Governor Promises Brave School Administrator Award

 

By Anthony Nde

Ahead of the National Youth day celebrations billed for February 11, the Governor of the Northwest Region, Adolphe Lele Lafrique has announced an award to a brave female college administrator for campaigning on school resumption despite threats by separatists for school lockdowns.

Irene Neckano Abam, who works in a popular government college in Bamenda has of recent, gone to churches and the radios to talk about school resumptions.

According to reports, the college where Irene manages was shutdown in 2019 due to the crisis.

The school campus had been for years serving as headquarters for the separatists.

The military had for that reason accused her of complicity with the separatist’s fighters who were using the campus for a base.

She had attempted to reopen the school upon request from the hierarchy of the school but she was kidnapped.

She was manhandled by the separatist’s fighters for days and only released after a ransom was paid.

Before her release she was asked to resign from the teaching job and stop serving the government whom they consider an enemy.

However, due to pressure from the hierarchy of the college, Irene went to churches and the radios to talk about school resumptions.

Her advocacy actions went viral and got to the ears of her former captors, the separatists fighters who had warned her not to engage in any school resumption campaign who started sending her death threats.

Her efforts to support Government action and State priority of effective School Resumption on the crisis regions also caught government attention positively.

It is therefore because of such bravery that as part of activities of the National Youth Day on February 11, Irene Neckano Abam was earmarked to receive an award from the state for her courage and support to government action.

It should be noted that the conflict in the Cameroon's English Speaking Regions has made living virtually impossible for many persons in the crisis zones of Southwest and North West Regions.

Teachers and school administrators have been one of the groups of persons who have suffered the most due to the separatist’s stance of school boycotts, lockdowns and burning down of schools.