Composition of Senate Bureau:

CPDM Sanctions SDF for ‘Nuisance and Arrogance’

President Paul Biya’s CPDM party has reserved for herself 12 of the 17 seats in the senate bureau, and has handed barely one seat each to Fru Ndi’s SDF, Dakole Daissala’s MDR, Issa Tchiroma’s FSNC, Bouba Bello’s UNDP and the UPC. The SDF has cried scandal, saying it is injustice at its height.

By Ojong Steven Ayukogem in Yaounde

Senator Marcel Niat Njifendji

Senator Marcel Niat Njifendji has been reelected as the president of the upper house of parliament for the sixth consecutive time. The former Vice PM and former longest serving GM of Sonel who hails from the Nde Division of the West region was maintained in the office that he and only he alone has occupied ever since the putting in place of the senate in 2013.

            Niat collected an overwhelming majority of the votes cast by his colleagues of the senate. The seven senators of the opposition SDF party abstained from the voting.

            The election was presided over by the eldest member of the senate, Senator Nfon V. E. Mukete, who was flanked on both sides by the youngest female and male senators respectively.

            Marcel Niat Njifendji was given a standing ovation by members of the senate after his brilliant victory. He was also immediately ushered to his rightful place by the SG of the senate, Michel Meva’a M’Eboutou.

            In his immediate remarks after regaining his seat, Hon. Niat thanked Senator V. E. Mukete for a job well done. He called on all senators to prepare their minds for the start of serious business especially as the country is going through very trying times.

            In the elections to fill the other offices in the bureau, the Lamido of Rey Bouba, Aboubakary Abdoulaye (CPDM) was also maintained as the senior vice president.

            The other vice presidents were Nfor Tabetando George Ndiep-Nso (CPDM), Genevieve Tjoues (CPDM), Nkeze Emilia (SDF) and Sylvestre Naah Ondoah (CPDM).

            The 8 secretaries included Hayatou Pierrette (CPDM), Chagall Isaac (CPDM), Obam Obam Assam (CPDM), Moampea Marie Claire (CPDM), Flambeau Ngayap (UNDP), Dakole Daissala (MDR) and Leke Besongoh Ekemfor (UPC).

            The three elected questors were Abdoulaye Marava (FSNC), Otte Andrew Mofa (CPDM) and Bisseck Paullette (CPDM).

            After the elections it emerged that the ruling CPDM party grabbed 13 of the 17 seats at the bureau of the senate. The rest of the parties each shared a seat each.

            Reacting to the distribution, the lone bureau member from the SDF, Nkeze Emilia who was voted as one of the Vice Presidents, cried foul, saying it was injustice done to her party.

            “What is the rationale for the SDF with seven senators to be given just one bureau seat,  like other parties that have only one member in the senate?,” Nkeze Emilia queried.

            Observers wasted no time to say perhaps the CPDM has decided to sanction the SDF that continued to impose its nuisance value and its arrogance, in spite of its progressively dwindling political fortunes.

            It should be recalled that on the first day of the reopening of the senate for the new legislature, SDF new-comer senator, Barrister Kemende, literally embarrassed the entire assembly when he openly castigated the eldest member of the house, Nfon V. E. Mukete of having no locus standi to be member of the senate, not to talk sitting in as the eldest member.

            Kemende said Senator Mukete should have shown the good example by first resigning his post as Board Chair of Camtel before accepting to come to the senate.