Power vacuum:

AgborTabi’s ghost haunts Manyu CPDM

Observers say latter-day Manyu political leaders are yet to jump for the opportunity and occupy the space created by the death of Prof. Peter AgborTabi (RIP). And the existence of a power vacuum gets more and more evident and disturbing by the day, especially in a Division that was once the bastion and fortress par excellence of the CPDM party in the South West and Cameroon.

By Essan-EkoninyamEkumtambe in Yaounde

Prof. Peter AgborTabi (RIP), still greatly

missed by  Manyu CPDM militants

After a recent parliamentary tour of Manyu Division by Senator Chief Tabetando George Ndiep-Nso turned out to be a fiasco, it was the turn last week in Mamfe, of the Minister of Special Duties, Victor MengotArreyNkongho to also recieve a political slap on the forehead. Militants of the four sections of Paul Biya’s party in Manyu literally boycotted their new political leader, when they snubbed his invitation for them to come out in their numbers and join him in celebrations to mark President Biya’s 34th Anniversary on 6 November 2016. The seats that were provided under the canopies erected in the precincts of the Mamfe grandstand, remained deserted for most part of the anniversary event.

                And this was not before the organizers of the dual events (the All Manyu Development Forum in Tinto, Upper Bayang on Friday, and Biya’s 34th Anniversary in Mamfe on Sunday) had failed to put their act together and bring Roving Ambassador, Roger Albert Milla to Manyu, as was earlier announced. It emerged that Manyu sons and daughters could not put together the package (perdiem and other logistics) requested by Roger Milla, if he was to make the Tinto journey.

                This was intriguing, and telling, given a Division that easily raised FCFA 75 million for voters registration some time ago. It should be recalled that few weeks ago Roger Milla was taken to Batibo by the elite of the arguably less endowed Momo Division and their one-year-old Minister, Justice Mrs. Rose MbahAchaFomundam.

                That is why after the failed outings by the two Manyu political heavyweights, political commentators in Manyu wasted no time to note that the leadership vacuum created by the untimely demise of the “emblematic Manyu political general,” Prof. Peter AgborTabi, has become clearly evident and even disturbing.

                “Mr. Journalist, you can see for yourself that Manyu CPDM is still badly missing Prof. Peter AgborTabi, many months after he quit the stage. Where are those people who use to claim that AgborTabi was blocking them from rising to crowd the top? AgborTabi has vacated the stage and created space for them. What is it that is now blocking them from rising to the occasion? Why are these so called Manyu political leaders still unable to remobilize and galvanize the people of Manyu like AgborTabi use to do?” wondered a senior and very concerned Manyu elite, who speculated that “it may take some time for Manyu to have another political leader of AgborTabi’s ilk.”

               

The elite corroborated that “AgborTabi was not a politician of the common mould; he was that leader who knew what he wanted and what his people expected of him, and he was always there with and for his people: AgborTabi was permanently in contact with the Manyu people; he knew almost every Manyu son and daughter in Yaounde by their names, and he had their telephone numbers. AgborTabi would take his phone and call even the most lowly in society and ask how they were doing. And this assured these ordinary people that they too mattered. In return these AgborTabi loyalists would always troop out in their numbers whenever he wanted them. ..Unfortunately today, those who pass for political leaders in Manyu are so distant and cut-off from the people; their doors remain permanently closed for the people they purport to lead, and this is in vivid contrast to AgborTabi, whose doors were always open for all and sundry and who was ever ready and willing to listen and give needed advice to who ever sought it, even when he was not very sure to solve their problem.”

               

Engr. Victor Mengot: the new drum-major of

Manyu CPDM is yet to make his mark

These observations by the senior elite might just explain why Senator George Tabetando was boycotted by the masses of Manyu when he went out there on his meet-the-people tour. According to a report in a local tabloid based in Mamfe, National Telegragh no 88 of Sunday 6 November 2016, not more than 40 persons came out to commune with Senator Tabetando George, who is also the traditional ruler of Bachuo-Ntai village in Mamfe Central sub-division.

                National Telegragh reported further that when Tabetando was asked to explain the massive boycott of his event by the populations of Mamfe, he gave the rather lame and unconvincing alibi that ‘it was a Saturday and most of the people had gone to their farms.” But the newspaper reminded Tabetando that most events of a similar magnitude in the past in Mamfe have almost always been organized on Saturdays, and the crowds have always come out in their numbers.              

The editor of National Telegragh noted that in the AgborTabi days Mamfe populations literally declared a public holiday and readily came out to commune with AgborTabi whenever he came to town. But this is yet to be the case for Minister Mengot Victor and Senator Tabetando George.

                Yet without trying to sound wholly pessimistic about the political future of Manyu, some commentators are advising that the new political leadership of Manyu, with Minister Mengot Victor ArreyNkongho as the drum-major and torch-bearer, should rethink their mobilization strategy, if ever they hope to rise to the occasion as the veritable mascots of the CPDM in Manyu.

                Informed political watchers say that Minister Mengot and his team might need to do just some little homework to make good the worrying situation. And this entails him wooing the former AgborTabi loyalists to his embrace, especially as many of them are still confused, after their mentor and leader abandoned them at the prison gate.

                However, this may not be the case for Senator Tabetando George Ndiep-Nso, who may need to completely revise his political stratagem and approach, if he must be the ‘big boss’ of the CPDM in Manyu, as it is believed that he badly wants to be seen as such.

                Yet, even as National Telegragh also noted that Tabetando’s popularity rating is presently suffering in Mamfe and Manyu, the Senator’s partisans argue that there is really anything to worry about. They maintain that their mentor is just a victim of a bad and hostile press, and that even if the situation was as bad as the press wants the punlic to believe, the Senator has the requisite moral and financial arsenal to turn things around to his favour.                                          And this may be true given that Chief Senator Tabetando George Ndiep-Nso is not only credited with unparalleled success as a lawyer, he has also succeeded to carve out a niche for himself and his family in the very far-fetched domain of oil and gas exploration. This multifarious successes, and his unquestionable financial fire-power have easily won for him the sobriquet of “Abiola”.                                       MoshoodKashimawoOlawoleAbiola was one of the wealthiest business tycoons and philanthropists that Cameroon’s oil-rich western neighbour, Nigeria, has ever known. Yet, M.K.O. Abiola was later consumed in the heat of his rather inordinate political ambition. Is it not said that money cannot buy life?

                It behooves Manyu political elite to do their homework and re-awaken Manyu CPDM from hibernation.