US Professor Visits Douala V Council Area

The ceremony took place at the Douala V council meeting hall in Bonamoussadi.

Claire Moore Dickerson, Professor of Law in the Rutgers School of Law, Newwark, USA, visited the Douala V council on invitation by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Douala V council, François Foning. In a welcome address by Mme Foning, she presented the council area to the professor, as a place to visit. She said her council area has a population of about a million inhabitants, a council of 35 members. She added that the council has a duty to ameliorate the living conditions of the population of Douala V. She went on enumerating some of the difficulties faced in the council area which they have to combat such as the alleviation of poverty, unemployment of the youths, protection of the environment, the fight against epidemics and diseases, underemployment, among others.
Foning continued that the council area is cosmopolitan. She called on her guest to use her position to liaise the council with some universities in the United States so that the youths could have opportunities to study in some of the universities in the USA.
She went on to enumerate the things the council has done so far. The council has built a health centre, constructed a road around Makepe, and opened a centre for internships for youths. She added that training is done in English giving that Cameroon is a bilingual Country. She solicited the help of Prof Moore Dickerson to provide training material as well as computers for the centre.
The Mayor gave the Prof Moore Dickerson the honour to become a citizen of Douala V and said she should also know that wherever she goes she is an ambassador of Douala V. She said her guest of honour has visited them at a time when they are preparing towards the twin elections to take place in July. She claimed they work hard in the council to meet the needs of the population reason why she claims they always emerge as winners in the elections.
Furthermore she said Cameroon is a peaceful country which is misperceived by the world. She insinuated that it is the best country in the continent of Africa. She talked about decentralisation which the government has put in place, democracy and the rights which she said the head of State has accorded to women by entrusting positions of responsibilities into their hands, citing herself as Mayor today.
Foning handed a calved key to Moore Dickerson as a symbol of her citizenship. The key she said gives her the right to come to Douala V at anytime even without permission from anybody.
On her part, Moore Dickerson thanked Foning and her team for the honour accorded her. “I recognise this honour is given not just to me, but to me and my nation” she said. Prof Moore Dickerson has been in Cameroon since May 25 on invitation by the American Embassy in Yaounde. She has also been to the Buea University among other places. She handed some copies of some books to the council Library. After the ceremony she went round visiting the projects of the council, and the entire council.


EFFA TAMBENKONGHO