Ngolle Ngolle denies opportunity to redeem himself

The former Minister of Forestry and Wildlife who is now the Coordinator of the new CPDM Academy, was conspicuously absent in Tombel last week when Kupe Muanenguba elite and chiefs came out massively to give thanks to President Biya for appointing one of theirs, H.E. Elung Paul Che as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance.

Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle had earlier in February 2012 boycotted the homecoming to Bangem of H.E. Ngole Philip Ngwese when the latter was also appointed the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife in December 2011. Observers said Ngolle Ngolle’s boycott of such events only betray his character shortcomings as a public personality.

Former Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle is without gainsaying a political heavy-weight in Kupe-Muanenguba Division and the South West region at large. As member of the Central Committee of the ruling CPDM party and Pioneer Coordinator of the party’s Academy, Ngolle Ngolle is second only to Hon. John Ebong Ngole who is member of the CPDM political bureau that is as far as the CPDM in Kupe Muanenguba Division is concerned.

Apart from these, Ngolle Ngolle is variously hailed for keeping the record of stay in Government as Minister from Kupe Muanenguba that is after he stayed in government for 15 years running (October 1997 to December 2011). Then, over the years, the Professor of Political Science has also proven to be the most vocal and unrepentant praise-singer of President Paul Biya.

Ngolle Ngolle also never misses any available opportunity to lavish praises on president Biya. Even though many have criticized him for over doing it to the extent of sounding irritating at times (some have even given him the sobriquet ‘Paul Biya’s mimic man’), Ngolle Ngolle has remained undaunted and true-to-type.

That is why it took many by surprise when Ngolle Ngolle was not seen at the grandstand in Tombel on Saturday 30 January 2016 on the occasion of the ceremony to give thanks to President Paul Biya for appointing another illustious son of Kupe Muanenguba and especially some one who in many ways is Ngolle Ngolle’s own junior brother, Mr. Elung Paul Che as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance.

It intrigued many that Ngolle Ngolle kept away from a popular event that was aimed to shower praises on Paul Biya and which was hosted in his own backyard in Tombel and which witnessed the presence of over 15 Ministers from Yaounde apart from other national dignitaries that he is known to usually hobnob with.

Commentators wondered aloud what could have made Ngolle Ngolle to deny such a golden opportunity offered him to do what he knows best for his master Paul Biya.

When this reporter phoned Prof. Ngolle Ngolle to know the reason for the boycott the learned Prof. did not take the call. He also did not call back, as he used to do in the past. But a source told The Median that Prof. evoked the alibi that his invitation got to him late; that he received the invitation only on Thursday 28 January for an event that was scheduled to take place on Saturday 30 January.

For their part, members of the organizing committee for the Tombel event said Prof’s alibi was less than the truth. They said they made sure all dignitaries had their invitation at least one week to the D-day, this so that no one evokes late receipt of their invitation as alibi.

Commentators at the ceremonial grounds in Tombel wasted no time to conclude that by failing to attend Minister Elung Paul’s thanksgiving ceremony to President Biya Professor Ngolle Ngolle only betrayed some of his character short-comings as a public figure. They said Ngolle Ngolle’s boycott only proved to the wider public that he was not happy for Mr. Elung Paul’s ministerial appointment. Some said the boycott was ample proof that Ngolle Ngolle is disappointed with President Paul Biya for choosing some body other than himself from Tombel as minister.

Yet others joked that perhaps because Ngolle Ngolle stayed for too long in government he now sees himself as the only one from Kupe Muanenguba most qualified for the exalted and lucrative office of minister. They wondered why Ngolle Ngolle who has missed no opportunity to trumpet Biya’s ‘infinite wisdom and good judgment’ should now refuse to jump for the golden opportunity presented by Elung Paul’s thanksgiving event and also use it to shower praises on his master and mentor Paul Biya.

It should be recalled that in February 2012 Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle also boycotted H. E. Ngole Philip Ngwese’s homecoming in Bangem and that was after President Biya dropped the former as Minister of Forestry and Wildlife and replaced him with the latter.

When prying journalists at the time sought to know from Ngolle Ngolle why he boycotted the homecoming of Minister Philip Ngwese, he evoked the alibi that he was out of the country. But only recently when the same question was put to him by The Guardian Post newspaper his response was different. Prof. told his interviewers to go back to Ngole Philip and ask him why he too did not attend his homecoming when he was appointed minister in 1997.

A Kupe Muanenguba elite who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity remarked that Ngolle Ngolle’s bloated ego and his obsession for privilege and one-man-show are the bane of his not-to-attractive public image. He said as soon as Ngolle Ngolle became minister in 1997 his attitude towards Bakossi people changed: that Ngolle Ngolle made sure no Bakossi child became as prominent as to be considered for any lucrative appointment in the administration. That the former minister developed a morbid hatrad especialy for upe Muanenguba sons from ENAM and other ‘Grandes Ecoles’, reason why he did not appoint any of them in his ministry or lobbied for their appointment any where.

The elite noted that Ngolle Ngolle did everything to widen the rift between the Bakossi of Bangem and Tombel just because he wanted to perpetuate himself in goverment.

“Mr. journalist I am saying all these to you because i know you are going to either tell Ngolle Ngolle directly or report it in your newspaper,’ said the elite, who maintained that the points he was raising are facts that can be verified.

Many other Bakossi youths especially from Tombel who readily availed themselves to this reporter also complained bitterly about Ngolle Ngolle, but we will not put down all they said here for want of space.

But the various complains only leave one with the impression that in his native Kupe Muanenguba division Ngolle Ngolle is looked upon more as an enemy of progress rather than an agent of development. Quite unfortunately.