Noni people to shun partisanship

The people of Noni Subdivision have been told to set aside partisanship or political party leanings and work in synergy for the overall interest of the municipality.

This is the main message Mayor Francis Kongnyuy Wache carried across six villages that he visited during his maiden meet-the-people tour that took him and fellow Councilors to the villages of Din, Djottin, Lasin, Mbinon, Bvugoi, and Nkor.

Welcoming the Mayor to Nkor, where he had to conclude his visit, June 29, the National President of Nkor Development Authority, NDA, Ignatius Nforme Nsabinla, said the people of Nkor are peace loving, friendly, hardworking, industrious, generous, God-fearing and exceptionally patient. He said since creation, the NDA has undertaken a number of projects, among which is the Nkor Water Scheme.

However, the water system, whose first phase took 10 years to complete and was at the time inaugurated by the former Minister of Mines, Water Resources and Power, Senator Francis Isidore Wainchom Bochong Nkwain, on February 3, 1989, now needs rehabilitation. The NDA President appealed to Mayor Wache to urgently tackle the following projects; extension of water scheme, ensure that a resident medical Doctor is posted to the Sub-divisional hospital to replace Dr. Cornelius Chebo who was transferred several years ago, do a quick follow-up of the 2014 Public Investment Budget Projects, the establishment of a municipal library, the setting up of a museum, scholarship schemes to all the schools in the Subdivision and rehabilitation of the Ekola-Kochi-Etem road to link the Nkor Council town hall under construction.

Nsabinla paid special tribute to Prime Minister Philemon Yang, for his immeasurable contribution towards the construction of the Nkor community hall and urged Wache to complete it for use. Nforme Nsabinla expressed bitterness over non-respect of traditional rulers. Hear him; “My dear people of Nkor, it beats my imagination as to what has come over all of us, that we no longer show respect and adherence to our traditional institutions. Fons and “kwifons” make calls and appeals, but many people do not budge.”

Meantime, he thanked God for the gift of Wache, describing Wache as a man of action and few words. Congratulating the Mayor, his Deputies and Councilors for their brilliant election at the 2013 elections and which were followed by installation that followed on December 3, 2013, the Secretary General of NDA enumerated some achievements that Wache, barely six months in office, notably; “construction of the Municipal Treasury block, rehabilitation of the three-phase Council generator, the ongoing construction of bridges in Nkor, assistance to palaces, individuals and groups in Noni in general.”

The Fon of Nkor, in his palace, conferred one of the highest titles of the land “Shey Noni” on Wache. It is believed that the crowning of Wache that accompanied a traditional bag, will enable him see all the nooks and crannies of Noni Subdivision. The Fon warned that those who will not collaborate with the Mayor to realise development projects will be identified as agents of underdevelopment and enemies to the fondoms.

In a terse response, the Mayor said; “The season of better days is here, we can cite; the Lasin-Mbinon road maintenance, work on the Gendarmerie Brigade, construction of culverts and many more in the pipeline.”

The Mayor indicated that, God-willing, Nkor, the headquarters of the Subdivision and its inhabitants will celebrate Christmas with electricity. This pronouncement evoked a thunderous applause from across the crowd that had thronged the NDA hall to receive their son as Mayor.

On the issue of a resident medical Doctor at the Nkor District Hospital, Wache said the Regional Delegate of Public Health for the Northwest, Dr. Victor Ndiforchu, had informed him that a resident Doctor has been posted to Nkor already.

“We hope the Doctor will arrive soon enough to assuage the pangs of the numerous critical patients trooping to the hospital for solace,” Wache intimated.

As concerns Public Investment Budget, Wache said Government seems to have recognised the plight of the Noni people by allocating a series of projects including: construction of classrooms; construction of Sub-divisional Delegation of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry; the Gendarmerie; maintenance of Council roads and others. “This is just the beginning of good things to come and let’s keep working and hoping,” Wache stated.

Noni Subdivision is fondly described as the “end of the world” because of its enclave nature. In the rainy season, the roads are practically impassable. Every crop does well in Noni, but the bountiful harvest cannot reach those in need of the produce in towns because of bad roads.