FEBRUARY 9, POLLS: MALOMBA ESEMBE, 34, LIKELY FAVORITE FOR BUEA MP

Malomba Esembe, Parliamentary Candidate for Buea Urban:" I want to be the true representative  of the people"

By Christopher Ambe

Buea ,Cameroon -There is huge evidence that 34-year old Magistrate MALOMBA ESEMBE has since his endorsement, last November, as CPDM parliamentary candidate for the Buea Urban constituency, become a center of public attraction.  Young and likeable, he can lead successfully, according to his admirers. 

His gunning for the office of MP for Buea Urban is timely-at a period when there are increasing calls for more youth to take up leadership positions in Cameroon.

If he wins the parliamentary seat on February 9 - and many are convinced he will - then Buea will have anointed MALOMBA as the youngest MP in its political history so far.

Observers say he is not only development-oriented but is noted for his high sense of probity and transparency. And what is more, MALOMBA’s manifesto states: “I want to be the best friend of every inhabitant of Buea.”

Indeed, his wish to be the best friend of everyone is suggestive of his readiness to work, wholeheartedly, in order to win and keep the loyalty of his constituents.

Emerging from the Legal Department in Buea where he has been working quietly, for eight years, as a Prosecutor assisting the Attorney General for the Southwest Region, Malomba triumphed over his rivals at the CPDM parliamentary primaries in Buea, to begin his rise to political prominence.

It transpired that  his credentials and  hope-giving electioneering attracted majority votes ,as he beat his two rivals and mentors NGUNDU  Francis MOKOMBA (retired Educational Administrator) and LUMA Stephen NJOKE (retired public accountant) to  qualify as  Buea Urban CPDM candidate for the  February 9 Parliamentary election.

MALOMBA, who holds a First degree in English Private Law & a post-graduate diploma (Maitrise) in Business Law from the University of Soa, Yaounde, will compete for the seat at the polls, against a noted legal mind, Barrister NGONGI IKOME of the opposition Party, the SDF.

Buea Urban, since 2017 has gone without an MP following the death of Hon Arthur EKEKE LISINGE and  a MALOMBA win  would mean the ruling CPDM has occupied the Buea Urban Parliamentary seat, uninterruptedly, for more than 20 years. 

“God-willing, [when I get elected] ,and with my background as a Prosecutor, I will make sure that whatever is allocated for projects in the constituency serves its purpose,” MALOMBA, who hails from Bokwango, Buea, told this writer, noting that his approach to problem-solving will be participatory.

Pledging to be  advocate  for greater involvement of  youth and women in development projects, Malomba, who is  married and an affectionate dad of three kids, says “ The youth have always had the desire [to be and or ]see more of their kind at different levels of governance. I think this is an opportunity for me to promote the youth agenda, which I will do vigorously.”

Born into a Presbyterian family, MALOMBA has remained a devout Christian. Serving as Elder of PC Bokwaongo since 2014, his dedication to the service of God catapulted him in 2019 to the highest organ of the church, the PCC Synod, where he currently sits as the representative of Fako North Presbytery.  His good leadership has also kept him as President of PCSS Buea ex-students association     since 2013 and Public Relations Officer of the South West Magistrate’s Club since 2017, being the only lower scale magistrate among the executive officers of the said club.

Upon his first graduation from Cycle B of ENAM in 2005, he served as a Court Registrar at the High Court of the Ocean Division and the Court of First Instance of Kribi, then as Legal Advisor in the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts in Yaounde. MALOMBA, who is fluent in English and French, later returned to Cycle A of ENAM in 2008 to undergo professional training as a Magistrate.

His long-time desire to impact greatly on the lives of many more people pushed him to vie for the office of MP for Buea Urban. MALOMBA believes that, “to serve bigger and better, the best channel to use is politics.” And espouses the view of a renowned author, that, “Service is the rent we pay for our being.”

As the CPDM Party and Malomba admirers intensify campaign to get MALOMBA elected the next MP for Buea, the town of “Legendary Hospitality” and “Excellence,” the candidate has this special appeal to his electorate of the Southwest Regional Capital:

“It is an opportunity for the [good people of Buea]   to vote for a best friend; the one who will not be in parliament for his selfish interest but for the common good…

As a child of Buea who has been adopted by all and sundry, I will remain a respectful son, reliable brother and faithful servant.” 

“At 34, I will commit my energy and experience to their service. A vote for me is a vote for effective representation.”