By Fai Cassian Ndi
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
Elizabeth Tamanjong & Ni John Fru Ndi |
Professor Elizabeth
Tamanjong tabled her resignation letter to Ni John Fru Ndi, the National
Chairman of the Social Democratic Front-SDF this weekend as members of the
National Executive Committee are meeting in Bamenda. In her resignation letter
which has been described by Impressionists as pregnant with meaning, Prof.
Elizabeth Tamanjong decried that in the past years, the SDF has been drifting
from its initial vision of a genuine democracy. She also outlined that the
values and principles of the party such as social justice, equal opportunities,
transparency and accountability in the management of party affairs have been
lost. The outgoing SG went further to stress that there is an urgent need to
revolutionize the SDF in a way that the three power structures of the party,
such as the National Executive Committee-NEC, National Advisory Committee-NAC
and the National Investiture Committee –NIC should play complementary roles,
and hence to be chaired by different personalities for check and balances to
ensue.
Hear her: “Mr. Chairman, the Social Democratic Front
(SDF)is a party that has always been very dear to me. This is the reason why I
have relentlessly and diligently served in all the positions that I have held.
I
became a member of the SDF in 1991. Since then I have occupied several
positions of responsibility ranging from the Centre Provincial Treasurer from
1991 through many other positions at different times to the Secretary General
in 2006 till date.
Sadly
enough, I have been noticing, in the past fifteen years, that our party has
been drifting from its initial vision of leading this country to a genuine
democracy. We have lost even the values and the principles that we resolutely
stood for in the early 90s; values and principles such as-social justice, equal
opportunities, transparency and accountability in the managing of the party
affairs, to name but these few. On many occasions, I have attempted to draw the
attention of the party hierarchy to this sad phenomenon, but to no avail.
All
is, however, not lost; this party can still spring back to its enviable
position that it once occupied in the hearts of Cameroonians. To this end, we
need to revolutionize the party in the following ways:
·
The
three power structures of the party, namely: NEC, NAC, & NIC should play
complementary roles and hence be chaired by different personalities, in order
to ensure effective checks and balances in the party;
·
Let
the position of SG revert to being elective, as it was once before the 2006
Convention. Thus, Section 13.3(b)-page 55 of the SDF Constitution should be
amended.
·
State
subvention should be used to fund party structures, in order to revamp and
revitalize the party;
·
The
Socialist women and youth movements should be empowered to give them a sense of
belonging and thereby strengthening the party.
Having
tried unsuccessfully to make the party revert to the spirit, ideals and
commitments of the early 90s, I therefore resign from the post of Secretary
General of the SDF Party. However, I still remain a committed member of the
party and I am willing o contribute in many other ways o move the party
forward. I would like to thank everybody who, in one way or the other, assisted
me in accomplishing my duties as Secretary General. The SDF will for long
remain very dear to me”.
SDF National chairman,
Ni John Fru Ndi is quoted to have told NEC members today February 14, 2015 that
her resignation was accepted and he went further to laud Prof. Elizabeth
Tamanjong for her contribution to the party. It should be recalled that during
the last Convention that took place in Bamenda, Fru Ndi remarked that the SG
should be given the benefit of doubts eventhough her pen is very powerful.
Elizabeth Tamanjong is
the third Secretary General to have problems with party hierarchy. It should be
recalled that Siga Asanga formerly SG of the party clashed with Fru Ndi when he
questioned the management of party funds that we donated by militants in the
Diasporas. They fell out. Asongayi took over and fell out with Fru Ndi for
criticizing him when he lost the wife. For fear of booby traps, Asonganyi did
not attend the meeting in Bamenda to defend himself and quit the position of
SG.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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