By
Bakah Derick
Mayors
of the Social Democratic Front SDF, have extended New Year wishes to their party’s
National Chairman John Fru Ndi.
The
happy New Year wishing ceremony at SDF Chairman’s residence in Ntarikon Bamenda
brought together all Mayors and their deputies from SDF lead municipal councils
across the country.
 |
| Mayors sign SDF Party Anthem on New Year wishes ceremony to Party Chairman John Fru Ndi |
Speaking
on behalf of the municipal official, the spokes person Mayor Njong Donatus of
Kumbo indicated that they came to extend their best wishes to the Chairman “their
father” as “first sons of the party.” According to Mayor Njong the Chairman’s
busy schedule could not allow them to come earlier but they had to force their
way to perform the ritual.
 |
| Mayor Njong Donatus of Kumbo spokesperson for the Mayors |
In
reaction, Chairman Fru Ndi with visible satisfaction schooled the Mayors, reacted
on a couple of party and National Issues:
·
Regretted the drop in the number of Mayors the party now has cross
the country which according to him “is not because the party is not working but
because some people dribbled us.”
·
On the call for Biya’s candidature for the next presidential
election, the Chairman described that as”misplaced priority” particularly now
that the country is facing security challenges. “My concern now is your
security, the security of the people. If the people are secured I am a happy
man.” There are hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians in the North that do not have
accommodation, cannot sleep well, cannot eat well, they cannot do business
well, their economy is all flattened yet people go ahead calling on somebody to
stand for elections.” He invited Biya to call on his militants to stop such
calls.
·
On performance: the Chairman congratulated the mayors for what
they are doing which is being recognized within and without the country. While inviting
them to stay off from corruption practices, he challenged the Mayors to feed
hungry Cameroonians; drawing inspiration from his recent visit to Wum during
the crisis where he took along some food and everyone ate including soldiers
who were very hungry.
·
He concluded with an invitation to the Mayors to encourage the use
of compos manure in their municipalities with pilot projects in the councils. According
to him crops produced with this form of manure are more tasteful and nutritive.
While wishing the Mayors well for the days
ahead, the SDF Chair warned against embezzlement and corrupt practices that can
stain his image and that of the party.
The mayors and their deputies then took turns
for a handshake and photograph with SDF party leader.
 |
| SDF Mayors and Party Chairman John Fru Ndi on the Occasion of New Year Wishes 2016 |
At the close of a meal in the Chairman’s
ceremonial hall in his concluding remarks John Fru Ndi presented his plan of
action which will take him to the North in next March. He regretted the passive
nature of Party Senators. According to him they don’t care like others do. They
give the impression that they are “opportunists” who just found themselves in
parliament and think its time to grab their share.
Talking to hilltopvoices, Balick Awah Fedelis
Mayor of Bamenda II Council described the event as the most important in his
life as a Mayor for that fact that “it has been happening before but not in
these numbers. This time around all deputies are involved and you can see it’s
a wonderful occasion. In the past we use to come together with Our Parliamentarians
but this time we thought the Mayors are a force to reckon with. The party, the
grassroots is in the hands of the Mayors and so you can see it was very successful.”
For take home Balick said “to serve the
people without any discrimination and to be transparent.”
According to Langi Abel Ngwasoh Mayor of
Bafut it was a moment of communion, reaffirmation of loyalty, confidence renewal
and assurance of our readiness to defend the ideas of the party. “I go home
with the Chairman’s remarks on agriculture particular the emphasis he laid on
the use of compos manure. We will have to encourage our population to consider
this.”
Tanyi Raphael First deputy Mayor of Kumba on
his part leaves Bamenda after extending new year wishes to the chairman with “we
should be together and as we serve we should be ready to give way for others.”