Newly acquired PWD bus design to suit the topography
By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Anglophone elite from the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon have handed a brand new ultramodern bus to PWD FC of Bamenda.
The bus was handed over to the Bamenda-based team on March 11 in Yaounde during a solemn ceremony that took place at the National Museum.
Former Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, chaired the ceremony accompanied by Minister Felix Mbayu, Chief Initiator of the project, along with other Government dignitaries and traditional rulers from the Northwest and Southwest Regions.
Speaking during the event, Philemon Yang described PWD FC as a great team with a fighting spirit. Recalling what happened in 1979 when PWD confronted Dynamo FC in the final of the Cup of Cameroon, Yang said, Sunday, March 13, would be spectacular but whatever the circumstances, the Northwest is a Region with a great philosophy.
“… whatever the circumstances, this Sunday, we are a Region with a great philosophy, we embrace everything readily, we embrace everything feeling great and as an old fan, I must say I am very enthusiastic we will win on Sunday,” he said.
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“Whatever the results, you must remain dignified … I must say that whatever you do these days, will say a lot about your Region. In addition, we are a Region that must remain dignified and very proud of who we are, not only proud of our past, proud of the present and, especially, proud of the future. We are a Region of the future. Bamenda is the city of the future. Bamenda is the seat of PWD, the University of the future and Region of the future,” he added.
The Governor of the Northwest Region, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, said: “My being here and speaking here today only symbolises Cameroon is back with the Northwest Region. Cameroon is back with the Northwest Region through PWD FC. PWD is Cameroon reunited here today.”
The President of PWD of Bamenda, Pascal Abunde, in appreciation said the PWD family as well as fans will eternally be grateful for the wonderful gift. The bus project is “a pure testimony of what we can achieve when we put our minds and efforts together. As a people, we can rise to this herculean challenge and get to where we want to go.
“We feel that this is actually the opportunity to wipe the tears of our fathers that you represent. We want to use this opportunity to rewrite history. The motivation which is characterised by the story and history of this club is what has always given us strength and is what makes us feel that this is a lifetime opportunity that we have to make good use of,” Abunde added.
“The dark cloud of the past few years is giving way to a brighter future where youths of tomorrow can practise and play the game they love most, go to school and choose a better future and live a decent life. If we can achieve this, that means we can do more, trust me, we just have to say that we will have a modern stadium for these kids to express their talents and it will be done in the same way we have achieved this.”
The traditional leaders present also blessed the bus. Minister Felix Mbayu, Project Coordinator, was appreciated for his great works, while Edwin Fongod Nuvaga, Director of Customs and Minister Rose Mbah Acha née Fomundam Ngwar were also praised for their respective works towards the achievement of the bus.
A total of 114 elites contributed including two former Presidents of PWD FC, Peter Mafany Musonge and Ni John Fru Ndi.
On March 19, 2021, the team bus of PWD social football club got burnt to ashes at Makenene (in the Mbam & Inoubou division) along the Bafoussam-Yaounde highway.
The bus had on board 17 players, two staff, and the driver. No life was lost, but the team lost their sport equipment and was lost on the fate of acquiring a new bus – a tough puzzle for the President General of PWD, players, staff, fans and sympathisers.
Minister Felix Mbayu immediately set up a fundraiser for the acquisition of a new bus after consultations with some close friends like Minister Paul TASONG and Edwin Fongod. The fundraising campaign was apolitical.