Three senior advocates from the Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA, Barristers Charles Njualem, Benjamin Enow Agbor and Justice Ebah Ntoko have formally declared their intentions to run for January 31, 2015 elections into the Cameroon Bar Council.
Njualem, Ntoko and Enow, were officially presented to the members of FAKLA by Barrister Stanislaus Ajong, President of FAKLA, on November 21, during a campaign gathering in Tiko.
“We are truly humbled by the wisdom of these three wise men, who have come here today to seek for our blessings,” Barrister Ajong stated.
Charles Njualem is not only one of the 15 executive members of the Current Bar Council executive, he also one of the Treasurers and the representative of the Batonnier in Fako, Ndian and Kupe Muanenguba Divisions of the Southwest Region.
Professionally, Barrister Njualem has been practicing for 19 years and was the pioneer President of FAKLA when the association metamorphosed from the Fako Young Jurists Association to FAKLA in 2001.
According to the FAKLA President, “Barrister Ntoko is a very humble person, who piloted the affairs of FAKLA as President from 2004 to 2006. Ebah Ntoko will, therefore, be entering the Bar Council Exco for the first time after 18 years in practice.
Meanwhile, Barrister Benjamin Enow, Vice President of FAKLA is also gunning for the executive arm of the Cameroon Bar Council for the very first time. Barrister Enow said his desire is to make the Cameroon Bar more vibrant and meaningful.
“We need a Bar that is determined to uphold the rule of law; ensure that its members lead by the ethics of the profession and a Bar that is there to ensure that Cameroon is effectively a bi-jural and bi-cultural country,” Enow stated. As for Barrister Ntoko: “The Bar is supposed to be a very strong and independent one. We are not going in to fight, but to contribute to nation building,” he said.
Njualem, who is seeking re-election, corroborated Ntoko and Enow saying that the Cameroon Bar needs to become more independent, strong and powerful enough to counter the Government from taking certain decisions that are repugnant to natural justice or infringe on the rights of citizens.
“Lawyers should not just be there to give in to whatever the administration says. We should be able to challenge some of the unhealthy decisions of the Ministers, the Government and Head of State,” Njualem said. “The Bar has to be independent. We should be able to rise like one person and say, Mr President of the Republic, what you have done is not correct,” Njualem added.
Former Bar President Stages A Come Back The erstwhile President of the Cameroon Bar, Barrister Eta Bisong Jr, during a chat with the press, declared that he has already deposited his files in Yaounde and will also be contesting in the eminent election.
Asked if he was aiming to regain his throne as President of the Cameroon Bar, Barrister Eta said; “No, you can’t be a candidate for the Bar Presidency without first of all being a member of the Bar Council. So, I will tell you that I am a candidate for the Cameroon Bar Council for now. That is how far I want to go. If the people want you to go further than that, that’s how it is going to be,” he said.
As to why Barrister Eta is still itchy to be elected into the executive of the Bar, he said; “I have been in practice for 33 years now, 20 of these years have been spent at the Bar Council and I think nobody else has that record.”
Another revelation during the Tiko gathering was that of Barrister Arlette Ngoulla Fotso, who is gunning to topple Barrister Sama as Batonnier.
“Let us make history. Let us build our Bar together,” read part of Barrister Ngoulla’s campaign leaflet.
Aspirants have until December 5 to deposit their applications at the Bar Council office in Yaounde. The final list of all candidates retained for the elections shall be published later on.
