Cameroonians from all walks of life have
just emerged from the polls where they have chosen new local representatives
for their various localities. Coming at a time when there is much talk of
advancing Cameroon’s democracy and working towards making the country an
emerging one by the year 2035, emphasis has been on greater transparency and
accountability in governance, including elections.
In
recent times Cameroon’s ruling class has been hammering on the need for peace
to prevail before development can follow while another school of thought has
argued that for peace to prevail there must be justice. Which ever way we look
at it, the introduction of biometric registration in Cameroon’s electoral
process greatly curbed electoral fraud and raised public confidence in
elections .This is evident in the fact that very little violence resulting from
elections has been reported after the 30th September elections.
Given
that decentralization is fast gaining grounds and locally elected officials are
having a greater say in driving development at the grassroots, the 30th
September polls ,by all standards are just a stepping stone for local communities
to fully own and drive their own development, especially elections by the year
2018 when Cameroonians return to the polls to select new local leaders.
In the South West region of Cameroon in
particular, there is no gainsaying the fact that the outcomes of the polls, to
a greater extend have been dictated more by inherent power plays than the integrity
of the candidates invested by the various political parties.
Lebialem division ,which is one of the
six divisions that make up the South West region ,to say the least remains the
most backward in the region in terms of road network, access to basic social
facilities like water and electricity, youth and women empowerment as well as civic and political participation.
The argument that civic and political
participation in Lebialem remains disturbingly unproductive can be justified by
the fact that in the 2011 elections ,the division prided itself of having voted
“overwhelmingly” for the CPDM with over 80percent,hoping to grab a
ministerial position to no avail. But two years later, in 2013,the same Lebialem
CPDM which boasted of giving President Paul Biya the best results in the South West
region was out on a wild goose chase for militants to register for elections ,leaving
the division the last in the region in terms of biometric registration.
The results of the 30 September
elections once again put the CPDM as the champion in the three councils of
Fontem,Alou and Wabane, with the CPDM scoring over 60 percent in Fontem as
opposed to over 39 percent for their main challengers, the PAP.
A close look at a brief history of
elected officials in Lebialem reveals that after BTB Foretia who stayed in
parliament for 25 years serving, both the CNU and CPDM, then came Fonju Martin
Atem who served the CPDM and handed the baton to Ategwa John of the UNDP in
1992 before Michael Ndobegang took the relay in 1997, surrendering to Bernard
Foju in 2002 after a Supreme court injunction, and not really the ballot box.
Prior to the creation of Lebialem
division in 1992 ,the then Fontem subdivision had its municipal administrator
,and since 1996,when mayors started taking office only through elections there
has hardly been any mayor from any opposition party in either Fontem,Alou or
Wabane subdivision. Some may argue that this issue is not a bone of contention.
But in an increasingly competitive political environment, it is just but timely
to suggest that the body politics of Lebialem division needs to be properly
reviewed to put in place results oriented representatives and development
driven options that can help the whole division for two
major reasons;
The first reason is that the three
subdivisions of Lebialem ,since 1996 when the first council elections were
organized have had the misfortune of having
tele-guided, old and retired CPDM
harbingers sit in as mayors with their sole interests being only to seek
avenues for a more comfortable retirement after retirement .This is even more true of Fontem subdivision
where mayor Forcha, Francis Mbiaoh, and most recently a retired military
colonel, Daniel Fobella who set up a military junta in the council from 2007
,to say the least, have all misled the people .Given that retired colonel
Daniel Fobella failed so much that he could not even feature on the 2013 CPDM
council list, there is no doubt that the CPDM is preparing another retired and
dysfunctional person to head the Menji council- after all ,how many youths are
even on the council list?
Secondly, it is important to note that
Lebialem division is made up of some 17 Fondoms, of two ethnic groups- the
“nwehs” who make up the whole of Fontem and Alou subdivision and the “mundanis” of Wabane subdivision. There are also two 1st
class traditional rulers; the Fon of Fontem and the Fon of Bamumbu. Today, Lebialem
division is getting more and more fragmented and divided over issues of common
concern for the simple reason that one of the 17 Fondoms, the Lebang fondom, headed
by HRH Senator Fon Fontem Njifua has
continued to try to dominate and grab
almost all the political gains meant for an entire division. Though it may be true
that the first generation of educated “nweh/mundani’ people might have come
from Lebang , over the years, the other villages in the division have equally produced
high quality individuals of ever higher moral and intellectual standing. While
it would be unwise to mention some of these individuals who come from villages
like Lewoh, Ndungated, Bamumbu,M’mockmbie, Essoh Attah, the fantasy that any
good thing that comes to Lebialem must first pass through Lebang is ripping the
division apart. Perhaps this greatly explains why the division has never had a
government minister .Whenever names of potential ministers from Lebialem are
mentioned, the Lebang elite ,it is said , take offence when the names do not
come from their own clan, and as such there can never even be political
consensus in the division.
It is no longer news that the senator for
Lebialem division is HRH Fon Fontem
Njifua, who is also the president of the South West Chiefs Conference and traditional
ruler of Lebang; one of the three villages or clans that make up Fontem
subdivision. The three include Lebang, Njoagwi and Essoh Attah. The Member of
Parliament for Lebialem who is now going in for his third mandate, Bernard
Ateawung Foju, also comes from Lebang while their alternates come from any
other village in the other two subdivisions, which cares which one. In all
fairness one of these two positions should have gone to the other two subdivisions.
Today, this attitude has degenerated
into greed. A close look at ELECAM staff in Lebialem division reveals that a
majority of them are directly or indirectly related to HRH Senator Fon Fontem Njifua, beginning from his wives to his
nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters ,sons and daughter in laws and
children and relatives of cronies. This has and is still the same for councils.
Moreso, in the Senator’s own CPDM party ,one cannot fail to mention the fact
that the campaign team was headed by HRH, Senator Fon Fontem Njifua and his court. This inherent power play on the conduct of elections in the division
give us all reasons to doubt the results because ELECAM in Lebialem is not as
credible as in other divisions of the South West Region and even the country.
Based on this, Lebialem elite have
continued to mull over the strange absence of political goodwill to bring unity
and development to the entire division. Put otherwise, Lebialem division has
now been reduced to the court of HRH Senator Fon Fontem Njifua , 1st class
traditional ruler of the Lebang people. This allegation can be investigated in the
CPDM, ELECAM, elected officials, and appointment of sons and daughters of
Lebialem into positions of responsibility amongst others.
By 2018, therefore the well meaning
people of Lebialem especially the youth should have worked to distance
themselves from the political captivity of old and tired politicians and the
court of the HRH Senator Fon Fontem
Njfua. In so doing there can be a new lease of life ,new political dynamism and
alternative ways of delivering
development at the doorsteps of all in a division, which, as we speak remains
the most enclaved and politically docile division in the South West region. Peace
thus, is not the absence of war but the presence of justice , and what Lebialem
needs by 2018 is social justice.
Aminateh Nkemngu
Founder/Coordinator
The Community Initiative for Development Communication-CODEC
Menji-Fontem
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa
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