A SW indigene in NW CPDM is not an issue
- Hon. Nji Fidelis, leader of CPDM
permanent delegation for Menchum
By Ojong Steven Ayukogem in Yaounde
 |
| Okie Johnson Ndoh |
Amid press reports that CPDM supporters in
the NW region brandished red cards in the Bamenda Congress Hall in protest
against the appointment of a South Westerner, Okie Johnson Ndoh as charge de mission
of the NW permanent regional delegation of the ruling party, it has emerged
that there was no such protest against the appointment, even if red cards were
brandished. Hon. Nji Fidelis, a former Questor of the national assembly who is
the leader of the CPDM permanent divisional delegation for Menchum, has said
that Okie’s appointment as charge de mission of the NW regional delegation is
just normal, and CPDM officials of the region are already working with him (Mr.
Okie NDOH) because they see nothing wrong with the appointment.
Hon.
Nji Fidelis was speaking at his residence at the administrative quarters in
yaounde, after this reporter put the question to him as to how Okie Johnson was
received in the NW delegation.
“Times have changed and our party is
evolving. The era of regional and/or ethnic politics is over. Okie’s
appointment could have been an issue if ever he was not a CPDM militant. But in
so far as he is a militant of our party he can be assigned any time any where
to serve the party. So, his appointment as our regional charge de mission is
very normal; it is a non issue,” Hon. Nji Fidelis said, noting that officials
of the CPDM in NW even worked with Mr. Okie ahead of the visit of the CPDM
Scribe, Jean Kuete, to Bamenda to install the permanent delegations.
As
to reports that red cards were brandished in the hall, the CPDM diehard said
perhaps because he was too busy in the hall he did not notice any red cards
being brandished. But Hon. Nji Fidelis at once said if red cards were
brandished then it could have been for other reasons that he is not yet privy
to, and not because of Okie’s appointment.
He
enjoined those who see something wrong with Okie’s appointment to ask
themselves how and why Barrack Obama from Kenya, in Africa is the President of
the most powerful country on earth – USA, and why General Ivo Yenwo from NW the
Director of president Biya’s Personal Security.
“People should out-grow and out-live the
old ways of thinking and live with the changing times,” Hon. Nji said, noting
that today it is what a man can do that matters and not where he comes from.
Even
Okie Johnson himself has also denied that NW CPDM militants brandished red
cards in protest to his appointment. Okie affirms on the contrary that he has
been well received by CPDM militants of the NW and they are already working as
a team.
Though
Okie Johnson also said he did not notice red cards being brandished in the
hall, he however said if ever the red cards were brandished it was not in
connection to his membership of the NW delegation.
“I
cannot confirm that red cards were brandished in the hall. But if ever such a
thing ever happened, it had nothing to do with my being in the NW delegation.
CPDM supporters of the NW are mature and disciplined enough; they know that I
was appointed by the president of our party, and the president has his reasons
for assigning me in the NW region and not in my native SW region,” Okie Ndoh
said, insinuating that his appointment as charge de mission of the NW
delegation was not an error but a deliberate and conscious decision of the
national president of the party, Paul Biya.
Besides,
Okie noted that it was not the first time that the party hierarchy is sending
him to the NW as charge de mission. He recalled that during the campaigns ahead
of the 2007 presidential elections he was the charge de mission for Boyo
division, and he did his best to secure victory for president Biya in the
election. He said even during the recent reorganization of basic organs of the
party, he was sent to the diaspora, notably in Great Britain and Germany, as
charge de mission, and not to the SW, and they did a remarkable job out there.
“The
CPDM is not a regional or tribal party; it is a national party. So, as party
militant you should be ready to serve where ever and whenever the party
hierarchy assigns you,” the affable and soft-spoken Okie Ndoh said.
Also
reacting to press allegation that militants of his home constituency, Nguti in
the KupeMuanenguba division, have expressed total disappointment and
frustration for not having even a single representative in any of the seven
delegations of the SW region, Okie said the allegation is less than the truth.
He however, admitted that when the appointment of divisional delegates was done
he received many calls from CPDM militants in Nguti who wanted to know why none
of theirs was also appointed.
“I
explained to them that appointments in the party are done by the national
president of the party and that the president alone knows how, where and why he
assigns persons to work for the party. I told them that the fact that the party
chairman has assigned me to the NW as charge de mission means that Nguti was
duly considered in the appointments,” Okie opined, noting that the militants of
Nguti understood with him and that was why they were present in their numbers
in Buea during the installation of the SW permanent delegates, and also in
Bamenda, during the installation of permanent delegates of the NW.
“The
CPDM militants from Nguti were well received in Bamenda by their comrades of
the NW region during the installation ceremony. Even the traditional chiefs
from Nguti who were part of the over 40-man delegation were given the treatment
that is usually reserved for the ‘fons’,’ Okie noted, affirming that he feels
quite at home working with his comrades of the NW.
“Is
it not an honour for me to be part of a team that is headed by the Prime
Minister, head of government?” he asked rhetorically.
No comments:
Post a Comment