The February 9th 2020 twin elections in Cameroon ended with a resounding victory for the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement as the party swept nearly all councils and parliamentary seats. After winning the councils, the game has now moved to the next level as the scramble to be mayor is in full gear.
While in some council areas, celebrations are already taking place following the voting into office of new mayors and their deputies, in other areas hearts are still panting as last minute campaigns and consultations are being rounded off. The Mbengwi Council will on Tuesday February 24th 2020 elect a mayor to manage the council till 2025. So far, three persons are said to have declared their intention. As such, the political Maradonas of Mbengwi are now negotiating the last gymnastics to secure victory. Who are they?
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| Foncham Elias Kimbeng |
Among those eyeing the top seat is Foncham Elias Kimbeng, current principal of nonfunctional GBHS Mbengwi. Very little is known about him in terms of political achievements on the political landscape of Mbengwi but for that he's been a staunch card carrying CPDM militant for many years. Foncham is more of the intellectual than political class. https://www.linkedin.com/in/foncham-elias-kimbeng-13558710a profiles him better. For now, he's seemingly the "weakest" candidate albeit politics is a game that springs surprises so he's in no way a force not to reckon with. Should the competition become to stiff between to of the three aspirants, Foncham may be seen as a neutral candidate for the job to make amends so that the party doesn't break loose after the voting exercise.
There's also Fomundam Eric Awandeh popularly known as "Vandam", a household name in the entire Mbengwi. From all the nukes and crannies of the entire Mbengwi sub division, the personality and if not the name "Vandam" is well known among all.
Strengths
Sometimes in the past, Fomundam Eric went abroad and came back from there with heavy money. He soon became a philanthropist, donating hundreds of bags of cement here and there to support community development endeavours. He also built and maintained bridges. He opened up public taps in Mbengwi and made free water available to the population. At times he shared money (clean banknotes) to people and crates of drinks. In those days, Brasseries drinks were still in full circulation.
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| Fomundam Eric |
Fomundam Eric from these his enormous humanitarian actions measured to the tune of hundreds of millions spent on the people when he was "nobody" will then be made national president of the Bome Area Development Association (BADA). Later, the Meta Fon's Union (MEFU) offered him the title of "Tomfon". By now he hadn't shown the people any political colours. While some went questioning the source of his money and expressing fears, others went consuming it giving a damn about any consequences.
Prior to the 2013 twin elections, Eric will then show his political face. He might have nursed political ambitions or might have been cornered by politicians to make use of his fame for political gains. That's how he got to start militating with the CPDM and was immediately presented as a parliamentary candidate. Unfortunately he lost as SDF carried the day. From thence his fame started dwindling till date.
Thus his supporters now see his candidacy as compensation for all his past losses. Many say for the CPDM to have taken over the Mbengwi council from the SDF was thanks to him yet at the end of the game, he emerged best loser, used and dumped. It is alleged he was tricked to aim high by vying for parliament without even beginning from the base as a councillor. Now that he's back to the base, his adversaries feel threatened.
A google search of his name shows that he's a writer with three books/novels to his credit published on https://www.amazon.com/Fomundam-Eric-Awandeh/e/B008YGRG5E%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share. Unfortunately, this has always sparked debates as to the intrigues surrounding his publications on amazon considering the educational level and lifestyle of the said author. Apart from these, there's nothing again on social media that gives any information about him.
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| Sanji Joseph Achu, CPDM Momo 1 Section President |
Lastly his relative Minister Mbah Acha née Fomundam Rose is now on the plum tree. Blood they say is thicker than water. Within the CPDM, those at the top often determine who is who, where especially at the bottom. So his family connection alone to the minister puts him on a big advantage over others. Again, he seems closer to the Momo 1 Section president, Joseph Sanji Achu than the other two candidates. Though absent from the political field since the Anglophone crisis started, Ni Joe's opinion still very much counts within the party. If he is for "Vandam" who can be against him?
Weaknesses
No human being is perfect. No doubt his adversaries have been capitalising on his weaknesses and advancing them as justifiable reasons to disqualify him as mayor. First, they call him a scammer, that he travelled out, struck a shady deal and rushed back home with money from a doubtful source to spray and show off. They say that's why his money got finished till he descended from riding a multimillion range rover to trekking.
Though there's no law that says a mayor must be educated and speaks good grammar, Vandam's opponents say he's not educated to intellectually qualify for such a position. They add that apart from not being too educated, he's not having common sense and can't speak convincingly as a politician. To his supporters, these are baseless reasons to discredit him. To them, a council has a secretary general and municipal treasurer trained by the state to assist mayors realise their projects. These are those who do the main documented works and not the mayor, they add.
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| Mbengwi Council Buildimg |
At some point in his life, Fomundam Eric started gambling reason why his challengers question that "How can someone who plays PariFoot and Tiercé become a mayor?" In addition, they say he moves from bar to bar drinking palm wine with commoners. This makes him an adventurer that isn't fit to handle such a position. These are capitalised now and the reason is clear, politics.
Lastly, they say he's an escapee, an absentee landlord. When things became rough following the increase of lock downs, ghost towns, gun exchanges etc in Mbengwi, he disappeared to Douala with his entire family. Therefore, if he had braved the odds to stay back like others, he would've gained some points but the fact that he escaped means should there be any impending danger tomorrow, he will again disappear, abandoning the council. His coming back to Mbengwi now is interpreted as being because of his mayoral ambitions. This, contrary to the incumbent mayor who stayed with the people throughout till date.
Challenges
Considering that the incumbent didn't perform poorly during her mandate, Eric will have to work harder to unseat her. Women have more advantages these days when they stand for an elective position with men. The incumbent seemingly has a good following that will be difficult to dissuade and like said, "the devil one knows is better than the angel one doesn't." Eric has to convince popular opinion and dissuade many from thinking that he's coming to milk the council coffers to make up for what he lost in the past.
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| Tebe Beatrice née Mbamuku Nduku |
And now the incumbent, mayor Tebe Beatrice née Mbamuku Nduku. She was installed as the first ever female mayor of the Mbengwi council on December 10th 2013 by N.W governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique. Since then, she's remained astute and consistent in executing her functions till date. She's seeking reelection for a second mandate.
Strengths
Being a woman gives her more advantage over her male counterparts. The advocacy for more women in politics these days favours her. During her five years mandate plus one additional, she was performant not dormant. Compared to past mayors that handled the council, Mayor Tebe Beatrice reportedly realised much more better developmental projects for her municipality.
Through partnerships with PNDP, MECUDA, HIMO, REFELACam etc and from the council budget, she constructed a feed mill, a mortuary and chapel, a new slaughter house in G.R.A, a new cattle market in Acha Tugi and rehabilitated the Mbon market, GNS Njindom, GSS Nyen, a milk extraction house in Wumsom, equipping of electrical workshop in G.T.C Zang Tabi, supply of equipment to Munam Integrated Health Centre just to name these few. She also installed solar street lights in her municipality and was about rehabilitating roads within Mbengwi central with pavement bricks before the election period caught her.
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| GS Nyen Constructed by the Council |
If experience is anything to go by then she beats her opponents. Throughout her tenure, she's gained the necessary acquaintance with the functions of a municipal authority. It's now time to fully work as a mayor and only a second mandate can do this. Popular opinion holds that she be maintained though her fate lies in the hands of councillors not the public.
Throughout the crisis, Tebe Beatrice remained on the ground with the people facing the excesses of both belligerents in the conflict together with them through ghost towns, shutdowns, gunshots etc. It's even rumoured she's been threatened, kidnapped yet she's never escaped to stay in another town like her two challengers who just came back home from their hideouts and may likely return to where they were if the results don't favour them. As a result of the crisis, the Batibo, Widikum, Andek and Njikwa councils in Momo division had to shutdown as their mayors and councillors took to their heels yet mayor Tebe stayed put. Mbengwi council has never been closed, all council sessions have been held. It's an unbeatable record she established. While men flee, the woman remained.
Weaknesses
Tebe Beatrice seems to have created more enemies than friends throughout her mandate. It is said uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. She might have been fighting for the people when most of her close aids rather had their interests in their stomachs. Such accuse her of "chopping" alone and so will want her out at all cost. They expected the mayor to make things go round but she seems to have worked only with herself or a few.
Her ascension to power is said to have been surrounded by controversies. Many still don't comprehend how she left the hospital as a nurse and rose straight to becoming a mayor when other old brooms had been in the party nursing such ambitions.
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| Mbon Motor Park |
There are other accusations against the incumbent mayor but most centre on individual grudges especially from those who had wanted to make personal gains through her being in office. As they failed the next thing is to give a dog a bad name and hang it. Her stay at the helm of the council for the next five years now depends on how fast she reconciles with most if not all her "enemies". If personal interests and grudges could be kept aside and the opinions of many inhabitants in and out of Mbengwi considered, Tebe Beatrice merits a second mandate.
Challenges
No mayor has headed the Mbengwi council for more than a mandate since the introduction of multipartism. Mayor Tebe will have to go an extra mile to beat this order. She has two strong male challengers that may end up conniving into an alliance so as to overcome her.
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| Ama Tutu Muna, One time Minister of Arts and Culture |
As the countdown to Tuesday 24th February 2020 narrows, tensions keep increasing. With the puting in place of decentralisation and special statues, involving more money and more autonomy for local councils, never has the combat to be mayor been this highly competitive within the Mbengwi council. There are expectations that more surprises might still spring up. While the trio are doing everything within their reach to secure the seat, others are backing them up because should they win, they will be made deputies. As such the councillors are now in dispersed ranks. Mbengwi Online is following.
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