The Colbert Factor
When renowned French philosopher and foremost thinker, Victor Hugo posited that the greatest most singular source of positive energy was an idea whose time had come, many thought he was just celebrating the transition from Agrarian to industrial revolution, or better still, signalling the inevitable age of the millenials. He could've just as well been capturing the spirit of all those who turned out in Douala last February 25, 2022, to impress on Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle to begin seeing into it that the beliefs, values and principles he has incarnated throughout his life, and especially within the last 30 years, be officially canalized into an institution.
It couldn't have been any other person than the equally no-nonesense President of the South West House of Chiefs and speaker of truth to power, Chief Atem Ebako, to birth the idea that by diligently and meticulously moving from humble beginnings to becoming a human resource and then smoothly transitioning to human capital, Ntumfor had since become institutional material, comparable to any credible institution around the world. According to Chief Atem Ebako therefore, the time for a Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle Foundation had come.
A leading North West Fons Union member, Fon Mbahyamsic had, in an earlier exhortation echoed the same concerns, while demonstrating in truimphant detail, and in a typical Denzel Washington style, that Ntumfor is always falling forward and never backwards. Reason-why he would need be seen to be institutionalizing his beliefs, value systems and principles for the rest of the time that God keeps him alive, and more especially, for posterity.
To the Indian Consular Officer to Cameroon, the institutionalization of Ntumfor's ideas, beliefs, values, attitude, behavour and principles, were an urgency, especially as ours was a society where such principles come in sort supply and where youths lack such role models to look up to. Recall Rev. Nditemeh Charlemangne, Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC, had earlier wished and prayed for every society to have multiple Ntumfors, while Samuel Kledda, Douala metropolitan Archbishop simply prayed God to continue to bless him in his new endeavours.
Government of Cameroon through Littoral Regional Governor had during the occasion opined it was thanks to the principled values that Ntumfor has incarnated over the years that President Biya always assigns him critical state duties, including his appointment to the National Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism.
In what was therefore a veritable people's call, the institutionalization of Ntumfor's long-held values, beliefs, principles and behavour, simply became an idea whose time has come. Afterall, history is legend with influential figures whose value systems, beliefs, and ideas became the bases of the most renowned and life-changing foundations and institutions the world is proud of today.
Come to think of The Carter Centre, the Clinton, Obama, Bill and Milanda Gates, Elizabeth Glaser, Fisher House, TheJimmy Fund, The Fred Hallows, McArthur, The Robert Woods, The Pew Charity Trust and The Starr Foundations. Closer home, the Koffi Annan and Mo Ibrahim Foundations come to mind. A Ntumfor Nico Halle Foundation would do more than adds beauty to the world, given the enormous challenges our society faces and given the enormous Grace God has bestowed on him.
When we come to think of the fact that institutions, according to Samuel P. Huntington, are 'stable, valued and reccurent patterns of behavour', then there's no gainsaying the fact that Ntumfor may only need to formalize himself as an institution, as he had already been functioning as the 'building block of social order'.
Just like the Rockefeller family foundation is recognized for its patronage of the Arts, while the Kaiser Foundation is closely associated with public health issues, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle had been on all fronts, fighting against societal ills and vices like corruption, embezzlement, mismanagement and moral decadence both in the public sphere and in the Church. Above all, he has been indefatigable in promoting justice, human rights, transparency, accountability, good governance and peace, locally and Internationally.
In officially canalizing his beliefs, values and principles, Ntumfor would become an institution in much the same way as traditional institutions like the family, religion, peer groups, Economic systems, legal systems, penal systems, language, Mass media, educational institutions, research community, industry and above all, Civil society.
The institutionalization of the Ntumfor name therefore, may not just be a way to honour a family legacy but a way to pass on its values to future generations.
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