of poverty, signs of rejection, ostracism, frailness and poor health on the faces of many elderly people. “Some of them live in poorly constructed and poorly ventilated houses with levels of hygiene poor. The effects of HIV/AIDS have in recent years been devastating on the lives of young people whose children are usually left behind to be catered for by their grand-parents”. He said in spite of the elderly persons’ misery, they remain the most important supporting pillars in the society in terms of the traditions, cultures, beliefs, medicinal plants, health, security, peace, transformation and social cohesion.

The CDVTA Director stressed that the population must uphold and advance the norms and values of old age with dignity, ensure that older people live as long as God wants them to live and that they enjoy the basic fundamental services that are rendered to citizens by the government, the civil society and the international community.

Elderly People Statistics

Harping on elderly people’s statistics in Cameroon, the CDVTA Director counted that rough calculations show that out of close to 20 million Cameroonians, at least 1 million of them are elderly persons, “about 15% of them have received some form of education, can read and write and perhaps may have worked in the public or private sector and are enjoying some form of pension”. He said the rest of the 85% are likely to be illiterate without pensions, live in remote rural communities and possibly surviving at the mercy of chance.

From the statistics, Francis Njuakom opined that it could be imagined that a sub-department is not good enough at the Ministry of Social Affairs to handle old people’s problems.

Elderly People Testimonies

Some 3 elderly persons, who count CDVTA largesse to the elderly people in the North West Region, were all unanimous that the organization does not discriminate when reaching out to them irrespective of their sex, religion, tribe, political leaning, race or nationality. They disclosed that CDVTA has given them farm inputs ranging from seeds, farming tools, fertilizers and has equally trained them in bee-keeping, omo, savon and rubbing oil production among others.

Above all, they instanced the last presidential elections during which CDVTA helped over 6000 elderly persons financially, to procure their national identity cards which helped them to perform their civic responsibilities by voting in elections and enabling them to travel freely within the country.

The North West Regional Secretary of the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR), Ndi Nelson, who deputized for the National President of NCHR, Divine Banda, doffed his hat to CDVTA for assisting the elderly in many domains. He said old people need special protection and care from all and sundry but emphasized that respecting and caring for the old people should begin from the families. He ipso facto saluted CDVTA initiative of assisting the elderly persons.

CDVTA Recommended for Medal

Marveled over the whopping assistance to the elderly people in the country, the Secretary General at the North West Governor’s office who represented the Governor at the occasion said CDVTA has done so much for the elderly people that the North West Governor will recommend the Director, Francis Njuakom for a national medal. He said CDVTA activities of helping the elderly were in line with Cameroon government’s policy of assisting the elderly persons.

Above all the governor’s representative called on funders especially the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) in the UK etc, to continue the assistance to CDVTA because the NGO (CDVTA) has proven its seriousness and transparency in all his deals with the elderly persons.

20.000 Elderly March Before Dignitaries

One of the highlights of the occasion was the over one hour march-past by some 20000 elderly persons drawn from 232 elderly groups across the North West Region. The elderly persons marched in their respective group uniforms alongside some 210 CDVTA volunteers recently formed in all the 7 divisions of the North West Region.

Elderly Persons’ Exhibition

The occasion which held under the theme: “Realizing the rights of older persons, celebrating the strength and positive image of old age, complementing government efforts in the care of older persons, shaping the future and giving our grand parents the dignity and respect they deserve”, wrapped up at the Bamenda congress hall with the viewing of arts and craft exhibited by elderly persons, eating, music, dance, laughing, cultural dance and fashion parade competitions by the elderly persons from the various project areas. Some handsome prizes were eked out to competitors.

CDVTA Achievements

CDVTA was founded and legally recognized by government in May, 1998. It works in collaboration with the government of Cameroon through the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It has special consultative status with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of United Nations since 2010.

Through CDVTA, elderly people are made to feel more included and cared for by the community through active club membership, regular home-visits by volunteers, intergenerational learning and sharing with local school children etc.

For the idealistic monumental unreserved services to the elderly in Cameroon in the last 15 years and on the recommendation of the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) in the UK, CDVTA was accorded on 22 July 2008 an international award in London by the then British Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown at Number 10 Downing Street. And in a recent international conference by MRDF in Kampala Uganda, CDVTA was rated the MRDF’s success story.

Last month, November 2012, CDVTA was appointed Representative of Swiss International Body and Donor Nouvelle Planète.

CAMCCUL Resolutions

(The Extraordinary General Meeting of CAMCCUL LTD. Holding At Pastoral Centre, Bamenda on 29^th Day of December 2012, And Having Discussed and Deliberated on Various Issues Featuring on the Agenda, Hereby Adopts the Following Resolutions)

1) The CamCCUL network hereby congratulates the Supervisory Authorities H.E the Minister of Finance, and other relevant Ministries like MINATD, MINADER and MINJUSTICE for their guidance so far in the harmonization process

2) The final count of options for the mandate and term of office for elected officials of Credit Unions in the CamCCUL network was officially done. One hundred and ninety-seven (197) out of 199 Credit Unions successfully conducted the vote and the following results obtained;

a) On the issue of mandate of elected officials 159 credit unions voted for three years renewable twice, which represents 80.7% total voters (197) and 38 credit unions voted for three years renewable once representing 19.3%.

b) On the conditions of eligibility of elected officials, that is, whether all existing mandates should come to zero and fresh elections organized for everybody or not, 171 credit unions voted for YES representing 86.8% of the voters while 26 credit unions voted for NO representing 13.2%.

The General Assembly not having registered any contest or protest of the results from any Authorities or Credit Union hereby unanimously validate the results as obtained in the field.

Hence the new mandate in the CamCCUL network is three years renewable twice and all are eligible for elections.

3) Consequently the Extraordinary General meeting ratifies the majority position that the duration of mandate for elected officials stands at 3 years renewable twice and that all existing mandates should come to zero. This decision takes effect from the 1^st day of January 2013 in a non retrospective manner.

These decisions are hereby inserted in the CamCCUL Articles of Association and Credit Union Model Byelaws which are hereby unanimously adopted.

4) Considering this final position adopted today in accordance to the directives of the Minister of Finance, the CamCCUL Management is hereby mandated to come up with clear modalities and a calendar for total harmonization of Credit Union byelaws in line with the adopted majority position, follow by elective Annual General Assemblies in the said Credit Unions.

5) CamCCUL management is hereby mandated to come up with practical modalities for the implementation of these byelaws of the Credit Unions especially as to its registration with the competent authorities and the modalities for the election of new Board and other elected officials of Credit.

6) Management should ensure that the implementation of election modalities should take into consideration continuity in management, that is, the fluid running of the Credit Unions.

7) CamCCUL shall conduct elections for various Credit Union officials. The elections of Board Members of CamCCUL shall be conducted during the next Annual General Meeting of CamCCUL under the supervision of the MINFI. This procedure at the level of CamCCUL Board is considered as a transitional measure. Subsequent elections into CamCCUL Board shall follow normal CamCCUL rules and regulations.

8) The Credit Unions of the CamCCUL network respect the solidarity that exist in the network and vehemently condemn any acts that will destabilize and fragment the network thus allowing infiltrators to destroy our solidarity and strength. Any further attempts by whosoever to destabilize the network shall be severely dealt with.

9) Due to the disruption of our network activities by issues of comprehension of the OHADA law on Cooperatives and mandate of elected officials of the CamCCUL network, issues which are of primordial importance to our survival, like the taxation problems, delinquency, the stability of our Bank (UBC PLC) have not been given the required attention by CamCCUL network. CamCCUL Management is therefore mandated to concentrate its efforts henceforth to resolving the pressing issues of the network and ensuring the stability of our bank.

10) The Board and Management of CamCCUL are hereby mandated to take all necessary measures for the smooth execution of these resolutions. It should in particular organize the continuation of the harmonization process in the entire network.

Sign:

Teku Collins  &   Rabe Gaston

Secretaries

Guietang Bernard & Nteuge Joseph

Scrutineers    

Chapter Representatives

Chapter	Name of Delegate	Signature	Chapter	Name of Delegate	Signature
Bamenda	Mbaku Henry K.		Douala	Mme Tchatath Lec-Pron
Fundong	Wulba Jacob Tim		Fako	Tansie Joseph
Kumbo	Jaff Sylvanus D		Kumba	Anyambod John Mboh
Nkambe	Ndi Nsanwe Anthony		Mamfe	Nkemnge Aloysius
Bafoussam	Tatinou Felix		Garoua	Chi Clement

Musa Shey Nfor

President of CamCCUL

Thanks For Sympathy

Mr. and Mrs. Dingha Ignatius Bayin express their profound gratitude to all who comforted them on the occasion of the passing away of their mother and mother-in-law (Mama Nyongha Juliana Binseh Lumpu and Mama Sama Binseh Beatrice).

Unable to reach you individually, we hereby use this medium to offer our special gratitude and thanks for your concern before, during and after the funerals.

Signed:

Dingha Ignatius Bayin