NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
ENEO, no respecter of person, event For a solemn a high profile event like the Major National Dialogue, it is shocking that there was power outage while the rapporteur , Mr. Felix Mbayu, was reading the report. This was so strange the Mr. Mbayu quipped that it be included in the resolutions that ENEO should never take off electricity again during such a high profile event. Though they had to use the Conference Centre’s generator to read the rest of the report, these high ranking officials, at least had a pinch of what the common man go through.
Fake Chief Apprehended
As the event unfolded, a “fake’ chief emerged claiming to be a chief from Kupe Muanenguba. This Chief who spoke predominantly French claimed he grew up in the Francophone region but is an Anglophone. He was however, arrested and taken away for interrogation.
Badges and accreditation Walhalla
The mad scramble for badges was also rife during the Major National Dialogue. Many didn’t have badges on Sunday; even right on Tuesday there were still people without badges including those whose names were on the list. Names of some prominent people didn’t feature for accreditation but people of low calibre had. In fact, some Anglophone mayors who came for the event, were not on the list for accreditation but they was an Anglophone mayor who was able to procure accreditation for his assistants, councilors and henchmen of his municipalities.
Decentralization and Local Governance Commission registered fiercest exchanges
Anglophones in this Commission ventfrustration as Commission head turned down federation options but Francophones proposed solutions like “Special status”, and alternating presidency, though the later never featured in final resolutions.
Ni John booed for proposing 2-state federation
The request for a return to 2-state federation by the National Chair of the Social Democratic Front, Ni John, was greeted with boo by party militants, pre-dominantly those from the South West Region, whose desire was a 10-state federation. In a dramatic reaction, the SDF boss retaliated, “that’s how they are”.
Motions personalized
In the presentation of recommendations arrived at by the entire commission, some rapporteurs took a personalized tones and diction, as if to say the ideas all came from them. After a straight-to-the-point presentation by FonChafah Isaac, his counterpart Chief Songue came up with a very lengthy report and personalized the content to the extent that he even personalized were members of the commission will go to after the Major National Dialogue.