Who is most suitable to be Mayor of Buea?

Expectations of Residents

Supposed candidates for Mayor of Buea: 1-David Mafani Namange  2-Dr Amos  Namnaga  Ngongi 

 3-Dr  George Mafany Teke  and  4-  Kange Williams Wasaloko

By Christopher Ambe

The ruling CPDM emerged victorious at the February 9 municipal election in Buea.

And tomorrow Tuesday February 18, the  41 councilors of Buea Council  will elect  a new Mayor of Buea and his four  deputies amidst high expectations of residents.

But it appears the  councilors will not freely choose as they would have wished  to, following  a circular from Jean Nkuete , Secretary-General of the Central Committee of ruling  CPDM ,which  says   candidates for the office of mayor and  deputies  will be invested by the party. He warns that the councilors, who had taken oath to observe party discipline, must honor that commitment or risk being sanctioned. 

Whatever the case, what is of paramount interest to the Buea electorate is their rapid socio-cultural and economic development, especially when they recall, with regret ,that the past five or so years registered little or nothing for the common good, partly because of the Anglophone crisis  that brought the economy of Buea to its knees and “misplaced priorities.”

 Having been deprived of their much-needed development  and accountability in the recent past ,and conscious that councils henceforth manage up to 15 percent of the State budget,dwellers of Buea ,the former capital of German Kamerun, former capital of British Southern Cameroons, former West Cameroon, former capital of Southwest Province and now capital of Southwest Region, now badly need a people-friendly, development-oriented ,transparent and stringent manager as  their mayor; not a gambler or demagogue propelled for selfish motives. 

Yes, Buea residents now want a mayor of substance, whose executed projects will be visible as the council building itself; not a good-for-nothing  bully or political lackey  who will be unduly influenced by  some  partisans or administrative authorities to do what is of no importance to the interest of the public.

In fact,Buea now needs a man-of-action mayor who will spread out projects across the municipality, and not to particular localities .

 Buea needs a mayor who will solve -once and for all, for instance, the persistent water crisis, which has hit the municipality since 2013;a mayor who detests corrupt practices.

And this calls for a mayor with relevant credentials, with tested and proven managerial skills, one who is tried-and–tested with abundant work experience; one who is God-fearing.

According to reports, four councilors have already indicated their readiness- pending their investiture by party, to gun for the mayoral seat of this strategic town.

 The four reportedly aspiring to be Mayor of Buea are:Dr. George Mafany Teke, Mr.Kange Williams Wasaloko, Mr.David Mafani Namange and Dr.Amos Namanga Ngongi,all natives of Buea.

          BUT WHO ARE THESE CANDIDATES ?

1-Dr. GEORGE MAFANY TEKE, who is the Southwest Regional Delegate for Scientific Research and Innovation, is a staunch CPDM militant. He holds a PhD in Economic Geology since 2010. This CPDM Central Committee’s Charge de mission for Fako Division is married and has children.  Soft-spoken and a good listener, Dr. Teke is a renowned geologist and has been a lecturer at the University of Buea. He has worked as a consultant with several institutions such as SOWEDA. Dr. Teke had served as CPDM subsection president for Small Soppo and Secretary for Buea CPDM. He is a Presbyterian and Member of the Christian Men Fellowship (CMF)

While detractors of this civil servant say he needs to gather much more experience in management and leadership, his admirers think he can deliver if given the opportunity to be mayor. 

2-KANGE WILLIAMS WASSALOKO is a seasoned and outspoken journalist working with the State broadcaster CRTV. Presently, he is the Manager of the Southwest Regional Station of CRTV, Buea.

 Mr. Kange, who studied journalism in Nigeria and University of Buea,is married and a father of several children; he  is also publisher of the award-winning Magazine, The SUMMIT.  

He joined CRTV in 1996; was a broadcaster with FM 94(Yaounde) and later served as Chief of News in CRTV Bertoua. Mr. Kange was Senior Reporter at CRTV National Station before his appointment as CRTV Buea Station Manager in June 2017.

Mr. kange is credited for launching new CRTV radio programs such as ISSUES (an interactive slot) and participating in some.

 His radio programme, ISSUES, aired on Saturday morning and which he moderates, offers him the opportunity to advocate social justice, peace, unity and development. He once served as Public Relations Officer of University of Buea and later University of Yaounde 1 for several years.

Broad-minded as a journalist worth the salt should be, Mr. Kange is confident that if elected mayor he will leave his footprints on the sands of time in Buea.

3-DAVID MAFANI NAMANGE,who is the party’s Buea  municipal list leader, has been Fako III(Buea) president for more than five years; had been YCPDM president for Buea. Mr. Mamange has worked with Credit Foncier (bank) in Buea,Bamenda,Douala  for more than 20 years and is currently the Southwest Regional Manager of the bank.  

 Recently sworn-in as a lawyer, Mr. Namange is a PhD student of International Law (University of Buea);he is married and a father. Many say his leadership of the CPDM in Buea would have been more successful if not of the Anglophone Crisis that slowed down party activities. His admirers think that because he joined the CPDM  in the  90’s ,has led its youth wing in Buea, served as  Central Committee’s  charge de  Mission  for many years and currently Buea CPDM boss, he has sacrificed enough to  be compensated  with the office of  mayor.

4-Dr. AMOS NAMANGA NGONGI is a retired senior UN official and holds a PhD in Agronomy (USA), among other certificates.  He served as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and as Head of UN Peace-keeping in DRC (from 2001-2003); worked with the World Food Program for 17 years and even became its Deputy Director for seven years, managing more than ten thousand workers spread in  over 84 countries.

In the war-torn DRC, he successfully brought out rebels from the bushes to form a unitary government. He is a good peace crusader and crisis resolution expert.

 Dr. Ngongi, noted nationally and internationally for his transparency and efficiency, also served for several years as Member of the United Nations Management Board. 

Although he went on retirement in 2003 as a senior staff and returned to Buea, he was still contracted as President of Alliance for Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA), an Africa-led and Africa-based independent organization for food security -headquartered in Kenya, where he served for five years.

Looking ever young, Dr.Ngongi,who has extensive experience in agricultural development, management, peace and security issues, began his career as an agricultural extension officer in Cameroon, helping farmers to improve yields and to diversify and market their crops. It was during his tenure as agric officer in Fako,that yam production started in the division.

But in 1980, he was assigned to Cameroon Embassy in Rome; four years later he joined the World Food Programme, becoming its Deputy Executive Director in 1994, a position he held until his appointment as UN Undersecretary-General, Special Representative and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001.

 Since his retirement from the UN, Dr Ngongi has undertaken several high-level missions, including a study on food reserve systems in Africa.

 Locally, he has contributed in  enhancing development in Buea in various forms:major  financier of the Wonyalyonga Community hall; donated  to Muea Health Centre & electrified Bonakanda Health Center; hugely supported the building of the co-cathedral in Buea; fought and defended  Buea Town Green, which led to the cancellation of an illegal layout that was set up. Dr. Ngongi, who is a dependable CPDM militant, wants to become mayor of Buea Council, where he had already served as a counselor for five years and better understands the needs and worries of Buea denizens.

 It is on record that, in all the offices that Dr.Ngongi worked in and out of Cameroon, no allegations of embezzlement and mismanagement were leveled against him, projecting him, according to critical observers, as the kind of leader/manager that Buea needs now.

Focused,humble and generous, Dr. Ngongi is not a political noisemaker.

 This committed catholic Christian, husband and father does what he means and means what he does for the common good.

With his wealth of experience and broad-based networks, Buea residents say it will be a privilege for them to have such a personality at the helm of their council now. “It is time for a prophet to be recognized home,”said a Buea CPDM militant of Dr.Ngongi. “Decentralization requires good mangers.”

Jean Nkuete, Secretary-General of the ruling CPDM,warned in a circular  to Representatives and Charges de Mission of the Central Committee and Municipal Councilors, dated 13 February 2020 and titled “ Nomination of CPDM candidates for the election of Municipal Executives”:

 “ At the time when decentralization is being strengthened ,our councils and city councils, especially those controlled by the party ,must be administered by competent, outstanding ,impeccable ,dedicated and committed militants vis-à-vis the law and ethics, with human qualities and skills to best meet the legitimate needs and aspirations the people.”

 Buea residents, therefore, count on the CPDM Municipal Group to validate candidates based on meritocracy, and not corruption.

“Manoeuvres aimed at corrupting Municipal Councilors or any other actor in the process of setting up the Municipal Executives shall lead to the disqualification of their candidates”, cautions the CPDM’s Secretary-General, in the aforementioned circular.

Tommow will be a new dawn in the Buea Municipality.