Ndangsa Kennedy Akam because of his daring and risk bearing attitude has gained more fame than he ever had since birth not for any extraordinary achievement but for his predicaments. How he came out of the blues in the heat of the ongoing Anglophone crisis to be voted mayor, beating the incumbent Tebe Beatrice who was tipped favourite even by her political opponents, later kidnapped, released a month after and has now been fully installed into his office is what some observers have referred to as an unsolvable equation. What manner of man is this Ndangsa?
Born on the 10th of November 1974 in Mbengwi where he schooled, after pocketing his primary and secondary school certificates, he proceeded to Government Teacher's Training College (GTTC) Nkambe where he graduated with a "CAPIEM" in 1999. By January 7 2007, he entered the public service and served as head teacher in at least three primary schools in Mbengwi before later being transfered to the Momo Divisional Delegation of Basic Education. Ndangsa is holder of a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Education from Hibums Polytechnic, Mike 90 Bamenda obtained in 2017 and was accorded a distinction as best teacher in 2010 and 2013. He's married and father of 5.
This is the man who after the February 9th 2020 municipal elections that saw the CPDM sweeping the Mbengwi Council was voted mayor. Two days after, he was kidnapped by separatist fighters and kept incommunicado for a month. He was later released on March 30th and as such, a special swearing in ceremony was organised for him on Wednesday April 8th 2020.
A flashback into what transpired from the onset shows that a highly tensed atmosphere characterised the day Ndangsa was voted mayor. At the beginning of the exercise, at the preliminary level, he was almost losing to the incumbent yet he stood his grounds, relatively calm and comported. He had confidence in the game he was playing and victory found favour in him. After winning, he still had courage to go continue staying in his Mile 20 abode amidst heightened insecurity. Unfortunately, luck parted ways with him this time around.
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| Population Witnessing the Oath Taking Ceremony in Momo High Court |
Two days after being voted mayor, precisely on March 28, he was kidnapped by separatist fighters and taken to an unknown location where he was held incommunicado for a month. During this period, rumours spread that he's in a dreaded "Amba" camp in Batibo. Some online sources like http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-03/13/content_75807358.htm published that he had been killed. On the 12th of March, a message went viral on most WhatsApp groups thus: Breaking: Kidnapped Mbengwi Mayor, Ndangsa Kenedy Akam killed in captivity despite paying 5 million FCFA ransom. Source: Laary's Newsroom With this, many drew the conclusion he had crossed the Rubicon.
When the dust was about settling on his alleged dead, on Monday March 30th, Ndangsa Kennedy "resurrected" and the news of his freedom was confirmed through a picture of him standing in between the Senior Divisional Officer for Momo and a uniform officer that went viral on social media. How he found his way out of "the lions den" remains a mystery. In his first Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/100022243989051/posts/677445723006888/?app=fbl he disclosed that it was the handiwork of God.
Cases of brutality, molestation and torture on victims that fall into the dragnets of restoration forces are common. While in their camp, most captives especially those charged for going contrary to the demands of the fighters and thus termed "Black Legs" are often beaten with a cutlass till the sole of their feet get swollen. Many thought while in their keeping, Ndangsa Kennedy was going to be beaten beyond recognition and possibly killed considering his crime. He was charged for treason by disobeying the ban imposed by the fighters on elections in "their land". Not only did he vote, he went in as a councillor and aimed straight for the mayor's seat which he grabbed. Contrary to these fears, he came out of their custody with just a wound on his head, looking seemingly healthier.
Wednesday April 8th was scheduled as day for him to take his oath of office. An event that was due to start at latest 10am ended up starting at 5:10pm. Friends and relatives that had come to witness the swearing in ceremony ended up being stranded the whole day because the expected legal luminaries that had to preside over the event were also stranded in Bamenda waiting for armoured cars. Many wondered why anything about Ndangsa Kennedy is always exceptional. Finally they arrived and swung into action.
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| Mayor Ndangsa & Momo SDO, Fouda Nicaise |
Magistrate Wirngo Tobias before swearing in the mayor explained that a civil statues registrar is called upon to deal with all documents related to the statues of persons, that is birth, marriage and death certificates and also to act in accordance with the laws of the republic. "You can't comply with a law when you don't know its content. So I challenge you to use the first week in your office to study and master the law on decentralization" he told the applicant. "On the day of your election, we didn't see these many people seating here. They didn't even come out to vote you but now you have to serve all of them" he added.
After listening to the submissions of the state counsel, he then ordered that "The applicant before the court is accordingly declared as having been sworn in as the civil statues registration officer of the Mbengwi municipality" This order came after the mayor had swore to conduct the affairs of the council and serve the interest of all its inhabitants without discrimination or favouritism and to discharge his duties in all loyalty and faithfulness in compliance with the law.
As insinuated by the presiding magistrate, almost all who came yo celebrate the success of the mayor never contributed to it. They boycotted the February 9th municipal election in Mbengwi. Even on the day he was voted as mayor, they weren't there to witness it. A majority of those who voted for the CPDM party that won the council were military men and the administration. Now that he's made it through all the huddles, many are surfacing from far and near to celebrate victory with him physically and on phone. However, that's just the way most humans are. When the going is good, many people will be your friends.
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| Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia, M.P, Momo East |
Honourable Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia is the new Member of Parliament for Momo East Constituency. She witnessed the oath taking ceremony at the end of which she gave a piece of advice to the new mayor that "He should be committed, dedicated and above all be disciplined. He should watch his family, friends and entourage because he's now expected to serve the people irrespective of those who voted for or against him"
Ndangsa Kennedy on his part reiterated the promise he made on the day he was voted that the council is going to do everything possible to see that there's peace and development in Mbengwi. He added that "We know there are already some community schools organised in some villages around. We are going to empower them and that could be the beginning to something. I am calling on all the people of Mbengwi to make sure after schools resume following the national shutdown by the state due to the corona virus, they should send their children to these community schools as this could be a stepping stone to normal school resumption."
Fobang Roland, an inhabitant of Mbengwi expects the new mayor to mobilise communities, the fons, the church and even "Amba Boys" in the bushes fighting for the independence of "Ambazonia" to come out and improve on their farm to market roads and demystify the issue of Mbengwi being a desert. In his words, "I see him as a young gentleman who's very disciplined and quiet and people who listen more will do better things. Everything being equal, we are between the hammer and the ambit but I know Ndangsa Kennedy will do his best to deliver the goods to this our municipality. The priority of this moment is agriculture, roads and the youths."
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| Fobang Roland, Mbengwi Inhabitant |
The new mayor is an elder in Presbyterian Church Mbengwi Congregation and also home branch president of Mbengwi Elements Development Association (MEDA). These and many more accounts for why his kid sister, Ndangsa Linda thinks he's a square peck in a square hole chosen by God. In her opinion, he's going to do what everybody expects thus the population should wait and enjoy him. She also begged all those who've been trying to pull him down in one way or the other to stop it because it's going to be of no help even if he's killed.
The swearing in ceremony took place at a time when the government of Cameroon had ordered the implementation of 13 measures to combat the global pandemic COVID-19 among which is social distancing of at least a metre apart, wearing of face masks and no gathering of more than 50 people. The officials who've been "singing this song" in Mbengwi were in the court, seated so closely to each other together with the rest of the more than 50 attendees. Some persons had masked on, others didn't. One would've expected some persons to be asked to step out but that wasn't the case. Everybody squeezed his way in to witness the event from start to finish. But for those who had their personal sanitisers, there was no provision for hand washing and sanitisation in front of the court. If an infected person was to be in the midst of these people, obviously the rest would've been contaminated.
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| Legal Luminaries |
With Ndangsa Kennedy now fully in charge of the municipality, he has a mandate of five tears to deliver the goods or be shown the exit door cone 2025 considering that no mayor has served the Mbengwi Council for more than a mandate since the 90s. It's time for him to make amends with disgruntled councillors who never had him as their choice and whose alleged boycott of his events is already being noticed. They were not there for his swearing in ceremony and may not still be there during subsequent events. The new mayor to disprove skeptics and those questioning his legitimacy must ensure an enviable developmental record is established in the municipality during his reign without which it may just be a matter of time for him to be knocked out.
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