Musa Shey Nfor: The Epitome of Ambidexterity

 Personality of the Month
By FC Ndi

Musa Shey Nfor

The world has produced many great leaders; many of whom society has always looked up to for inspiration. These leaders have laid foundations of some of the important events in history. Their actions and deeds changed the face of society and proved instrumental in revolutionizing the sector they lead. They are held in high regard for their work, and their success stories continue to inspire many. Their leadership has brought about a dramatic change to the world and deeply impacted society. .Meet Musa Shey Nfor our Personality of the month

Musa Shey Nfor is the President of the Cameroon Credit Union League-CamCCUL, the leading microfinance in Cameroon and the President of the Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union-BAPCCUL. He is also the National President of the Association of Micro finance Establishments in Cameroon (ANENCAM) And beside that he is the North West Regional Delegate for the Chamber of Agriculture. When Queen Latifah once declared that “It’s not always easy to do the right thing. But, doing the right thing makes people strong, it builds character, it forces people to make decisions based upon beliefs and not what other people think. In life, and in business, leaders have to stand for what they believe in and sometimes they have to stand alone. But, what makes a leader is having the courage and convictions”, there is no doubt that she was talking about the likes of Musa Shey Nfor. Infact, Musa Shey Nfor is not alone in believing that this generation is unique in its ability to eliminate lethal poverty, the kind of poverty that kills. Since everyone is motivated differently, being a leader requires a careful blend of leadership characteristics and skills. Anthropologists long established that a leader must have a vision to where he can see his success. This means he has the drive to succeed and fulfill his vision. He can not sit and just hope for something to happen. He has to make it happen. In other words, a leader must be a person who is “on top of their game” for the betterment of all.

Musa Shey Nfor: The Veritable Role Model

Musa Shey Nfor is a household name in Cameroon and a man of international reputation for his capability in handling issues with a lot of dexterity. In fact few have ever fitted in the above description like Musa Shey Nfor the present President of CamCCUL whose innovative ideas have gradually transformed the microfinance sector in Cameroon. Such a bold vision is inspirational and it was unthinkable just a few generations ago. Microcredit has emerged in recent decades as an indispensable tool in the fight against poverty in rural and urban set ups in Cameroon, and it is thank to his leadership skills. Ever since he took office, one of the first and most obvious guiding principles of the microfinance movement seems to be respected for the potential of market forces, especially as all actions are properly channeled. Likewise by his aptitude the sector has moved from a state of gloom to be an indispensable ally in poverty alleviation. For this reason, the suggestions for renewed leadership are not prescriptive, e.g. providing a specific descriptive in the trends for exercising effective and ethical results (socially conscious and accountability).

The most interesting thing is that in order to maintain the public goodwill in the sector, he puts the welfare of members first. Musa Shey Nfor believes that one of the prerequisites to success is to deal with moral sensitivity and transparency. To him, microfinance revolution honors the dignity of each person by providing access to capital markets and new services  that are not currently provided by others like the collaterals.

When ethicists write about human rights, often they cite the right to food, shelter, health care, and even employment, but rarely access to collateral free credit which Musa has demonstrated is one of the cornerstones on which humanity relies. When he started implementing reforms especially the OHADA Law, those who thought they could transform the network into extraordinary affair were quick to climb on tree tops. But change as often said is the most dreadful thing that human beings resist. There is bad reason for this because those who would always see nothing good in anything except in the form of bread discovered that their interest were at stake.

Musa Shey was naturally born a leader, because he clutches with the God given charm that flows along with success.

At the Bamenda Police Credit Union where is also President for example  membership, savings, loan consumption and payment have increased geometrically, a mark of efficiency that catapulted him to the position Bamenda chapter President of CamCCUL. The Bamenda Police Credit Cooperative Credit Union also expanded. New branches were created and the most recent being the Ndu and Nkambe Branches. His talent at the helm of the Credit Union Movement has not only improved on social values but has galvanized financial support for the microfinance movement nationwide to the point that he was elected the National President of ANEMCAM.

Integrity as they say is another essential quality a leader must have in order to do well in office. Musa Shey Nfor’s actions have had the same feelings inside. This is a kind of person who can be trusted because he never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. He displays integrity in order for his people to trust him because within him lies honesty and dedication.

Musa Shey Nfor is very intelligent. Since intelligence is a factor in leadership he makes sure that all actions amplify advantages and nullify disadvantages, as well as knowing when to act offensively and defensively.

From being self-confident to having strong initiatives, Musa Shey Nfor has all the characteristics that make up a leader which are vast and different depending on whom he leads. In Musa Shey Nfor’s case, self-confidence is what enables him to complete his goals successfully. He takes advantage of timing to strike when the challenger is puny, and recoil when they are brawny.

Trustworthiness, intelligence, fairness, humility and compassionate are the pillars on which Musa Shey Nfor’s leadership skills stand and as a matter of fact trustworthiness is what allows his followers to know they are acting usefully and without harm. Intelligence is what enables him to plan and strategize, carefully and patiently in order to implement with diligent every resolution of the General Assembly. Fairness also enables him to put discipline and hard work while humility enables Musa Shey Nfor to strive in  challenging situations which are very complicated and challenging. Since a leader’s skill is measured through concrete realizations, his presence at the helm of CamCCUL can easily be assessed even by the common man.

However, since kolanut as they say last long in the mouth of those who cherish it, Musa Shey Nfor recently validated that he is a leader with extra abilities. The ongoing reforms and the harmonization of the OHADA laws within the credit union system is also an indicator that he is not just a modernizer but a man who sees tomorrow.

Musa Shey Nfor: The Genius   

Contemporary society, sociologists say is nothing without people with extra abilities, genius. In fact, role models are people whose examples can be emulated. To say that Musa Shey Nfor is a role model is a fact. A critical analysis of his achievements has proven that he is a multifaceted dynamo. In CamCCUL for example, he is celebrated for the numerous programmes and projects he lobbied and obtained both at national and International levels. The Agrifin project, the FIMAC loan scheme and the collaboration with MTN are tangible examples. Beside that the construction of CamCCUL head office in Bamenda also corroborates the greatness in him. Under his reign, he has succeeded in giving almost all CamCCUL Chapters befitting buildings that reflects his vision as a leader. Anyone who has had the good fortune to be in Bamenda should praise Musa Shey Nfor for the construction of the CamCCUL head quarter (seven storey building). This is just one of his legacies and defines the leader he is. To conclude, Musa Shey Nfor is also North West Delegate for the Chamber of Agriculture where within a very short time, he has injected hope in the sector. Meet him for a discussion to discover leadership skills.

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