Monday 11 May 2015

Hon. Emilia Lifaka is politically childish

- Ekema Patrick Esunge, Buea mayor
Ekema Patrick Esunge
Lord Mayor, we were informed that a meeting to discuss the distribution and sale of party cards in the Fako III section of the CPDM took place in Buea recently. Were you part of that meeting?

No. I wasn’t there because I was not invited. The bottom line is that some people are trying to fragment the party to satisfy their personal interests;  they are being egoistic. You cannot imagine that Hon. Emilia Lifaka will organize such an important meeting within my municipality and as a senior official of the party and one who has been shouldering all party responsibilities within the section, I am not informed of it? First and foremost, it is even strange that such a meeting to talk about the sale of party cards will take place at the private residence of an individual. To me, the whole idea behind it is so mean and childish. It only exposes the limitations of people who ought to be considered as bigwigs within the party. Imagine that even party officials like the YCPDM section president who is my 1st deputy mayor was not invited to the meeting. Even if people have differences, when it comes to issues of general interest, they should be able to bury those differences. Such an action only tells of how some people are politically immature.


You were not part of the meeting that took place at the residence of Hon. Lifaka but you certainly have an idea of what was discussed at the meeting?

Well, I hear it was all about raising funds to procure party cards and to put in place a committee to move round the section to come up with the modalities of distributing party cards. It is irrelevant because the structures of the party still exist and if there is a meeting, there is no reason why party officials will not be invited. People who even lose elections will sit and call such meetings.

Mayor, may we know how far the Fako III section has gone with the sale of party cards given that close to 8m FCFA was raised last month to assist militants purchase membership cards?
Before that money was raised, section presidents were given party cards and they decided to adopt a strategy to use the party cards to procure political capital, that was realized and those other schemes came up wherein money was raised to purchase party cards and we had to move to the field to sensitise the militants on the actions which were taken at that meeting.  We did the first round and visited six sub sections. We visited Dibanda, Mile 16, Bomaka, Muea Maumu and Lysoka sub sections. During that period, some senior militants who were piloting that activity turned round and were spreading rumours that we went to the field to do our personal campaigns. Apparently that seems to be the reason why some of us were not invited to the meeting that took place in Buea recently at the private residence of Hon. Lifaka. What we decry is this attitude of militants calling meetings in the name of the CPDM party at their private residences to attract attention. I have resolved that the 5m FCFA we pledged would be disbursed as promised. In fact, everyone knows the road to the Central committee. I will go there myself and buy the cards and distribute to militants. I should not be seen to be a part of a set-up where we bring resources together and an individual wants to take the credit for everything. Each time they rally people, it is to make political capital of it. I am strongly against that kind of uncanny attitude. If you think that the mayor made a pledge of an amount of money which has not reached the Central coordination unit, it was the place of those coordinating the activities to invite the person who made the pledge and find out when the money will be handed rather than organize a meeting and make my name the subject of discussion when I am not there. That is irresponsible on the part of “big” people like those who organized the meeting. I am not interested in contesting electoral positions within the section. If they cannot win elections, they should allow those who won elections to concentrate and deliver to the electorate what is expected of them.

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