Political globe-trotting:

What does the Buea Mayor want from ‘B’da people’?

Patrick Ekema and his collaborators in Bamenda

-Mayor Patrick Ekema recently embarked on a media offensive in Bamenda, during which he reaffirmed his stance against the politics of hate and division preached by some SW elite. Patrick Ekema used the occasion to also reassure his ‘NW brothers’ that nobody whosoever can ever break the bond between Buea and Bamenda. The mayor who is said to have an incestuous relationship with several NW fons, challenged whoever cares to go and check out how many ‘Bamenda people’ he has recruited at the Buea Council. Commentators have interpreted Ekema’s outing as playing the political Fox. They noted that with 2018 fast approaching, Mayor Ekema is just being clever and clairvoyant enough as to distance himself from the controversial and divisive politics of some SW political elite, who recently converged on Buea and accused North Westerners of master-minding and perpetrating all the subversive acts in the SW region. “Patrick Ekema understands only too well that he must reassure and woo to his side the huge NW population in Buea, who form arguably the biggest number of eligible voters in metropolitan Buea and Fako Division,” encoded an informed commentator.

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

The Lord Mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick Esunge, has told the population of the North West that he does not believe in politics of hate and division, and that the North West and South West regions will forever remain one and indivisible. Ekema also dismissed allegations that the Buea Council is run on “tribal lines”.

                He was speaking to prying journalists in Bamenda recently during a press Conference he convened, on the sidelines of the installation of the new SDO of Momo Division.

                Clad in classical North West traditional attire Ekema used the occasion to reaffirm his unalloyed love and respect for the people and traditions of the North West region.

                He recalled how in recognition of his proven attachment to and respect for the people and traditional institutions of the NW, some fons of the region in 2014 unanimously elevated him to the dignity of notable and decorated him with the traditional attire that depicts royalty. And this decoration came just when he also received in Bamenda, the Award for the Best Mayor of the year attributed to him by a leading Anglophone Daily Newspaper.

                Addressing the battery of pressmen at the news conference, Mayor Ekema said: “I feel really honored to be in Bamenda once again to commune with my brothers of the North West especially given the unfortunate situation in our country since the last several months. Actually I came here to witness the installation of one of my brothers from Buea, MrMomonoAbsolomWoloa, who has been made the SDO of Momo Division. But I thought it important and imperative that like one of yours, I should seize the opportunity and have an exchange with you to clear the air about some developments that have created doubts in the minds of many…..I want to assure and ascertain to the NW people here represented by you (the fourth estate) that we of the Buea Council do not believe in divisive politics. All we know is that we are one and will remain one and indivisible with our brothers of the North West.”

                Dismissing allegations that Buea Council is run on tribal lines, Ekema said that rather the Council believes and adheres to the principles of participatory and all inclusive management and development. He said of the about 18 service heads at the Buea Council there are no fewer than seven from the NW.

                Patrick Ekema noted that when they took over the mantle of leadership of the Buea council, the staff strength was 111 personnel, but at the moment there are over 280 and with plans on course to raise the number to 300. He said the configuration of the council’s staff is a perfect reflection of the head of state’s policy of national unity, integration and living together, noting that there is no discrimination in recruitment like what obtains in other councils.

                On the ongoing crisis rocking the North West and South West regions of the country, the Mayor praised all efforts aimed at getting a lasting solution but regretted that the approaches of some authorities who are given the responsibility to find solutions to the problem have failed to produce appropriate results.

                Asked to paint a picture of the socio-politico-economic situation in the South West region with regards to the ongoing strike, Mayor Ekema said life was very normal in Buea but regretted that schools had not effectively resumed.

                Observers have wasted no time to question why the Mayor of faraway Buea in the Sw region should choose Bamenda in the NW as venue for his press conference.

                Analyst said the press outing by the Mayor was opportune and necessary especially given the very controversial outing of some SW elite in Buea recently, during which they castigated and stigmatized North Westerners as the fomenters of all the trouble in the SW region.

                The analysts continued that Mayor Ekema is not oblivious of the numerical strength and the strategic importance of the NW population in Fako in general, and Buea in particular, when politics and especially elections are concerned.

                It should be noted that given their overwhelming and ever growing population in the SW region and Fako and Buea in particular, no political party can undermine the North West population and ever hope to win any election(s) here. And this seems to be true especially when one reckons that in the last presidential election in 2011, of the about 14000 votes that President Biya had, not less than 9000 came from North Westerners and other non-indigenous voters.

                Observers said most of the SW elite who made derogatory statements about NWesterners in Buea were either appointed or businessmen, they were hardly elected officials, reason why they careless what damage their utterances could do to the local politicians. But being an astute and far-sighted politician, Patrick Ekema has decided to go on the offensive and exonerate himself from any accusation.