By Ikome Christie-noella Eposi and Atia Tilarious Azohnwi
The Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA now has a new President. Barrister Enow Benjamin was elected Friday, September 7 during an extra-ordinary elective general assembly of the association. He replaces Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla who came to the end of his mandate and has sworn he’ll not take another mandate.
The election which took place exceptionally at the Buea council chambers gave Barrister Enow Benjamin the FAKLA Presidency as he secured 76 votes to replace Human Rights Lawyer Barrister Agbor Balla who was absent.
Other members of the executive include: Barrister Atemnkeng Elizabeth – Vice President with 66 votes, Barrister Nji Valentine Abeng – Secretary General with 70 votes, Barrister Didier Melle – Vice Secretary General by acclamation, Barrister Taminang Gilbert – Treasurer with 59 votes, Barrister Njenje Valentine Kleber – Financial Secretary by acclamation alongside his deputy Barrister Elizabeth Njonji, Barrister Tchana Anthony – Public Relations Officer by acclamation, Barrister Ebi Stanley – Organizing Secretary by acclamation and Barrister Charles Lyonga – Chief Whip by acclamation.
A total number of 103 lawyers were in attendance at the FAKLA elective General Assembly elections, with proxies inclusively.
Heading the election process were returning officers from the previous executive in the persons of Barrister Peter Nkea as Chairman, along with Barristers Tanyi Thompson, Stephen Tita and Mbah Eric.
Explaining why the outgone president was not present for such a historic event, the new President, Barrister Enow Benjamin said Barrister Agbor Balla was on his way to Lagos and Enugu in Nigeria to attend to Cameroonian refugees.
“His calendar could not permit him and unfortunately, the authorization gave us only this day to conduct elections. He would have been here if he was in the country. Others were not present because they had other pressing issues but most of them had proxies. We have close to 100 persons who have voted by themselves or by proxy and those who are not here will endorse the decisions taken here today,” he said.
The president in his brief campaign speech before being voted promised to work to heal the wounds of division that have eaten so deep into the association. This he said amongst others was the plan of action once he assumes office.
Barrister Nji Valentine Abeng, the convenor of the extra-ordinary elective general assembly said it was not easy to successfully organise the elections, a lot of huddles along the line trying to prevent the elections from holding. He thanked all for their support. He called on them to vote from their hearts and not be influenced by anything.
What Next for FAKLA?
While appreciating his predecessors, the new president promised to continue from where Agbor Balla stopped by taking FAKLA to higher heights. He noted that in the days ahead two main actions shall be instituted by the new executive; a reconciliatory meeting would be set up to initiate unity now more than ever before.
Secondly he said the constitution must be reformed to meet up with the times. He said this is to ensure that FAKLA becomes tactical and pragmatic. To this effect, a constitutional review committee will be formed.
He reiterated on the ethics of the profession which he said every lawyer is supposed to follow because that is what makes them different and outstanding.
“We have to move the association forward and let people understand that it is a professional one that stands for its people, the watchdog of the society and speaks truth in all times. We should conduct ourselves henceforth and make the profession an envious one.”
He challenged all to have FAKLA in heart and be willing at all times to contribute to the growth of the association.
In his interview to the press, the new FAKLA President, Barrister Enow Benjamin said: “I feel honoured to become the president of this association, FAKLA. I believe that this is the best association we have in the nation in terms of the legal profession because we are so dynamic, united, and purpose-driven. However because of the crisis that we’ve had for some time now which saw the incarceration of President Balla, it took a long time for the elections to come up and in the course of that, so many people lost interest in the activities of the association. Our role as the new executive is to unite our members so that we can recalibrate our ideas and move forward to protect the profession.”
The chairman of the general assembly, a returning officer, Barrister Peter Nkea appreciated the massive turnout and entreated the new president to reconcile the various factions of FAKLA and promising to assist where and when necessary.
Underpinnings
Barrister Nji Valentine Abeng, the new FAKLA Secretary General said the mandate of the previous executive led by Barrister Agbor Balla had long expired.
Hear him: “He had been called by many lawyers to organise an election but the latter claimed he has been having difficulties to obtain an authorization. So when we noticed that he was not willing to relinquish power, I personally initiated a memo to collect signatures for this extra-ordinary elective General Assembly.
“From the Memo, we got more than 150 signatures of lawyers who really wanted an election. So based on that, I made an application to the Divisional Officer of Buea on August 30, 2018, a declaration of an elective General Assembly which I requested the D.O to grant us authorization to hold based on the number of lawyers who were clamouring for this election. When the authorization was granted, it was immediately posted in the various lawyers’ fora and Barrister Agbor Balla’s car was spotted at the D.O’s office supposedly asking the D.O to withdraw the authorization but it was abortive.”
After the initiator of the General Assembly received an acknowledgment receipt from the D.O of Buea accepting the lawyers to hold the elective general assembly at the main hall of the court of appeal, he (Nji) made another application to the president of the court of appeal on Thursday September 6, 2018 at about 9am notifying him that lawyers were going to use the court premises to organize the election but about 5pm on the same day, Nji Valentine said, they were served a letter by a bailiff denying them the court hall for their elections.
“They thought serving us the refusal letter so late would prevent us from getting an alternative venue to carry out the elections but fortunately, we called the Mayor of Buea who granted us the council hall to organize elections,” the initiator of the assembly revealed.
Talking to the other members of the new executive after the elections, they all added their voices to that of their president promising to take FAKLA to higher heights and initiate peace, love and unity amongst all members of the association and lawyers in general.
Agbor Balla reacts
Contacted on the line to Nigeria, Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla said he does not know how to wash dirty linens in public. In a smiling tone, Balla said FAKLA belongs to all lawyers, expressing his wish that the association emerges stronger.
He wished that the transition was done otherwise; hoping that the new team put in place to replace his will protect FAKLA and make it greater.
Balla brushed aside claims that he wanted to cling to power, insisting that he had long declared that he will not renew his mandate. He regretted that administrative authorities did not grant them authorisation to hold the elective General Assembly in April 2018, reason why his mandate dragged on.
Enter Barrister Vitalise Legenju Nkemngong
Contacted for comments, Barrister Vitalise Legenju who was attending to pressing issues in Yaoundé regretted that the FAKLA constitution was not respected. He wondered how possible it was for less than two-thirds of the about 450 FAKLA members could convene an elective general assembly. He also wondered why the authorisation was given to an individual and nowhere on the said document was FAKLA mentioned.
He said he will in the days ahead be submitting an originating summons at the courts to seek legal redress because the “elections were fraudulent and amount to a constitutional coup d’état.”