Youths and artistes from the 10 regions are harmonizing rehearsals for a befitting performance at Cameroon's reunification golden jubilee anniversary.

That Buea is currently witnessing unprecedented effervescence is not open to questions. The new roads and hotels defy qualifiers. But one of the indispensable sectors that will add pomp to the 50th anniversary of Cameroon's reunification, is unquestionably the role played by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education.

Artistes and youths from the 10 Regions of Cameroon are currently rehearsing patriotic songs, theatre, poetry and traditional displays at the University of Buea under the watchful supervision of officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education. There are over 600 youths and 120 artists involved in this exercise baptised "The March Forward" aimed not only at reviving Cameroon's heritage but to showcase what each region has in store.

Supervisors told CT that the rehearsals, which have as key themes national unity, peace, solidarity, and reunification;" will be a daily exercise until the date of the event proper is announced. Esso Essomba, Clementine Essono and other famous artists and celebrities across the nation, are conspicuously fine-tuning these rehearsals for a grandiose spectacle during the celebrations.

To ensure organisational efficiency, Youth Affairs and Civic Education Minister Bidoung Mkpatt is leaving no stone unturned with regular visits to Buea where he assesses and chairs preparatory meetings. Always accompanied by the Governor of the South West Region Bernard Okalia Bilai, he watches impressive march past drills of pupils and students of primary and secondary schools at the Molyko stadium. In his outings, he congratulates the creativity of seasoned professionals who have conceived patriotic songs and chereographic displays for the civilian march past.

Rehearsals

CT gathered during co-ordination meetings that some 23 primary schools (12 Government, 3 Lay Private and 8 Confectional) with 2.952 pupils will participate in the chereographic march past that will be graced with patriotic songs. The songs will focus on the virtues of peace,

national integration and Cameroon's cultural diversity. The Co-ordinator of Secondary Education and Teachers Training Colleges for the march past disclosed that the sub-committee has been working tirelessly since 14 November 2013 with students of 20 secondary schools and two Teachers.

Training Colleges

His counterpart for higher institutions of learning noted that the sub-committee has been active with students of the University of Buea, the National Advanced School of Public Works Annex Buea, the Saint Francis Higher Institute of Nursery and Midwifery, CEFAM, Pan African Institute for Development, the University Institute of the Buea Diocese (UIBD), the P&T Annex and two institutions in Douala.