North West Fons boycott Governor’s summons

A meeting summoned by North West governor, Adolph Lele L’ Afrique on Friday, to resolve a crisis in the North West Fons’ Union, NOWEFU, was boycotted by a majority of the traditional rulers who rather want to see its incumbent president go.

Fon Chafah Isaac, former NOWEFU president, and current Permanent Secretary of the Cameroon Traditional Rulers’ Council, Fon Ndofua Zofua of Babungo, incumbent Secretary General of the union and the fon of Bamessing were the only ones who showed up to face about 30 fons who turned out to back the Fon Teche Njei, current NOWEFU president. Even the Fon of Nkambe, who is expected to succeed the outgoing president, was absent.

Owing to the poor attendance, the governor who had taken it upon himself to resolve the crisis stemming from the different interpretations of the union’s constitution called on the traditional rulers to return home and keep calm while he looks into their constitution.

Fon Teche had before this meeting, admitted that the present executive was elected on March 16, 2012, contrary to NOWEFU’s constitution which stipulates that elective assembly should hold on till the second week of November.

He argued that this was simply because his predecessor had delayed the elections until March, stressing that the next elections would only take place in accordance with the constitution.

Teche who is also a senate bureau member said that 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, during which the next President General would be picked from Donga Mantung division according to provisions of the constitution.

The Senator had stated before the meeting with the governor that his secretary general was misguided by other fons who claimed to have given him support to convene a general assembly and elect a new president.

“Trying to let the world know that I am hanging on to the NOWEFU leadership is utterly misleading, smacks of bad faith and is the 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…” he said.

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