Donga Mantung: Who succeeds late Senator Jikong Stephen

It has been a few months’ since the lone senator of Donga Mantung origin Senator Njikong Stephen Yeriwa died. Senator Njikong, as he was fondly called was from Nwa sub division and was among the 70 senators that were ushered to Cameroons upper house of assembly through the ballot box.

Having served this country in various capacities starting from a classroom teacher to University don, technical adviser to the Prime Minister, it was painless for him to influence the self-confidence of big wigs of the CPDM party.

When his candidature was endorsed contest for the first ever senatorial elections in the history of Cameroon, everyone was sure he would make a good senator.

Months after his death, the billion dollar question that occupies the minds of political analysts and politicians especially those of Donga Mantung extraction is; who will succeed the late senator Njikong Stephen Yeriwa if elections are to be organized? Here are the potential CPDM candidates.

Shey Jones Tembe: Shey Jones Yembe is a native of Binka village in Nkambe central subdivision. He is the former sectary of state in the ministry of public works. He is also the CEO of Ste.MAG he and current BOD chair of the Cameroon Port Authority in Douala accumulatively BOD Chairman of Labogene.

In fact, he has a rich profile and all it takes to be a senator. One may be tempted to call him a true successor of senator Njikong but as BOD chair of the port authority and Labogene, the positions that can only be compared to a ministerial portfolio, it would be too much for him and so he is already out of the race.

Ngie Christopher: Mr. Ngie Christopher hails from Ako subdivision. He was one-time divisional delegate of MINEPAT. He is the alternate to the late senator and per the laws of this country cannot succeed his substantive in the event of death.

Even if that were possible given that Cameroon is a land where nothing is impossible, public opinion is largely that he is young and not experience and mature enough to wear shoes as big as that of a senator. So if bi-elections are to be organized today he will not even be qualified for primaries. But Ngi is a savvy intellectual and his better lies ahead of him.

Mayaah PAtience Tamfu: This woman of royal integrity is daughter to the late S.N Tamfu “the man who saw tomorrow” Mayaah Patience Tamfu resides in the United States of America and is ever at the frontline organizer CPDM activities in Uncle Sam’s country.

She is the WCPDM section president for the United States and doubles as a member of the CPDM Central Committee. Prior to the senatorials of 2013, pundits anticipated that if Donga Mantung Division was to have a female senator she was a good senatorial material.

Today, such stance have not changed especially when political analysts look back at what female senators the likes of senator Emma Lafon in Kumbo is doing.

The conclusion is obvious, namely; what we need in Donga Mantung in this present dispensation is a female senator, someone with a motherly heart and royal integrity that cuts across all angles of the political divide. So if bi- elections were to hold today public opinion would be highly in favour of Mayaah Patience Tamfu as a better if not best replacement to the late senator Njikong.

Ndombang Ngala Gerard: This gentleman is a native of Tabeken in Nkambe central. He is the CEO of a private company in Douala known as Jerry Sarl. He contested in the last parliamentary elections in Nkambe on the ticket of the ruling CPDM but luck did not smile on him if not he would have been an honourable gentleman as we speak. He is a philanthropist. However, many were of the opinion that his running for such a post was too early.

The argument was that he needed ample time to become politically mature enough to contest into the lower house of assembly talk less of senatorial. In short if bi- elections are to be conducted today he should be given more time on the bench to master how the game goes.

DR. Nick Ngwanyam: He is the CEO of St Louis Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Bamenda. He is equally the “Mbang Fon”. Call it the staff of the Fon if you like. He has a rich mindset. To say the least, he can be considered as the leader of Donga Mantung class of intelligentsia.

He has demonstrated his rich mindset in the many write ups that he publishes periodically in a bid to change the mentality of his Donga Mantung people and Cameroonians at large. He was the earliest bird on the model senate that Cameroon should have.

At one-point, people thought that he will go to senate even if not through the ballot box at least through a presidential decree. But such dreams remain up to this day mere wishes. The reason according to public opinion is that even CPDM supporters more often rightly or wrongly doubt his CPDMness given that he is outspoken So, if bi- elections were to hold today it is advisable that he constitutes a list. After all, as “mbang fon” the fons tried to use him as their “mbang” to the house of senate.

Captain Chuye Mbunkur He is another rising political philanthropist in Donga Mantung Division and hails from Binju in Nkambe Central. Yet he is not well known. Even though some people say he is well to do, his political maturity is doubted by the very many that could support his bid. He is however, a new political kingpin but lacks the experience that could make him senator.

Dr. Tamo Dr. Tamo hails from Misaje and falls within the range of new breed of politicians in Donga Mantung Division. Dr. Tamo would certainly be a good senatorial material if he noses up. He had proven his worth in the Mbessa area as a political kingpin and Misaje as an elegant organizer. But considering the fact that Dr. Fuh Calistus is also minister, his chances of grabbing the ticket would be slim. Yet popular opinion in his Misaje area sees him more as a new Section President in wait.