SDF Secretary General Resigns, Says Party Has Lost Values & Principles of the 90s

 By Fai Cassian Ndi

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. 

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