Cameroon:Mayor Ekema Patrick, Fight The Good Fight!

By Christopher Ambe

Buea Mayor Ekema Patrick

The brilliant election of Ekema Patrick Esunge, in his mid 30’s, on October 16   as the Mayor of Buea, headquarters of Southwest Region, no doubt, suggests that more is expected from whom much has been given.  That means the new mayor must fight the good fight-that is, put the interest and development of the Municipality above anything else.

In other words, this means Mola Ekema-“son of the soil’, must work in collaboration with all development stakeholders within his reach who have the modernization of the municipality at heart  if he must  transform his victory into concrete project realization.

Luckily for Mola Ekema, the 41 councilors of Buea with whom he will work closely for the new five years are said to be a development-oriented team, judging from their profiles.

For instance, you have  people such as Dr. Amos Namanga  Ngongi,former UN Undersecretary-general ,one-time Deputy Executive Director of World Food  Program and  Member of United Nations Management Board; Professor Victor Julius Ngoh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious University of Buea;Chief David Molinge  of  Muea Town ;Emmanuel Motomby Mbome, a  chartered treasury accountant and President of  the National Athletic Federation; Mosoko Edward  Motuwe,former  Deputy Mayor of Buea  and a human resource management expert, and Dr. Ngange  Lyonga Kinsley, communication consultant/lecturer. 

The mayor-elect himself is a cool-headed administrator, one -time first Deputy Mayor of Buea,  then Interim Mayor before his October 16 brilliant election by 35 out of 41 councilors as mayor.

After his election which was free and fair, Mola Ekema, apparently as a sign of his readiness to work with all who matter, embraced Mrs. Hannah Etonde Mbua (Principal of GHS Buea), who had contested for the post of mayor during a CPDM selection meeting two days behind and was defeated by Mola Ekema, by 28 votes to 13.

A native of Buea, the mayor-elect is conscious of the strategic position of Buea (former capital of German Cameroon, former capital of British Southern Cameroon and seat of the then West Cameroon Government) in the history of what is today known as the Republic of Cameroon.

There is no doubt that Mola Ekema will face challenges in the performance of his mayoral functions. Lke it or not, there are people surrounding him and pretending to be friends, who will be secretly pulling him down. But a development-focused manager has the moral duty to identify his challengers and transform them into admirers.

Mola Charles Mbella Moki, served dutifully as Mayor of Buea   for 11 years-not without obstacles- and was raised (by election) to the rank of one of Cameroon’s  pioneer senators

Mola Ekema, you have skills and potentials to brave the odds in order to succeed as mayor. Don’t relent in your efforts to execute whatever development blue-print you have. The people’s expectations are high.Buea is begging for modernization.

Conscious that Mola Ekema fought a good fight, to change his status from First Deputy Mayor to Interim Mayor, and then to a full-fledged mayor, The Recorder Newspaper can only wish you “Greater Achievements” during your five -year mandate. 

(Also published in The Recorder Newspaper, Cameroon, of October 28, 2013 as commentary)