Joe Dinga Pefok
3 April 2008
Tombel Mayor, Rose Ngassa, and other CPDM militants, March 24, stormed out of the party's 23rd anniversary celebration in their Kupe Muanenguba III Section in Tombel Subdivision.
The militants walked out apparently in protest against some controversial declarations made by their Section President, Dr. Ntoko Mekolle Epie, in his address.
Ntoko had attempted to vitiate the criticisms made against him by the locals that he has nothing to show for his five years as Mayor of Tombel apart from the private storey building he constructed.
He claimed that he left behind good projects for his successor to execute. He said if the projects he conceived are not executed, Tombel denizens should hold the present mayor culpable.
Ntoko also tried to debunk the remarks that were made at a Tombel Council session late last year that the out-gone management left a stinking record of financial improprieties.
The council session had expressed the wish that hierarchy should order an audit of the record of the out-gone management.
Ntoko Booed, Jeered
While Ntoko was presenting his address, militants booed and jeered at him. Things got to a head when he said Kupe Muaneguba III was not benefiting anything from the 'forest' (Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife). At this juncture, the Mayor and the bulk of CPDM militants stormed out in protest. Many of the militants noted that Ntoko, in his frustration, has given himself to be used by Prof. Ngolle Ngolle's detractors. The detractors are said to be some Yaounde-based Southwest elite.
The militants said it was most unfortunate that a Section President should work against the interest of the Division by joining a smear campaign, aimed at making Ngolle Ngolle lose the much-cherished ministerial post.
The militants also denounced Ntoko's attempts to use his position in the party to either settle personal scores or fight his assumed enemies. Meanwhile, outside the hall, the militants continued to boo and jeer. They, including the Mayor, however, returned into the hall after Ntoko's address.
Ntoko, former Mayor of Tombel, observers note, has never forgiven Ngassa for flooring him at the CPDM primaries for the municipal elections last year. It is for this reason that he is said to have attempted, unsuccessfully, to use tribalism against Ngassa whom he presented a non-native in Tombel.
As for his 'hatred' for Ngolle Ngolle, his (Ngolle Ngolle) 'crime' is his refusal not only to impose Ntoko's list as the CPDLM list for the municipal elections, but also because he accepted Ngassa's list after the primaries.
Bad Faith
After the address of the Section President, a Yaounde based CPDM elite, Alfred Sone Metuge, who was a member of the CPDM Central Committee delegation denounced what he termed a show of bad faith in the address.
He said it was a scandal for any person to insinuate that Prof Ngolle Ngolle who has over the years never spared any effort to make both financial and material sacrifices for Kupe Muanenguba III CPDM Section, does not help the Section.
Other elite, including the Member of Parliament for Tombel, Hon Andrew Nzoubotnane, who is known to be a personal friend of Ntoko, all frowned at the controversial address he presented.
Militants also frowned that the Section President defied all protests and advise even from the Central Committee delegation and carried the occasion to the Court Hall instead of the Council Hall where the party regularly holds its conferences and other occasions. Many said he did so because of the rancour he has with the Mayor of Tombel.
The Post learned that since Ntoko was crushed at the CPDM municipal primaries, he decided to make embarrassing utterances against the CPDM. He reportedly boycotted a CPDM meeting, which held at Bangem for party officials to sign a motion for the revision of the Constitution.
Some observers say Ntoko's strategy of going against CPDM positions seemed to have initially been to create an embarrassment to Ngolle Ngolle in Government and CPDM party circles.
Militants Told To Have Conviction
Meanwhile, the CPDM anniversary celebration in Kupe Muanenguiba I, Bangem Sub-division, was peaceful except for the absence of the Section President, Chief Simon Nkwelle, due to poor health.
In his keynote address at the occasion, Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, said the message from the Central Committee to militants is that they should believe in themselves and continue to have belief in the party. "Stay in the CPDM because you have believed in the party, because you know what you want, because you are patriotic".
Meanwhile, grassroots militants complained that elite, especially the external elite, do not attend party meetings even though they are always informed well in advance. It was noted that the elite show up only when elections are up.
Before the occasion wrapped up militants read a motion of support they had addressed to President Paul Biya.
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