THE ALL BAKOSSI CONFERENCE

 Political Imbroglio in Kupe Mwanenguba:

Where Ntoko, Ndone went Wrong

The political imbroglio that is prevailing in Kupe Mwanenguba III Section of the Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement due to the inability for those contesting for the post of Section President to break the impasse and reconcile their differences is disturbing and dangerous. The cantankerous situation has brought our party  into a quack mire provoking a chaotic situation that makes minds like ours harkening back to the glorious days in Bakossiland when the Bakossi political consensus guided the selection of political leaders with the like of R. N Charley and Francis Ajebe Sone. Today, the marriage between politicians and the militants has broken up in acrimony.

Dr. Mekolle Ntoko came into politics as an opportunist. Before he was ushered into politics he was doing quite well in his profession as a medical doctor but a political green horse. The opportunity came when his “brother”, from Western Bakossi, late Sone died. The political elite in Tombel area decided to balance up the Mwasundem hegemony-mafia, so to speak in Tombel politics by looking for some one in Western Bakossi, which is purportedly being marginalized. He was therefore chosen at the time, based on regional balance not as an astute politician. His only strength at the time was that he spoke freely about youths’ grievances and their grouse against the elders whom they accused of having sold out to the government. The elders were no longer relevant to the interest of the youths as they did nothing to alleviate unemployment situation within the municipality.

Dr. Mekolle Ntoko was then elected Section President of our party, CPDM of Kupe Mwanenguba III on March 19, 2002, a post he held concurrently with that of Mayor of Tombel. His reign as Mayor was characterized by accusations of brazen theft of council funds, ineptitude, self aggrandizement and flagrant disrespect of elites’ potency. He also developed Jesus complex-an air of invincibility. That was his Achilles’ heel that caused him crumbling like a pack of cards. He met his political waterloo during the 2007 re-organisation exercise when an eccentric lady slapped him on the face during the primaries of municipal elections. He became very disappointed even to his protégé whom he had served hitherto as a stooge. Instead of sitting quietly and licking his wounds in order to draw up strategies in staging a come back in 2012, he decided to run his mouth. He boasted that being a Medical Doctor, he is convinced that the health of Grand Comrade would not permit him to lead this country for another term as if his (own)  health is at the best.

He became a political Lilliputian who embarked on petition writing, blackmailing political elites in Tombel area. He formed an alliance with some little worm of Ninnong origin to steer hostilities in Tombel. He refused to bury hatchets and launched a media campaign in the Lake Side Radio in Kumba. Tombel became bedrock of political mudslinging where supporters of Alexander Ndone took the opportunity to implant him into an elected position held by Dr. Mukolle Ntoko without thorough groundwork on the method and procedure of removing an elected official from post. The Central Committtee remained mute over the imbroglio until recently when they paid lip service to the problem. They have allowed for quite some time the existence of two Section Executive Bureau- the Ntoko and Ndone factions. The October 17, 2009 Central Committee Delegation that came for fact-finding mission aimed at breaking the impasse was suspected of being lopsided because some pundits argued  that their results would be bias in favour of Ndone as they were seen winning and dinning with Ndone’s political God Fathers.

Alexander Ndone lackadaisically entered politics therefore as an upstart whose stock in trade is arrogance, vindictiveness and narrow mindedness. He was shoved into it by the same God father who financially supported Ntoko’s Campaign during the re-organisation of the basic organs of the CPDM and the primaries of Municipal elections of 2007. Ntoko and Ndone all got it wrong because they have both continued to rely on the push from Godfatherism as a key to succeed in politics. They are both accused of resorting to occultism. They both continue to threaten throwing their weight behind the opposition as a sign of vengeance if any of them is eventually dropped. They have both misconstrued the essence of politics, brushing aside the fact that infighting is sterile and has no place in the new political dispensation.

The infighting has brought Tombel area into political turmoil that has nothing to contribute in solving the socio-economic problems facing my native land. I am deeply disturbed that in the face of horrendous problems facing my political constituency, we can afford to concentrate on political wrangling with no possibility of reconciliation. The water in the toilet tank of some “bigmen” here in Yaounde is much cleaner than the water that the majority of our rural folk in Tombel are drinking. My traditional stronghold is full of snapshot of awful roads; unemployed lots, women and children toiling hard with dishes of snails on their heads to make ends meet as well as  hunger boldly written on their faces.

The CPDM is the most ideal party the world over based on its written texts. These texts are complemented by Communal Liberalism. Unfortunately, our party has continued to suffer from inertia- people with self interest, self aggrandizement and myopic minds. They arrogate themselves at the helm of party affairs with an all knowing attitude. This is the provocation that has made some of us to make declarations that others interpret as light bullets aimed at elephants.  My intention is not to use a light bullet in killing  a political elephant nor having vaulting ambition but to contribute my little quarter in stopping the divergence and animosity that have being created by some of my party comrades. I am prepared to lead my people out of political limbo and work towards the development of my area. Let Ntoko and Ndone now bury their hatchets and join some of us in the development of Tombel.  By Esambe Livinus Njume

Kupe Mwanenguba Senatorial  Aspirant