Good Governance should be the Cornerstone in Politics- Njilah Isaiah Tata aka (Shufai Njilangotong)

Njila Isaiah Tata (Shufai Njilangotong) the new impetus and clean politician 

Njila Isaiah Tata aka Shufai Njilangotong a multifaceted elite of Donga Mantung Division has said that good governance should be the cornerstone in politics. The traditionalist, a village head, writer-musician and  astute administrator made the statement in relation to the political tension and intrigues taking the minds of some politicians ahead of the 2012 parliamentary and legislative elections as well as the reorganization of the basic organs of the CPDM. It should be boted that he is also good politician who has quite often decried the politics of acrimony, blackmail and hatred that characterizes politics in Donga Mantung Division in the North West Region because some people have transformed the game of politics into a sinkhole for character assassination. Njila Isaiah Tata who by the Mbum tradition was enthroned village head for Fuh in Ndu as per costume and tradition had to be called Shufai Njilangotong. Besides, he is Donga Mantung Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education where he is admired for doing uncommon things in a very common way, an educationist who has served as principal for over 16 years before being catapulted to the position of delegate. Being of the new breed of politician with character and conscience, his devotion in propagating President  Biya’s ideologies continue to attract and change the geo-political landscape of Ndu. In 2008, Njila Isaiah Tata was distinguished by Donga Mantung Association of Journalists-DOMAJ as the All Best Principal. Yet, he has again nominated as All Round Best Divisional Delegate for The Eye 2011 Achievement Award. When makes him different from others is that ever since he joined politics, his style is very singular from the usual politics of hatred, acrimony, bitterness and blackmail that has characterized Donga Mantung politicians.

He has been described as a man of additional qualities. Unlike others he always busy round the clock. As a seasoned administrator, he believes like Immanuel Kant that “the more we are busy, the more we feel we are alive and contributing for the welfare of others”. His enlightening background coupled with his dedication to be perfect has made her to transform the principle of edification for work into the principle of teaching through work. As a Christian Baptist Christian, Njila Isaiah believes like Martin Luther King that “working is praying”. In a chat with The Eye recently in Bamenda, he makes a critical judgment analysis on some burning issues ahead of the 2012 Twin Elections. He also talked elaborately on the numerous intrigues such as the recent rumour that he was dismissed as Divisional Delegate.  Excerpts

You are an administrator, politician, traditionalist, village head, grazer etc, etc. Tell me, how do you deal with all these functions?

Njila Isaiah Tata: You see in management, if you are at the helm, you consider yourself a leader. And a leader shows example and people follow. A leader delegates, builds people who trust him and trust the service. To sum it all, it is just the question of programming. So, I am just doing the modest in all the functions that God has given me. I think it is God who has decided that I should handle these functions and He gives me the way. More so, I know that I am dealing with human beings and I have to respect them. Also I delegate powers with trust. However, there are times that I become embarrassed. Do you know how much time I spend with my family? The highest time I spend with my family in a day is about two hours. When I come back from work, I take a bath, rest and when I get up, I watch television and discuss with my children for about two hours. And while they are going to bed, I am working. Then I get up very early in the morning to plan for the day. To me, that is responsibility. I am God’s child and I have to sacrifice. It is not a question of all knowing. It is a question of challenges. When you have challenges, you look for ways of going out of them. That is why I must see to it that these functions are performed. You just have to dedicate a lot of time.

Frankly speaking, your style in politicking is different from what we have observed over the years in Mbum land. Why don’t want to join the bandwagon of the heated politics that has characterized Donga Mantung and especially Mbum land?

Njila Isaiah Tata: You know my own kind of politics is not the politics of hatred, confrontation, character assassination and blackmail. I will never be part of politics of discrimination and insults. Politics to me is a game that goes with ideologies and the best approach should be people oriented.

I will never call my brothers and sisters names because he or she belongs to the other political party. I think we should be talking of what we are capable of doing, what we intend to do for the betterment of our people. In fact, to me, a real politician should have a development agenda and not waste time to reflect on the insults to lavish on others. This politics of hatred, acrimony, blackmail etc will not take us anyway. It rather helps to destroy us. Politics should not destroy our homes, relationships or tear us apart. I really regret that. I am a CPDM militant and a supporter of President Biya. As CPDM militant I should not see those of the other political parties as enemies. To me, good governance should be the cornerstone in politics because politics is about development.

There is a “peoples’ call” for you to take over the Donga Mantung II Section. Are you ready to take that challenge?

Njila Isaiah Tata: In fact, you heard it rightly and that is the pressure on me. And as a politician that may be the opportunity and I should not fail my supporters.

There is this notion that Donga Mantung elite especially in Mbum land like to arm twist selves. For example, majority of the politicians adore promote politics of acrimony, blackmail, character assassination, intrigues and worse of all insults, yet you seem different. Why?

Njila Isaiah Tata:  A Donga Mantung man should go out and fight, protect and project his or her sister rather than waiting when your own brother is on a tree, instead of you even asking for the fruits but you start shaking the tree so that he falls. When the person doesn’t fall, the next thing is that you cut down the tree with your brother or sister on it. That is what we have been doing. It is unfortunate. Look at our neighbors; they are each others’ keepers. But with us, if we do not destroy our brother or sister, we are never happy. When we do such harm, onlookers are laughing at us. I hope this mentality off the minds of politicians and elite.

Don’t you think that it is this notion of clan systems that is promoting that bad spirit?

Njila Isaiah Tata: People are just hiding behind that to destroy. We are here three of us, have I cared to know from which clan you come from? But it is regrettable that some people will feel like that. Some even go as far avoiding discussing with people from other clans, discriminating to eat and even share. Does that person not speak the same language with you or is that person not from Donga Mantung Division. I think people think and act collectively. No village, town or group of people can develop in diverse ranks. So people are just hiding behind clannish politics which to me, it does not exist. If it is existing how would I have been a school Principle in Nkambe for four years and I am a delegate there. People have to respect me because a (Wi) Mbum man is in that position and see how it can succeed rather than thinking that I am from Ndu. You see, those are things that we should not talk about. We the intellectuals should not even mention it. We should look for ways of protecting our own people where they are. I am not talking because I am in a position of leadership but I am talking because I have suffered from it a lot. Many others have suffered too. You know when we suffer like that we end up reminiscing like orphans. In the end, we lament that the delegate has not appointed anyone of Donga Mantung into position of responsibility like school principals. The question is when they are appointed, do you like them? Do were actually work so that they succeed? I know what I am saying because our people work for people from other areas and not to be their own brother or sister’s keepers. It not bad to give respect to strangers but I am just saying that in doing that they must not kill their own brothers and sisters. I have observed that the numbers of petitions that come from schools that are managed by Donga Mantung elements are more than the schools under strangers.

What picture do you have of Donga Mantung today?

Njila Isaiah Tata: Donga Mantung is not the same because there are a lot of hopes. I can see many hopeful rising leaders who I am sure will think completely out of the box and more maturely. Unfortunately, we are seeing people who are trying to look at the entire Division from a different angle. Let identify them and encourage rather than identify them and destroy them.  (To be continued)