By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The midday sun beat down on the Squares neighborhood as a crowd slowly gathered and standing boldly at the center was Dr. Cyprian Njoaka Mbiydzenyuy. In a powerful, symbolic gesture, the Third Deputy Mayor of Kumbo removed two peace plants from a plastic paper, holding them up as a silent plea to a community fractured by discord.
Dr. Mbiydzenyuy called on the Nso community to shy away from hatred and embrace peace as the ultimate goal. Braving the odds to speak directly to the people, he insisted there is no place for hatred.
“We need to embrace peace and that is why I am here,” Dr. Mbiydzenyuy told the crowd. “Let us let love to dwell among us. In and out of Nso, we don’t seem to love each other. Please, please, we need to love each other and embrace peace.”
Reflecting on the bicentennial celebrations, he said, “Now that we are celebrating 200 years since the capital of Nso came to Kimbo, all we need to do is to embrace peace no matter where it comes from and who comes with it,” Dr. Mbiydzenyuy said. “Nso is finishing.”
He urged community members to look past their differences and acknowledge their shared hardships.
“Look, everybody is out,” he said. “We have seen what you are going through and what our sons and daughters are going through out of Nso, and the least we can do is for us to come as one and forge for peace. Peace is the only asset that can make us grow.”
Telling his story to the crowd, he recounted the immense losses he had suffered: five of his houses were burned to ashes, his 98 cattle were taken away, and his poultry farm was completely destroyed, among other things.
Although grieved by the destruction, he used the opportunity to publicly forgive those who destroyed his property. ” I forgive those who did the act and also whatever wrong I have done to anyone, I ask that they forgive me,” he said.
“As Nso is already in the process of forgiveness and reconciliation, peace should reign. It is time to do this. The return of Ngonnso is another opportunity for us to come together, reconcile, and receive our Ngonnso in peace,” he added. “Let us all make peace from our hearts.”
Dr. Mbiydzenyuy however offered an open door, stating that anyone who needs assistance should not hesitate to approach him, emphasizing that mutual support is vital for the community’s survival.
