The 52nd National Day celebration in Bamenda was marked by the decoration of Njike Celestine Atadebe, the Regional Delegate of Communication for the North West, with the prestigious Knight of the Cameroon Order of Merit medal. This recognition, awarded for his selfless and dedicated services to the State of Cameroon, took place on Monday, May 20, 2024, at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue Grand Stand.
The ceremony was presided over by the North West Governor, H.E. Lele Lafrique. In a statement to the press following the award, Njike Célestine expressed his gratitude, describing the medal as a significant acknowledgment of his 14 years of dedicated service to the nation. “It is a very strong signal by the state, incarnated by the President of the Republic telling me, continue working harder and harder, I am seeing you,” he remarked.
Njike Celestine’s career in the Cameroonian Public Service includes four years in the Department of Media and Public Opinion Observatory at the Ministry of Communication in Yaounde, seven years as the Regional Service Head in charge of Private Media and Advertising in the South West, and three years as the Regional Delegate of Communication for the North West.
The ceremony also honoured 84 other distinguished individuals, including General Housseini Djibo, Commander of the Fifth Gendarmerie Region, Prof. Theresia Akenji Nkwo, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bamenda, Colonel Tetcha Felix, Commander of the 51 Military Engineering Regiment, and Colonel Chembou Zambou Guy Merlin, Assistant Commander of the Fifth Joint Military Region.
The National Day celebration, themed “Army and the Nation, Together Under a United, Peaceful and Prosperous Cameroon,” began with a spectacular military parade followed by a civilian march past. The event, attended by over 1500 people, concluded with an address from Governor Lele Lafrique, who expressed his appreciation for the massive turnout and the spirit of unity demonstrated by the attendees.
