CPDM Divisional Delegates:

Who wants to foment discord in KupeMuanenguba&Ngoketunjia?

- Militants also voicing protest remarks in Donga-Mantung, Sanaga Maritime, Kadey, Nkam etc.

By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde with field reports

CPDM Scribe, Jean Nkuete

A decision signed on 19 May by the CPDM National President, Paul Biya, appoints Leaders and Members of Permanent Divisional Delegations of the party. The decision followed an earlier one in December 2015 that appointed Leaders and Members of Regional Delegations.

                Following the publication of the list of divisional delegates last week many CPDM militants said they are now more perplexed and disappointed than ever before. The supporters of the ruling party said the decision signed on 19 May by their national president and published on 24 May has created more problems than it has solved.

                Coming at a time, and in a context where ministers are believed to be the automatic political leaders of their respective divisions, the decision has contradicted this belief as erroneous; it shows that CPDM ministers in government are only agents of the party, who can be assigned by the party hierarchy to play certain roles and/or take certain responsibilities in their political bases, without necessarily being political leaders.

                This is true when one observes that in the Kadey Division for example Mr. Ernest Gwaboubou who was appointed on 2 October 2015 as Minister of Mines and Industry, will have to play second fiddle to his predecessor, Emmanuel Bonde, who has been maintained as political leader of that division.

                This is idem for the Sanaga Maritime Division, where the former minister of national education (1989 - 1992) Joseph Mboui was chosen in preference to the sitting minister of education Ernest NgaleBibehe. It is also same for the Nkam division where former minister delegate at the MINFI in charge of the Budget, Titti Pierre was chosen as delegation leader in preference to the sitting minister of Culture, NarcisseMouelle Kombi.

                Also, in the Kupe-Muanenguba division, former Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Prof. Elvis NgolleNgolle was chosen in preference to his successor at that Ministry, Ngole Philip Ngwese, who ever since his appointment in 2011 and until now was considered as the leader of Kupe-Muanenguba CPDM.

                There is also the case of Donga-Mantung where the secretary of state at the MINMIDT, DrFuhCalistus will have to take instructions from his billionaire brother, the former secretary of state at the MINTP, Shey Jones Yembe.

                CPDM militants say their anger and curiosity in the appointment of permanent delegates is provoked all the more because it is not immediately clear to them what criteria was used in chosen heads of some delegations. This is because while some sitting ministers are floor members of some delegations, others are leaders of their delegations. This is the case in the Moungo Division for example, where newly appointed minister of External Relations, Lejeune MbellaMbella is the new political leader, and not the former minister, Siegfried David EtameMassoma.

                Also, in the Benoue Division it is the new minister YoussoufHadidjaAlim and not Haman Adama or YaouAissatou who is the divisional leader. Idem for the Diamare division in the Far North where YaoubaAbdoulaye was picked in preference to former minister of public service, SaliDahirou.

Militants grumble in Ngoketunjia

                A curiosity in the permanent delegations in the North West region is the appointment of the director of Mipromalo, Dr. UphieChinjeMelo, as the political leader of Ngoketunjia division. It is understood that Mrs. UphieChinjeMelo from Santa in the Mezam division, became a daughter of Ngoketunjia by registration (through her marriage to aNgoketunjia son). But CPDM militants in that division have vowed that they can not acknowledge her as their political leader Nguti completely forgotten in KupeMuanenguba

                Another curiosity about the appointments was when Okie Johnson Ndoh from Nguti in Kupe-Muanenguba Division of the South West, was made the charge de mission of the North West permanent regional delegation headed by Prime Minister Philemon Yang. Intriguingly and even more curious is the fact that no Nguti son or daughter was ever appointed in both the regional and divisional delegations in the South West region. This is a cause for real frustration in Nguti sub-division, The Median understands.

It should be recalled that during the last presidential election in 2011, President Paul Biya was badly beaten by Ayah Paul of the PAP in Bangem and Tombel subdivisions of Kupe-Muanenguba division. It took the sweeping victory of the CPDM in Nguti for the overall results in KupeMuanenguba to be reversed in favour of Paul Biya.

Avowed enemies pooled together

                One common feature of the appointments of permanent delegates is that some avowed political enemies have been brought together in the same delegation. If in the South West region for example, Hon. Emilia Lifaka in Fako, Mengot Victor Arrey in Manyu, Joseph Dion Ngute in Ndian and perhaps Justice Benjamin Itoe in Meme, may not have problems working with the teams they are appointed to lead, it is however, not the case for Prof. Elvis NgolleNgolle in KupeMuanenguba, who will have to sit on the same table and work together with people he has for long been boycotting.

                It is no news to any body in KupeMuanenguba that Prof. Elvis NgolleNgolle on the one hand, and the two sitting ministers from that division - Ngole Philip Ngwese of Forestry and Elung Paul Che of MINFI on the other hand, are avowed enemies who have been boycotting themselves. Prof. NgolleNgolle has himself belaboured this fact time and again in interviews he granted some local newspapers at different instances.

                Apart from the two sitting KupeMuanenguba ministers, NgolleNgolle will also have to work with his enemy-brother from Muasundem, Honorable Ngole Robert Ngujede, who is the current MP for Tombel/Bangem. Prof NgolleNgolle’s enmity with Bob Ngujede has reached the level that they have neither greeted nor talked to each other for more than a decade running, and they now behave like Tiger and Antelope, or like petrol and fire, The Median can reveal.

                And even though it is understood that Prof. NgolleNgolle’s appointment is explained perhaps by his longevity and especially his membership of the central committee of the CPDM party (the two sitting ministers-Ngole Philip and Elung Paul are not members of the central committee), KupeMuanenguba CPDM militants believe that the person who proposed such a conflict-prone list of delegates to president Biya either knows nothing about the political dynamics in KupeMuanenguba, or he simply wants to foment trouble within the ranks of the CPDM in that division.

                It will therefore be a miracle if Prof. Elvis NgolleNgolle can successfully sit on the same table, concert and strategize with these three KupeMuanenguba CPDM heavyweights.

Permanent interests

                Yet, there is a principle in politics that says “there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.” Reason why many in KupeMuanenguba are hoping and praying that members of the permanent delegation to that division will sink their differences, even if temporarily, if only to protect and preserve the best interests of  KupeMuanenguba.

                But even if the enemy-brothers from KupeMuanenguba decide to work together, the absence of even one person from Nguti in the KupeMuanenguba delegation will still pose a problem, analysts say. Proponents of this thesis argue that Nguti always holds the trump card during elections in KupeMuanenguba, and if Nguti decides to turn its back on president Biya then KupeMuanenguba might be doomed.

                Of the 5 members of the KupeMuanenguba permanent delegation, four are from Tombel and only one from Bangem. Apart from these, the two charges de mission are also from Tombel.

“So, come to think of it; Nguti that saved KupeMuanenguba in 2011 has been completely left out. This only shows that who ever proposed the list to president Biya only wants to brew trouble in KupeMuanenguba,” said an informed observer of political developments in KupeMuanenguba.

                This observer said just by looking at the composition of the lists in the South West he can decipher the person(s) who made them. He said it is likely the lists were drawn up by people who are not happy that KupeMuanenguba and Manyu have two ministers while their divisions have none.

                “Because these people are so bitter about KupeMuanenguba’s two ministers they now want to set confusion and brew trouble in the CPDM there this, so that opposition parties can take advantage and make in-roads in the division, like was the case before the appointment of Ngole Philip and later Elung Paul as ministers,” speculated the observer, who continued that: “we will not allow this to happen; we shall do every thing to consolidate our political achievements no matter what”.

                The discernibly angry observer noted that some of the so-called power brokers at the CPDM Central Committee are so selfish that even when they are asked by president Biya to propose names of ministers from their constituencies they prefer to propose instead their girlfriends.

                He however, noted that to the greatest chagrin and disappointment of these CPDM stalwarts, their proposals for ministerial appointments are seldom considered by president Biya.