Governor emphasises language roles in CMR`s growth

Western regional Governor Augustine Awa Fonka, has emphasised the principal role local languages play in the growth of a country.

The Governor stressed the importance of local languages as Cameroon strives to consolidate unity, peace and cultural identity.

Governor Awa Fonka made this remark in Pete Bandjoun, Koungh-khi Division during the 16th edition of the celebration of the 'mother tongue'.

The Pete Bandjoun ceremonial ground served as the cultural headquarters of the Western Region as representatives from secondary schools and teachers training colleges from all eight Divisions of the Region turned up at the event to celebrate with the administrative authorities and the general public.

Besides displaying their mastery in different local languages, students also displayed their rich cultural diversities during the march past by the different delegations. This was interspersed with other activities like traditional dances, poems, songs and sketches all presented in local languages.

The Governor praised the local national language academies for a good job done in promoting languages and culture in the Region. He said the Region, can now boast of 23 teachers of local languages and national cultures in schools, led by four examiner, one of them being an art examiner.

The Governor took the opportunity to urge parents to hand down positive traditional values to their children. He announced that, as from next year the day shall be celebrated at the level of divisions and possibly Subdivisions.

Earlier on, the Fon of Bandjoun, HRH Honore Djomo Kamga, emphasised on the importance of teaching local languages in schools, but proposed that biological gardens and museums labeled in local languages be established and that local alphabets should be promoted besides the alphabets of the classical languages.

The 1st Deputy Mayor of Pete Bandjoun, Niki Love Maptue Fotso, on her part, presented Bandjoun as a Cameroon linguistic in miniature.

“In fact, the 238 mother tongues (local languages) of Cameroon are spoken every day in public, private services across the counrty, as this remains to us an identity when we would have finished satisfying international exigencies that disconnect us from our cultural universe,” Maptue said, while appreciating Government’s decision to teach local languages and cultures in schools.

Prizes were given out to participants who distinguished themselves in the activities done at the event.