Beyond The CPDM Regalia (Part 1)

*By Shey Lontum, Martin-Luther Fon Yembe

In View of the Pending End Times for CNU/CPDM Era!

                SDF in Spirit; RDPC/CPDM in Body

When we visit most spiritually inclined churches these days, we see and hear stories of a twelve year old child carrying the spirit of a 200 year-old women. Her attitudes, responses and reactions in life are those of the old woman, the spirit, yet, she carries the body of a teenager. The war between the body and the spirit is not limited only to things of God, but now, in the present political dispensation in Cameroon, is extending to the socio-political arena.

In 1985, barely two years after outwitting his political master and guru , Ahmadou Ahidjo, Mr. Paul Biya and Francois Sengat Kuo came up with the RDPC ( CPDM) to replace the nomenclature UNC(CNU), which was a forced amalgamation of the recognized political parties that had existed in the Federal Republic of Cameroon before June 1966! The story of why and how it happened is an issue for another day. But, suffice it to note that RDPC is a metamorphosis of UNC, and so our analysis will span far beyond 1985 when the transmutation took place.

It is supposed that by 1985, all Cameroonians of voting age were ether CNU militants, advocates, followers, adherents, well-wishers, collaborators, fanatics, enthusiasts, sponsors, activists, disciples, collaborators or simply admirers. It was like the situation in North Korea and Communist China…You either belong or you are dead!

Idea of SDF Born at CPDM Congress in Bamenda 1985

And so, at the Bamenda Congress, we could see Biya, Fru Ndi, Foncha, Muna, Semengue, Gorji Dinka, Mukong, Francois Sengat Kuo, Prof. Fonlon, Hon. Nsakwa, etc doing everything for the Congress to be a success. In fact, it was at that Congress that was born the idea of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), given that the Batonnier Gorji Fongum Dinka and Professor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon had come up with a book called the New Social Order wherein, the proposal for Cameroon to return to Federalism and prioritize a Social Democratic outlook with equal opportunities for all was propagated . Albert Wumah Mukong was in the shadow of all this, especially as he was always on the Wanted List of the Forchive Boys! General Semengue supported the move for these principles to be discussed at the Congress, and when time came for Dinka to come up with the book, he was blocked by Pa ST. M!!! and a year after, while Gorji Dinka was dragged to a military tribunal where he won his case and fled into exile, Fonlon was less lucky as he was “poisoned” and ended up in Paradise! Of course, Mukong continued with the idea and it landed on fertile ground when a certain Dr. Lawrence Fomambuh of the Bamenda Provincial Hospital directed him to a dynamic leader of PWD Bamenda, a certain Ebibi…Ni John Fru Ndi!! Again, …that is a story to be told another day elsewhere!

So, who were those who animated the CPDM in 1985 and where are they today?

Needless to talk of the CPDM’s first Secretary General, Francois Sengat Kuo , and Political Bureau members like Hon. P.N. Nsakwa who identified themselves with the lofty ideologies of the Social Democratic Front early enough and died satisfied and peacefully having stood by what they believed in. Others like J.C. Kangkolo, a one time top West Cameroon politician from Wum, Pa Tanya Tangem from Nkambe, Rose Abunaw Makia of Mamfe, and others in top government positions today, had to hurry back to the CPDM when the SDF leadership refused taking part in the March 1992 Parliamentary elections. What were they after then? Your guess is as good as mine!

The answer to this single question will x-ray the minds of many Cameroonians today parading the corridors of the CPDM . They are either position seekers; running away from something or something is running after them; they are either there because of cowardice, fear and intimidation or to benefit from a lobby force from the ruling junta. Most of all, poverty and impoverishment has been a very effective weapon responsible for dragging many in the villages to that movement. Finally, there is this notion that in Africa anyone in office/ power is a royalty, and most royal families tend to belong and adhere to assure their loyalty to royalty.

We will begin identifying the various alignments or what they love to refer to as the cells, branches, sub sections, and sections which effectively refer to something else. For example, the cells the branch and sub section are made up of the poor villagers and their sub chief or Fon. They have one thing in common…they have something to do with royalty, and depend on one or two elite from their village who once in a while comes in with a tin of oil, and  fabricates information on how this or that Minister or Director of the CPDM in Bamenda, Limbe, Buea, Bafoussam, Douala, Yaoundé etc has promised to promote them from Principal to Delegate or even Director if they continue to support the ruling party (CPDM) and President Paul Biya who “has the yam and the knife”! Given that Cameroonians have been used to one regime being in power, it is easy to ensnare  and entice this gullible people that if they support their son or daughter, he/she will be promoted and thus bring glory to the village. And the circle of mendacity will ensue…reason why that organ, the cell is a group of feeble and pathetic cowards!

Then comes the Sections where the high gear political monsters reign. As a matter of fact, the various sections now in place is headed by a bunch of criminals and hoodlums…not insults but facts!! Check it out! The records of those heading the various sections are very glaring. They have a lot of skeletons in their cupboards. Some of them have very dirty records that could have landed them in prison, so, to hide their dark spots, they use part of their usually ill-gotten riches to “impress” and astound their Yaoundé comrades.  They have “murder” on the top of their list of activates. Either they have killed or are prone to killing if their interests are threatened!! They loath those who have clean spirits around them. They discuss these clean spirits in very disgusting words! They will go even to the devil to get their deal…at all costs!  In the last reorganization of the CPDM, these guys were smart enough to lobby their “pals” in Yaoundé at the Central Committee with the promise that only “dirty guys” like them can assure any “Victory” for the CPDM at all cost in future elections in their sections.

The new phenomenon that has surfaced and will be analyzed in detail is that of Head Teachers and Principals. A few daring ones who are very sure of their competences and know they merit the positions they have, are adamant and have repudiated any stupid threat to militate in the CPDM. What some do is simply procure a CPDM membership card and this, just to “protect” their , probably, undeserved position. Who are some examples in our communities? We will be bring out some names and why they are in he CPDM in the series to come.

                                * Shey Lontum, Martin-Luther Fon Yembe is Editor of The Frontier Telegraph newspaper; Political Activist and Critic. He is a writer and Human Rights crusader. The issues raised here are his personal views and do not engage any group whatsoever.

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