In the build up to the March 22nd parliamentary rerun of elections in the Momo East Constituency, Mbengwi, after the constitutional council nullified the February 9th results for the entire Momo division and other constituencies in the North West region, the town of Mbengwi just like before is yet to catch the political fever.
Erstwhile honourable Fombi Ephraim is said to have been the first Member of Parliament for Mbengwi. He was of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). Then came erstwhile honourable Peter Cho Fonso of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and then currently, Honourable Edna Enih Mbah still of the SDF. She is the first ever female M.P for Momo East, Mbengwi.
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| The two contestants (incumbent & challenger) |
The constituency, Momo East is made up of Batibo and Mbengwi and has two parliamentary seats while Momo West, made up of Widikum, Andek and Njikwa has one parliamentary seat. Hon. Edna came to power in 2013 and was MP till February 9 2020 when the CPDM swept all the parliamentary seats and councils in Momo division.
When many thought it was game over, the petitions that had been deposited at the constitutional council by the SDF were validated and the verdict was cancellation of the results and ordering for a rerun. Unfortunately, nothing has changed on the ground in terms of security challenges and accessibility to poling stations, issues the party complained about. Some political commentators say only the CPDM and SDF better understand the political game they are playing.
Mbengwi has 54 poling stations that were merged into 3 poling centres during the February 9th twin elections for security reasons. Voting took place in the Mbengwi Council hall, Government Nursery School Mbengwi and Government Bilingual High School Mbengwi. From information gotten, these will be maintained during the Sunday March 22nd rerun.
The SDF had maintained Hon. Edna as the party's parliamentary candidate while the CPDM invested in Injoh Foo Ngang Proudencia to challenge the incumbent. Before going to parliament, Edna was a nurse and served several presbyterian hospitals for long. Proudencia on her part is just making her way into the political arena. She's current North West Regional Delegate of Employment and Vocational Training. She's said to also be the proprietress of Palmers Bilingual Nursery and Primary School Mbengwi.
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| Edna Enih Mbah |
In terms of popularity, Edna is a household name in Mbengwi than Prudencia. Contrary to her predecessor, P.C Fonso that lived in Bamenda and only came to his constituency from time to time, Edna picked up residence in Mbengwi throughout her stay in Parliament. She even opened a parliamentary office and resource centre that was geared at providing training to youths in Information and Communication Technology and also assist researchers do findings from the library section of the centre. Unfortunately, the ongoing Anglophone crisis shattered the plan.
As the people's representative, she carried out several parliamentary interventions. In Munam, she donated beds to the health centre and iron doors/windows to the primary school there and also to P.C Ku. In Zang Tembeng and Njimetu she donated zincs to support the community hall construction of the former and primary school of the latter. In Njah-Etu, Mile 17 and Ngyen-Mbo, she donated farm inputs (fertilisers, cutlasses, hoes etc) to common initiative groups. In Barakwe, she intervened in resolving a land dispute there. In Ngwokwong, she donated pews to P.C Mufomo and rods for a bridge construction project there just like in Njekwo where she also supported another bridge construction project, same as in Njinebai, Guneku. In Acha-Tugi, she donated plastic chairs to the Mbororo community of Dom and basic needs to the women as start up to run provision stores. This is just a microcosm of her realisations.
In education, Hon. Edna instituted the parliamentary teacher's scheme where she recruited over 10 primary school teachers and sent them to needy schools. She paid school fees for several underprivileged children. As president of the Momo Divisional Follow up Committee, she followed up the Ministry of Public Works for the award and eventual construction of a bridge in Kob, linking two sub divisions, Njikwa and Andek worth over a hundred million. In legal matters, she did multiple interventions to rescue her constituents including traditional leaders from going to jail. At her party level, she pulled the highest ever SDF gathering at a rally during the party's 25th anniversary. Edna's achievements are seemingly endless.
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| Injoh Foo Ngang Prudencia |
Injoh Prudencia on her part is a new comer into the political game. As regional delegate, she's been based throughout in Bamenda and is little known in the constituency she plans representing except within party circles. Her public appearances in Mbengwi have mostly been during her party events. However, being of the CPDM, her chances of kicking out Edna can't be undermined though some media outlets like The Gazette newspapers recently published that "Momo East to Give Edena Enih 100% Votes".
At press time, Mbengwi Online learnt that both aspirants are already on the ground doing underground arrangements as the D-day draws nearer. Despite the crisis, despite the calls for boycott and that all anglophone MPs should resign from the national assembly, these two are rather stepping up their game. Each of them is rather more determined than before to beat the other.
When Mbengwi Online met the incumbent, Hon. Edna, we sort to know why she's still eyeing the office. In response she said, "The crisis in which we are needs a multidirectional approach to resolve it. Being of political origin, I think I have a political ideology and it's from this aspect that I can be able to contribute my own quota to the resolution of the crisis to ensure stability in our country. I am conscious of the fact that there's been that call but given that this problem by my understanding does not need only one approach, while others are going diplomatic and through other means, i think I am better placed since I master the problem. I've lived the experience with my people and I still hold unto the political approach. That's why I think my people should still use me on the political front to solve the problem for better life."
At the level of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), the divisional office is open and highly guarded. Reports gathered say voters will be permitted to vote without their voters cards, that is if they don't have, provided they present a valid national identity card and identify their poling stations. If found in the ELECAM's data base, they'll be allowed to vote. With the restrictions recently imposed by government to curb the spread of the corona virus, we are yet to see how things will unfold on Sunday.
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