MIDA: a prefectural decision makes social tension within youths

Thousands of youths are dissatisfied with the decision from the Senior Divisional Officer of Mfoundi, Jean Claude Tsila, suspending the activities of the organisation which has been providing training and funding to unemployed and young Cameroonian entrepreneurs.

The SDO, on the 12 of April signed a decision ordering the immediate suspension of activities of MIDA, an international mission for development in Africa for illegal existence, corruption and double dealing especially the youths, illegal use of military uniforms, presence of strange signs on their working materials and for doing what they are not qualified to do.

The same decision ordered the arrest of the promoters of the organisation who failed to respond to an invitation from the SDO to attend a meeting aimed at examining the existence and operational functioning of the structure.

That is how the Promoter of MIDA, Patrick Pen and others were apprehended by security forces and taken to the 4th District Police Station in Mimboman Yaounde.

The doors of the organisation located at Ahala, a locality in Yaounde were equally sealed on Wednesday April 18th 2018, by the forces of law and order.

Over 16.000 Cameroonians are involved directly or indirectly in the program, which is in its seventh edition, all of whom have deposited at least 12.500 FCFA each for training on first aid delivery, business management, customer care, citizen education, just to name but these.

After the training of one week per section, a general graduation ceremony is organised and end of course diplomas are presented to the trainees with a financial support of exactly five (5) times the amount paid during registration. The financial support is expected to boost the activities or sponsor of the youths.

During the past six editions, many youths have benefited from the financial support some of whom re-injected the benefits into the program to multiply it.

These persons upon getting the news of the closure of the head office and the arrest of promoters of MIDA on the graduation day of the seventh batch, stormed the office premises where they spent the whole day of Wednesday April 18 with the hope that the situation will soon die down for activities to resume normally.

Scribes of MIDA reacting to the happenings did not deny the accusations of illegal existence but indicated that they had an authorization to exist given to them in 2008 by the then SDO of Mfoundi, Joseph Beti Assomo, who is now Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defense.

They however refuted claims of having strange signs on their materials and using Military uniforms adding that their official wear is unique and protedted though looks like the Military uniform.

Talking to most of the youths who have enrolled in the MIDA program, we were made to understand that the program exist legally in 27 other countries and they are surprise to hear that in Cameroon it is existing illegally.

Questions on what next, the youths were categoric when they declared that the government through the SDO of Mfoundi should correct whatever they want to correct in MIDA and order the re-opening of the doors of the organisation, else it will not be well with them (the youths) and the nation in general.

They however did not come out clear if a protest move coulld be employed in case their wish is not met.

At press time it was alleged that the two factions were in a crisis meeting to seek a way out of the situation which could cause social tension in the country if poorly handled.