Donga Mantung Fons: Their Time To Head NOWEFU Is Now; Will It Be The Fon Of Binka, Fon Of Mbot, Fon Of Ndu, Fon Of Kungi, Fon Of Binshua, Fon Of Tabenken Etc?

Donga Mantung Fons

The mandate of the executive of North West Fons’ Union (NOWEFU) has expired. NOWEFU leadership has had five successive Fons from five of the seven Divisions of the North West Region as its President. Starting first with Fon Abumbi of Bafut (Mezam), Second with Fon Sehm Mbinglo of Nso (Bui), third with Fon Chafah XI of Bangolan (Ngoketunjia), fourth with Fon Francis Aneng of Bafmen (Menchum), and fifth with Fon Senator Teche of Ngye Muwa (Momo), Donga Mantung is now expected to produce the sixth NOWEFU President.

When President Paul BIYA in 2010 confessed to the Fons of the North West that when the Senate would be put in place, NOWEFU leadership would be made Senator and it actually happened, Fon Teche the then NOWEFU President became Senator, so by this argument, in 2018 a Fon from Donga Mantung would as well be appointed Senator. It is on record that the rotatory NOWEFU Presidency has seen the divisions of Mezam, Bui, Ngoketunjia, Menchum and Momo at the helm. Only Donga Mantung and Boyo are left. Donga Mantung's time is now to produce the next NOWEFU President. During the voting in November, votes from Momo, where Fon Teche hails, can dictate who become NOWEFU’S next President and Senator in April 2018. Momo Division is therefore poised to dictate the pace in November 2015 for NOWEFU Presidency, which undoubtedly is a Fon from Donga Mantung Division. Since votes from the Fons of Momo will dictate the  fon of Binka, Mbot, Tabenken, Kungi, Nkambe, Ndu etc who has backing and blessings  Momo Fons would carry the day in November.

Senator Fon Teche who doubles as senate bureau member said he has already summoned an executive meeting to hold in Nkambe in two weeks for members to finalise plans for a hitch-free elective general assembly in November.

He added that he was personally mobilizing funds to organize the elective assembly that will cost not less than two million francs. The NOWEFU boss said for the first time, the elective general assembly will hold in Donga Mantung division. It should be said that going by the NOWEFU constitution, the next president general should come from Donga Mantung division.

Reacting to the development that it was his own secretary general who is pressing for an elective assembly this March, Fon Teche said he’s being manipulated by a handful of those he referred to as trouble-makers and power-mongers within the union.

“Trying to let the world know that I am hanging on to the NOWEFU leadership is utterly misleading, smacks of bad faith and is same as giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it…I am quite aware my mandate at the helm of NOWEFU is over but I need time and money to ensure a peaceful and successful handover to my successor…”

Asked why he has for three years during his tenure never summoned a general assembly to brief members on the financial situation and activities of NOWEFU, Fon Teche recalled with anger that a planned general assembly in 2013 was punctured by those he said called themselves Council of Elders who attempted but failed to pass a no-confidence vote on him.

“I got angry and decided that I will present my financial records only to the executive. I felt so betrayed to the point I didn’t have the courage to mobilize funds or use that which was raised to complete the NOWEFU secretariat project…every franc I collected for the secretariat project will be accounted for in two weeks’ time when my executive meets in Nkambe,” Fon Teche said.

NOWEFU secretariat

While Fon Teche insist that the elective general assembly must hold only on the second week of November; citing the union’s constitution, his secretary general, citing the same constitution says his president is not telling the entire story. To Fon Ndofua Zofua, Fon Teche wants to prolong his stay at the helm of NOWEFU in order to continue to reap undeserved benefits. 

But Fon Teche boasted that he has nothing to gain remaining at the helm of NOWEFU for the next eight months. He, it should be noted, is the only traditional ruler in Cameroon who is CPDM section president. He is equally a CPDM central committee member and a bureau member of the senate.

His supporters within NOWEFU claim the traditional ruler enjoys a lot of favour and admiration from Yaoundé authorities for ensuring that his Momo II section where he is president, bought the highest number of CPDM party cards in the North West region.