Chris Mbunwe
10 November 2008
A score of hefty young men of Meforbe Santa Subsection stormed the Santa municipal grandstand during the 26th Anniversary celebrations of President Paul Biya's ascent to power, in protest.
The youths were protesting that the Santa Section led by John B. Ndeh had sidelined them in the organisation of the event.Incidentally, the irate youths hailed from the same area where detained former Director of Douala Shipyard, Zacheaus Fornjindam, militated as Subsection President.
They waited up to when the ceremony was about to end then they moved up to the microphone where they confronted Ndeh.They wanted to know why even if Fornjindam's name did not feature in speeches and prayers, the entire Subsection could not be involved in the organisation of the anniversary.
In response, Ndeh told the youths that what they were trying to dramatise was a non-event because the second in command in Meforbe Subsection to detained Fornjindam, one Godfrey Nototo, Provincial Delegate of Agriculture, had been contacted and unfortunately he was called to Yaounde and had only returned early that morning.
As such, according to Ndeh, information could not have circulated to them to know that each Subsection was to celebrate at the Subsection level not in Santa Central."You people travelled all the way up to Santa town without this knowledge and we can only say sorry, it is unfortunate," said Ndeh.
Talking to The Post shortly after the celebrations, Nototo regretted that the CPDM barons in Santa have abandoned Fornjindam who single-handedly sponsored the July 22, 2007 twin elections to rot in prison.
"These elders in the party here are practising politics of hatred. Fornjindam's name to them is a taboo. I can rightly say that Fornjindam's freedom is a big threat to them, so, they don't care what happens to him," Nototo averred.
The Meforbe CPDM scribe said Ndeh and his executive contacted him very late and this, to him, was deliberate so as to deprive Meforbe Subsection from participating in the event.
Earlier, in his speech, Ndeh presented a catalogue of socio-economic and diplomatic achievements of President Paul Biya in 26 years and urged Biya to stand for 2011 presidential elections.
"After all, Mezam II Santa Section took the lead in preparing the groundwork for the next presidential elections when we requested for a constitutional amendment of Article 6.2 and others," said Ndeh.
He said anniversary celebrations of this magnitude have always been exceptional in the Northwest, in Mezam where the umbilical cord of the CPDM party lies and Santa in particular, which is the gateway to Mezam and the Northwest Province.
The WCPDM Section President, Becky Acham, lauded President Biya for fighting corruption and embezzlement of public funds through operation Sparrow Hawk, but urged that those detained be speedily tried.
The leader of the Central Committee to the event, Robert Achu, said the theme of Biya's 26th Anniversary, "Peace and Social Cohesion", was timely because the regime is consolidating achievements gained as a result of peace.
Highlights of the event, was the initiation of the new Provincial Paymaster General, Moses Khan into the CPDM by Ndeh.Khan said since he entered the Public Service and has served in various top jobs, he had never militated in any political party.
"Today, I have chosen to follow the right path and I will deliver Santa to CPDM and President Paul Biya, in the next elections, come what may," Khan remarked.Other speakers included Christopher Boma, Provincial Delegate of Basic Education Northwest, who was recently appointed as Central Committee Member of the CPDM by. Rene Sadi, CPDM Secretary General.
The Director of Transport in the Ministry of Transport, Jonathan Fru, assured Santa people of major projects if they remain solidly behind Biya.
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