Bakossi National Park in collaboration with the African Millennium Development Network, AFRINET has organized the first edition of Mount Kodmin Race to revive conservation activities within their clusters.
The 3kms race in the male and female category took place on the 14th of December 2023 in Kodmin village, Tombel Sub Division, Kupe Muanenguba Division, South West Region to symbolize the celebration of World Primate Day.
The day was celebrated under the theme, “For the Enhancement of Biodiversity Conservation through Collaborative Management Approach,” under the supervision of the Conservator of Bakossi National Park, Tchapda Sidoine.
The race started at the entrance of Kodmin village to the Kodmin Mountain and ended at Government School Kodmin. 35 athletes participated in the race with 20 men and 15 women all from the six clusters of Bakossi National Park.
Alphonse Nkwelle of Nzimbeng village emerged winner in the male category while Ekinde Nestor from Mbwogmut II came second. Ngube Joseph from Kodmin took the third position.
Meanwhile in the female category, Ebine Emilia of Mbwogmut I won the first position, Ekene Charlotte from Kodmin came second and Ekwoge Mirabel of Kodmin took the third position.
Also in the highly animated football matches of the day, Nzimbeng hub had a two all tie with Kodmin hub in the female match. While in the male football, Nzimbeng trashed Kodmin by two goals to one.
Speaking at the end of the sports fiesta, the Chief of Kodmin, Chief Abwe who was one of the athletes thanked Bakossi National Park for reviving sports within the cluster villages. He prayed that the race should be a yearly event in order to boost talents and revive sports in Kupe Muanenguba Division.
Also, Chief Salle Philip Ngolle of Muetan Aku a participant at the race said it was not easy to cover the 3kms at the age of 60. He promised to take part in the 2024 edition of the race.
Addressing the population at the ceremony, the Community Development Officer, CDO of Bakossi National Park, Elvis Kome Ngome congratulated the cluster villages for their massive participation at all activities of the event at Kodmin in the South East Cluster. He said the 14th of December is set aside yearly to celebrate the World Primate Day.
Kome added that celebrating this day in Kodmin was a reminder of the rich primate species in the park and for the population to completely drop poaching activities, encroachment into the Bakossi National Park and improve their conservation efforts.
He reminded the communities of services provided by the park to their villages like the provision of piglets and goats to ex poachers, the community white pepper project currently going on, the rehabilitation of water catchments and taps for good pipe borne water in villages, training of their sons and daughters in OIC Buea, sponsoring sons and daughters in the Mbalmayo Forestry School amongst others.
The CDO promised that the park will do more with the available resources.
In a sensitization talk by Dr. Ettagbor Hans, Conservator of the Limbe Zoological Garden on December 13 in prelude to the celebration, he educated the population on how to handle stray chimpanzees, guerillas, drills, monkeys and other members of the primate family.
He said primates are 96 percent humans and should be treated as friends. He said these animals will always come to villages for visits once they don’t feel threatened.
Dr. Ettagbor who was the former conservator of Bakossi National Park educated the people to feed these animals only with fruits and pawpaw leaves to avoid infections on the animals. “Don’t give sachet whisky and cigarettes to primates. It’s going to affect their health. Don’t get too close to primates or think of marrying them. Disease can easily be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.” He cautioned.
Also, the Conservation Education Officer for the PSMNR, SWR, Chief Inyang Zachary Ekpe noted that Bakossi National Park was created in 2007, the last amongst all the parks in the region. He said compared to other parks in the region, the conservation of natural resources is more rooted in BNP. He appreciated Bakossi National Park for their collaborative management approach in the four clusters of the park.
Chief Inyang assured the population that they stand to benefit more as they enhance conservation efforts within the park area.
Also, Ngueping Samuel, Landscape Officer of WWF attached to Bakossi National Park talked on the rich primate species in the park. He encouraged the population to properly conserve these animals that will generate revenue to them through tourism.
Speaking to The Ultimate, Chief Ewang Tobias Ndode, Secretary General of AFRINET thanked Bakossi National Park for trusting him to organize the first edition of World Primate Day in Kodmin. He appreciated all the athletes and the cluster villages for effectively participating and ensuring a successful celebration.
Also present at the event was Apella Magellan, Community Development Technician of BNP and Njoh Knutson, Head of Collaborative Management Unit, BNP.
It should be noted that Bakossi National Park is under the Program for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, PSMNR, South West Region in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. PSMNR-SWR is co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through the German Development Bank, KFW.
By Olive Ejang and Remedy Ekukolle
