Hello Widikumians:

I am pleased to send you greetings through this medium. I do so now because of the contribution by Titus about home. Thanks to him; we met for less than ten minutes.

About the road, it takes just 60 minutes in a land cruiser to drive from Bamenda to Widikum. Widikum to Mamfe takes just 60 minutes too. When completed, it will take 50 minutes to drive from Widikum to Bamenda.Total distance is expected to be 60 km (some 38 miles) only. You don’t need to buy plots in Bamenda. Build and set your offices in Widikum.

About the market, there have been considerable improvements. We have eighty open sheds, up from nothing. We have 24 sales points (lockups in a building) (up from nothing) and three “grand hangers” under construction. We also have a slaughter house, which did not exist. We have tried to construct toilets three times (and lost money in the process) because we have met with huge stones we couldn’t break or blow up.

The market is big enough but many people want to carry on sales on the roadside. Plans are afoot to construct an oil market and to have built-up sheds, There are so many containers on the streets because there is not enough office and rental space. Our plans are to construct about 30 sheds before the year ends so as to clear off the containers and move their owners to the market. The market will then be a daily market.

About the full construction of the market, we do not intend to construct any for now. The present site is so hilly and the council would need to level it. At the moment, the council has already paid 7million francs just to level off the area to construct the three “grand hangers”, (very large sheds). If you have traveled to Yde from Bamenda, you know about Makenene. We want Widikum market to be the Makenene of the Nigeria-Cameroon highway. That is why the hill must be brought down to the road level.

Another reason we don’t want to construct a market is that Batibo Council has decided to construct a market right “inside” Widikum town. They have sought funding already and and a site at Ofen (across Egwighi), bridge entering Widikum, to build a market of about 60 sheds. They want to kill Widikum. Most of traders in Widikum (Diche park) are from Batibo and the Batibo council wants to move their sons out to their council area so as to collect the taxes from them and in the process kill Widikum. If they succeed in their mission, Widikum people would have to cross to Ofen to buy their daily needs. How do we fight back?

Two ways, we must become business people ourselves, either by promoting or getting engaged in business. Some people are beginning to fight back. People from Bifang area have formed an company to work together. They have now challenged the monopoly of the Batibo beer suppliers as the only suppliers of Beer. Today, the Bifang people have got the beer supply market to about 50/50. The Bifang people have also bought pickup trucks for transporting and some have buses to challenge Moghamo Express. A Widikum son has the monopoly of Guinness and another is working to have UCB. This is the way to fight them back. A Bussam (Bifangs) have the local fish supply. Hair dressing is monopolized by Bussams.

Second, the our council is working on some projects to fight back too. First, we want to construct the first-ever mall in Cameroon! Widikum doesn’t need markets like those Nangah constructed in the 60s. This is an age of modernism and Widikum wants to lead the way. The plan is to have the complete feasibility study and business plan completed and submitted by October for funding. I need your ideas and anyone who can give me a Plan for a small shopping mall (emphasis is MALL), please help. Can someone get me the PLAN of the Golden Triangle Mall in Denton? The mall is expected to serve as a regional mall, but to be constructed for about 50 businesses.

Another approach is to have a layout for construction of modern homes to attract home builders and buyers. The site is already selected. It would involve the total preparation of the site. My Canadian counterparts may come to help out on this idea. All piping and streets, lighting etc will have to be done. We expect biogas to be in use in the new layout. The layout, just as the Mall, will be in Diche on the transAfrican highway.

Thirdly, a two-star hotel will have to be constructed by the Momo river. We are looking for 20-30 beds (storey building), a nite-club, a bar and restaurant. Our swimming pool will be Momo river. The Pool and hotel will be a single finance package.

The fourth project would be construction of “transformation” plants for palm oil and cassava. Construction works will begin within two months. We have partial-financing already. We need to soap and animal feed etc instead of throwing away our oil and receiving abuses from buyers.

The Skyline in Widikum now carries a huge office for the Divisional officer and a huge council complex to be completed in two months maximum. The D,Os office is already being used. There is a private story building in Diche (three years old now) constructed by a businesswoman. A huge Youth Center of is under construction and GBS Diche will be the first primary school to be constructed as a storey building. GS Widikum will have a new face look. Four new and modern classes will be constructed. The buildings will be moved to a nearby site.

Widikum-Boffe Council will have one of the first two Rest Areas in Cameroon. Our rest area buildings will be constructed in towns, rather than on highway rest areas like in the USA. Ours will have toilets for men and women, a hair dressing saloon, a kitchen, restaurant, a shop and, strangely, a tailoring workshop. This will be constructed next to the health center in Diche.

Finally, there will soon be a permanent website for Widikum-Boffe Council. The site is under construction. You can contact it by opening www.widikumboffecouncil.org. If you have problems it is because the site is not yet quite ready. But give it one month and you will have it completely ready. We are waiting for some pictures from the villages in the hinterland villages to complete the works.

In all of these, the sad news is that the new highway bypasses Diche Park. It crosses a new bridge above the Egwigi, cuts through behind the town and comes out from below the health center. The park has not been tarred. The fight is going on to have the town tarred.

So far, I hope I enriched the efforts of Titus Nkonda.

Mayor Ongeh Jerry Abey