By Atia Azohnwi
Ekema Patrick Esunge, Mayor of the Buea Council has frowned on South West CPDM elite and chief who abandoned him and his family after angry protesters attacked his house, September 22, 2017, leaving behind untold damage.
To show his anger, the youthful Buea Mayor boycotted an extraordinary enlarged meeting of chiefs, elites and peoples of the South West Region convened on September 28, 2017 in Buea and chaired by former Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge.
The meeting was held to reflect on the present persistent social unrest within the South West and the North West regions, both English speaking regions of Cameroon.
Mayor Ekema was informed and invited to the meeting via a text message sent to him by Essongo Njie Martin, charges des mission of the South West CPDM permanent Regional Delegation.
Essongo was said to have been acting on the instructions of the convenor of the meeting, erstwhile Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge.
In a series of SMS exchanges, Ekema responded as follows: “You cannot be informing me of a meeting through an SMS. If I am not duly informed as stated, take note that the meeting will not take place.”
Reminded that the meeting was convened on the instructions of party hierarchy, Ekema responded: “Whose instructions? Shit! Rendezvous tomorrow, we shall know who is who.”
Apparently spurred by his failure to become Buea CPDM Section President, Ekema could not hide his feelings. He wrote the following in an SMS to the CPDM Regional Charges des Mission:
“Please kindly inform your hierarchy that the municipality [Buea] is dead as per their plans. There shall be no meeting here tomorrow [Thursday, September 28, 2017], except you want to provoke an uprising. Let me ask you one question. How many of you or your bosses have visited me and my family to see how we are fairing?
“Apart from Pa Musonge, GM CDC [Franklin Ngoni Njie], Mola Ngundu [Ngundu Francis Mokumba], Mafany [George] Teke, who else has bothered to check on me about [after] my planned assassination? I am waiting…we shall see,” Ekema wrote in a text message.
Mayor Ekema ended his stinker SMSes by reminding Essongo Njie Martin that they were once friends and had a good relationship “until you [Essongo] were manipulated and hijacked to fight me”.
Douala City Council succours Ekema’s pain
The Buea Council posted on their Facebook page on Friday, September 29, 2017, that the Government Delegate to the Douala City Council, Dr. Fritz Ntone Ntone led a high power delegation to Buea. Ekema was handed at envelop of FCFA 13 million to renovate his house and repair the cars that were destroyed when protesters attacked.
Ntone Ntone doled out FCFA 13 million at a time when the Douala City Council is yet to honour its financial engagements to the sub-divisional councils under it. It is also yet to reinstate sacked workers’ representatives even after instructions from Labour Minister.
South West against secession
Even though Ekema and his ilk boycotted the Buea meeting, the elite and chiefas resolved as follows:
“Mindful of the 1996 constitution, we the chiefs, elites of the South West Region do hereby strongly and vehemently condemn all acts of lawlessness, vandalism, arson, mayhem, violence and terrorism arising in the wanton destruction of education and social infrastructure, lives and properties.
“We reaffirm the willingness of all chiefdoms to ensure that all children of school going age effectively attend school in view and in the hope of securing knowledge for a better future.
“Declare the readiness of chiefs and the people of the South West Region to participate in any national consultations and dialogue to put a lasting end to the ongoing social unrest within the English speaking regions.
“We commend the head of state for his humane decision to order the discontinuance of proceedings which led to the release of some fellow Cameroonians arraigned in custody as a result of the social unrest.
“Exalt some of our brothers and sisters living in the Diaspora and here in Cameroon to transcend passion and bitterness as well as weigh the hazards of their actions and allow reason to prevail within our dear fatherland.
“Fervently call on the population of the South West Region to exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary confrontations with the forces of law and order for the sake of peace, while appealing to the administrative authorities to interact peacefully with the population in dignity and mutual respect.
“We urge the President of the Republic, Head of State to hasten the official agenda for the full implementation of the 1996 constitution which provides for 10 decentralised regions including the South West Region as an autonomous unit.
“We reiterate our stand for no secession and for the one, united bilingual, multicultural indivisible Cameroonian nation.
“We renew our support to republican institutions under the distinguished leadership of President Paul Biya that secures lasting peace, unity, security, stability and progress for Cameroon.”