In loving memory of the passage on earth of an angel and development crusader, Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa
Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa, may his soul progress on to God his Maker, was certainly a tree of many different branches. He provided shade, sustenance, inspiration and orientation to many, in many places and in many different ways. In Pinyin, he was many things to many people and his life, like the sun, gave light and warmth to all, old and young, men and women. I speak from under the branch ‘Pinyin development’, where I was attracted by his shining example and phenomenal orientation, right from when I became conscious as a young school boy, in the early sixties. From this branch I have functioned, under his protective shade, orientation and guidance since then.
Akamentso Ndee Mongwa was a mentor to most Pinyin children of secondary school age in the early sixties. He, perhaps more than anyone else, inspired them to yearn to go to college and to perform well while there. He gave the inspiration and orientation to the Late Alosius Anyam Akanga to form the Pinyin Youth Organization for Rural Development (PYORD) in 1968, which set off systematic development, by community effort, in the Pinyin Kingdom. He worked in the Presidency of the Republic, the highest office in the land, and this, coupled with his diligence and professionalism, was a very strong motivating example to young Pinyin Civil Servants. Those of us who started work in the seventies wanted to work with his zeal and diligence, dress smartly like him, speak like him and walk like him. Akamentso Ndee Mongwa played a cardinal role in the formation of the Pinyin Development Organization (PDO) in 1978. He, indeed, drafted the first constitution of the organization. Thereafter, he participated very actively in every important activity of the organization. He chaired many congresses of the PDO.
He very especially supported education and intellectual development in the Pinyin Kingdom. He made heavy financial contributions towards the construction of every school created in the Kingdom. He regularly donated essential didactic materials to most of the schools and awarded scholarships to needy outstanding pupils and students. He was a pace-setter in the production of intellectual works, when he came out with publications such as “English Primer for Cameroon”, “MY CHILD ...principles of good citizenship for children on the back drop of Christian morality”, “...THINK ABOUT: Tips for Successful Happy Living”, etc. Akamentso Ndee mongwa promoted literacy in the Pinyin Language. He formed the Pinyin Language Development Committee (PILADEC) and, in collaboration with CABTAL, they created a Pinyin language alphabet. They have translated the New Testament of the Holy Bible into the Pinyin Language, as well as produced the Pinyin Language Dictionary and other works.
Generally, Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa made outstanding financial contributions towards every development endeavour carried out in the Pinyin Kingdom, under the auspices of the PDO. These include maintenance of roads, construction of the high-tension electricity line from Matajem to Pinyin, construction of palaces, schools, health centres, water schemes, church houses, etc. In particular, as the substantive president of the PDO, Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa master-minded the creation of the Mitanyen Cooperative Credit Union (MitaCCUL) and convened the first constituent assembly of the Union in December 2000. In order to better conceive and give orientation, from within, to the holistic development of the Pinyin Kingdom, in particular, and that of the Santa Sub Division, in general, Akamentso Ndee Mongwa decided to become a Councilor in the Santa Council, where he was still serving when he rested.
In the domain of governance, the Pinyin Kingdom has been rocked by a persistent crisis over the years, which has tended to impede development. Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa never spared the means nor the might to try to resolve the many resulting conflicts. His enormous contributions in this domain, especially from 2007 to 2014 cannot be adequately stated. To honour his outstanding contributions to Pinyin development, he, alongside Akamentso SP Longla, Akamentso SN Mobang, Akamentso SA Awa and Akamentso Fai Gideon Taka, constituted the first group of Pinyin people to be elevated to the rank of Akamentso (development war general) of the Pinyin Kingdom by the Fon of Pinyin in council. In addition, he was later singled out for the title of ‘Ndee-development’, translated as the ‘Noble of development’. Akamentso Ndee Tening Mongwa was a very religious man with deep faith in God; he was a development crusader with a burning desire to serve Humanity; he was also a political leader, a traditional dignitary and an academician. He was especially marked by his diligence, selflessness, kindness, honesty, hard work, and fatherliness. He performed every task entrusted to him in great strength of zeal and enlightenment and with truth and humility.
Akamentso Ndee-Development, you kindled the light of development and community service in us in the Pinyin Kingdom. In a country where virtues are rare and are often systematically despised, you taught us, by example, the virtues of diligence, selflessness, kindness, honesty, neatness, humility and hard work. As we bid you fare well today, we pledge to keep this light burning, and to strive to practice the virtues you taught us, as we wait for our own turn and time. May your soul truly progress to God your Maker.