Fon Chafah rallies assistance for Babessi flood victims

From Nfor Adamu, on special assignment in Babessi

Fon Chafah Isaac at Babessi

Former North West Fons’ Union president and presently the permanent secretary of the Cameroon Traditional Ruler’s Council, Fon Chafah Isaac has been hailed as God-sent for rallying assistance for the abandoned Babessi flood victims.

 It should be recalled that 59 families were rendered homeless as a result of the September 9, 2012 flood that swept across Babessi. In addition, several farms and crops were affected by the disaster; estimated in tens of millions.

But while the nation’s attention was directed to the flood victims of the North and Far North regions, Fon Chafah refused to be counted among those who did not care about the welfare of the Babessi flood victims.

The Bangolan traditional ruler and magistrate by profession therefore took advantage of his ever-growing popularity, his dynamism, credibility and transparency in managing public funds to rally support for the Babessi victims.

Given his track record as a perfect organizer, transparent manager, and go-getter, it took Fon Chafah just a few phone calls to convince friends and some Ngoketunjia elite to contribute for the victims; who until last Thursday were still abandoned to themselves.

With the money raised, Fon Chafah bought some items and led a powerful delegation to Babessi, on September 20, 2012 to assist him hand the gifts to the helpless flood victims. The items included: 175 bags of rice; 50 packets of sugar; 30 bottles of groundnut oil; 50 (80 leaves), 50 (60 leaves), 80 (40 leaves) and 50 (20 leaves) exercise books; 120 pencil sharpeners; 250 pens; 120 rulers; 40 children’s food flasks; 30 children’s school bags; 40 umbrellas and 20 litres of refined oil.

Speaking while handing  over the material to the D.O of Babessi for onward distribution to the victims, Fon Chafah cited the donors who included among others: the director of cabinet at the prime minister’s office (Paul Ghogomu), the director general of treasury (Moh Sylvester), the general manager and deputy of ARSEL (Kedi Jean Pierre and Demanou Honore Tapamou respectively), NGODECA president general (Dingha  Ignatius Bayin), CTE legal adviser (Nyoh Moses), Hon. Nji Fidelis, Hon. Banmi Emmanuel and the UNVDA that offered 80 (5kg) and 10 (10kg)bags of clean rice; and 45 litres of groundnut oil.

Fon Chafah had in the meantime contacted CBC health authorities who sent a team of doctors to Babessi to consult for free; not only the flood victims, but the entire population on diseases like cholera, malaria, HIV and lots more.

Meanwhile, speaking at the handing over ceremony at the esplanade of the Babessi DO’s office, Fon Chafah said his action was not a challenge to government, but simply to complement government’s efforts to reach out to disaster victims. He said as elite and traditional ruler of Ngoketunjia, he could not look away while his subjects were suffering.

Speaker after speaker, including the DO of Babessi, Ali Anogu, elite and a representative of the victims were all praises for Fon Chafah who they described as God-sent.

Thursday’s ceremony, it should be mentioned saw a massive attendance of not only the disaster victims but equally a sizeable crowd of the Babessi population.