By Francis Ekongang Nzante
The Deputy National Coordinator of the DDRC, Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintergration Committee, Colonel Professor Francis Ekosso Lysonge has procured jobs for Hundreds of Ex-Separatist fighters. He made this declaration recently in Buea while visiting the Buea DDR Center.
Speaking to a crowd of Ex-fighters in the presence of the Regiongal Coordinator of DDRC in the Southwest Region, the Deputy National Coordinator said he had brought both good news and bad news.
Hear him, “two months ago when I came to Buea I promised you people that I was going to work out something for you guys. What I promised to do has been done. The project has been acknowledged by President Paul Biya. I have brought with me some documents indicating that the project in Tiko will begin soon. This means that any person amongst you who is prepared to work will have work to do.”
The only bad news he said was the fact that the Ex-fighters would have to stay at the center for two more months. He assured them that in the month of February at least a hundred and twenty-five of them would be employed.
He said he met the Minister of Defense and complained to him that in DDR Centers, there were Ex-fighters who could drive and as such needed Driving Licenses and National Identification Cards. He said the services of those who had driving skills would also be in great demand.
Despite his short stay in office, the Deputy DDRC National Coordinator has reached out to some fighters still in the bushes. During his Buea visit, he gave his mobile telephone number publicly to Ex-fighters at the center and urged them to send the number to fighters who were still in the bushes. He further appealed to the Ex-fighters to also advise those still in the bushes to come out and go to DDR Centers.
He said while their anger maybe justified, staying in the bush eternally was never going to provide solutions to their problems.
“Even me standing here talking to you. I am also angry. This is because of what some Cameroonians are doing encouraging you to stay in the bushes. These Cameroonians doing this are not out of the country. They are here with us in the country. They deserve to be punished for brainwashing you and sending you into the bushes to lose you’re lives.
As long as I am with the DDRC, this problem will come to an end and your lives will change. As this year draws to an end and the new year sets in all of you will leave this place for brighter futures. The only people we will find here are those presently still in the bushes.”
In a self effacing manner the Deputy National Coordinator of DDRC said he was just a simple poor boy like those fighters in the bush but said he determined to change his life by stubbornly pursuing his education at all odds. He called on them to have the same attitude towards life. Either going to school or learning a trade.
Using personal experience as an example he said he had to work at building sites pushing materials on wheel barrows, he learned mechanics and did small jobs to pay his way through school. He said he knew how most of them felt and can understand why some of them usually feel afraid dropping their arms to come to DDR Centres.
“I promise you that you will be safe and that no person will harm you. Any person who attempts to harm you for taking the correct decision will not go free. Now that I am at this level after hard work, if you are under my protection and someone attempts to harm you, then I will have no option but to crush them.”
Acknowledging that there were problems related to the safety of Ex-fighters, he said this was due to issues related to accurate identification. In this vein he said matriculation numbers for Ex-fighters were being established and that with this, all identification problems would be taken care of. After the Buea visit, Colonel Professor Francis Ekosso Lysonge headed for Bamenda where he met with Ex-fighters at the DDR Center in the Northwest Region.
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