The Ngwasiri And Muna Rebellion

Institutions, organisations and political parties, which speak for or represent the interests and aspirations of its members are usually rocked, from time to time, by one crisis or another, due to diverse opinions or intentions of individuals in the leadership of such organisations.

The Social Democratic Front, SDF, party, has, since its inception in May, 1990, weathered several crises but the most renowned was the 1998 crisis that came to be known as "The Mahamat Souleymane Rebellion" and it is certain that the SDF will weather the present crisis which will be known as the "Ngwasiri/Muna Rebellion."

Ngwasiri's rebellion, as a founding father of the party, can be understood and explained. The ex-honourable, as a founding father of the SDF party, had his private intentions and aspirations, which he hoped the party could bring about and that is, for the SDF to voluntarily and consciously abandon its political party motto of "Power To The People" and adopt a new motto of "Power To The Intellectuals" and a change of personalities and not regime change.

What Ngwasiri and others of his like failed to perceive is the fact that once the SDF was publicly launched, it became a movement for the downtrodden which to them was like Noah's Ark, solid and capable to weather all political storms. Having weathered the Souleymane 1998 storm, the party will, surely and undoubtedly, weather the present Muna political storm.

I view these political crises as necessary as they play the role of a political sieve that separates political chaff from the fine political grains. In the SDF, one can find some founding fathers and some members who joined the party hoping to have a quick political fix and those who joined the party believing that a responsible opposition party can bring about a meaningful change in society by engaging in responsible criticism of the government.

There are also those who saw the party as a stepping stone to ministerial appointments like other opposition parties, for political loaves and fishes. Change for such people like Ngwasiri, Souleymane and his father's son, Ben Muna, means change of personalities and not change in the way things are done.

When Fru Ndi was launching the party, the so-called intellectuals who claim the SDF is their brainchild, who should have gotten one of them to launch their party of intellectuals and not use a common "book seller," were nowhere to be seen.

The Souleymane rebellion of 1998 was characterised also by violence, but, fortunately, no life was lost and many people simply waved the incident away with a sigh of relief. After all, that unconstitutional Convention was intended to bring to the attention of Francophones in general and the Bamilekes (Laakam) in particular of their marginalisation in the SDF and denounce Fru Ndi's dictatorial and authoritarian traits.

A party convention is the coming together of representatives of members of the party who are devoted to the principles of the party. The supreme organ of the party is the convention and in between the convention of the party and the executive of the party, is the National Executive Council.

Ngwasiri, as a founding father, has allowed himself to be an instrument to be used for the destruction of the credible opposition party. As a founding father, did Ngwasiri found the SDF for other purposes other than bringing about needed changes in the management of things and participatory democratic governance for the benefit of all and not a privileged few?

As a mere "book seller," Fru Ndi was not a member of their intellectual club, and if the so-called Anglophone intellectuals were all agreed to make good use of him to launch the party, he could not have mounted the soap box on May 26, 1990, to say to Cameroonians and the world beyond that,

"I, Ni John Fru Ndi, a renowned bookseller, acting on behalf of Anglophone university lecturers and professors, do hereby today, May 26, 1990, from this rostrum, here at Ntarikon, Bamenda, launch and proclaim the existence of a new political association which will henceforth be known and called, Social Democratic Front."

Once the intellectuals, as founding fathers, allowed the bookseller to launch the SDF by his act alone, the leadership of the party, was a foregone conclusion from that moment. The Anglophone intellectuals might have the idea of floating an Anglophone political party through which they could fight Anglophone marginalisation, in general, and that of the intellectuals in particular.

But being cowardly, they brought in the bookseller whom they thought they could use as cannon fodder. If the founding fathers believed that the bookseller had launched their political association on May 26, 1990, they were mistaken because what was launched on that day was not a political party but a war front for political change.

The monolithic political party system that had existed for more than two decades was not going to give way without a fight, and as such, what the bookseller needed was not intellectualism and political conformity, but a political war front which could face the single political party, the CPDM, on equal terms.

Do Ngwasiri and Muna think that the six youths, whom the then single party dogs of war shot and killed on the day the SDF was launched, died so that Anglophone intellectuals and political elite should not be marginalised in the New Deal political dispensation?

No, that it is not why those youths died, they died in order that political change should come and with it, a democratic dispensation that allows the people to participate in their own governance.

Prof. Ngwasiri, who is the brainchild behind Muna's SDF is someone obsessed with making it quick and will not care whose toes he steps on. As an intellectual, the Professor is well aware of what in economics is known as "division of labour."

As a Professor of Law and Management Sciences, one would expect that the Professor would be contented with the training of young Cameroonians as future industry and business mangers instead of trying to become a Jack of all trades and master of none.

Prof. and Ben Muna, like Benedict Arnold, have betrayed the SDF family and sold themselves for a few miserable millions. Those who claimed to profess social democratic principles yesterday are today insecure and intimidated men.

They think they can advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle, or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in the SDF.

Ngwasiri and Ni Ben, if they have not already realised, will soon realise that the active talking militants and sympathisers of the SDF do not like, and do not support the treachery of the Professor and the unbridled ambitions of Ni Ben.

By CPN Vewessee

Comments

[sango]

There are some basic truths in what you say. But your overall argument is flawed. I wont even bother to explain in detail why I say so because it's so obvious your in Ni John's camp.To set matters straight, I'm not a SDF militant but I acknoledge the contribution the SDF and Ni John have made to the political process of the country.But I would also say that a party where dialogue, debate and critisism can't take place is not fit to govern, and we as Cameroonians should pray it never governs.We are looking forward to a Cameroon without Paul Biya/CPDM but the SDF in it's present 'form' is not a valuable option.And it is sad because there are no better options.

[Akoson]

Sango the BIG FOOLISH Dreamer,

Nothing good can ever come from the CPDM with or without Biya. You keep dreaming that a better Cameroon is one without Biya. Cameroon needs an entirely different political ideology, platform altogether. Different players. I mean different everything.

Vewesse is not SDF for your information. You sound like a naturalised frog. Like one of those Biya's stooges who prefers a "Frenchman" be president cos you are jealous of your own true and natural brother. From your nickname I know where you come form...and that particular ethnicity will one day pay for cooperating with frogs and selling our birth given rights to exist as our own country.

Shame on you all, Langa money....poor wretched beggers who cannot think to be independent and develop their country.

Keep begging!

The SON.

[Boyolion]

I write to express my regret over the failure of Cameroonians to consider History as an important subject and also for some of our historians who like some of our religious leaders preach what they can't practise.History is not an idle textbook for ur information.It is documented facts that has to tell us how to leave the present so as to build a good future.I have time without number heard of the word intellectuals in Cameroon,a reference to a group of politico-economics and social vultures who in quest of notice have tme and again come to Etoudi to ask for an independent candidate to run for the presidency.Let me ask these questions.Who are these,what makes them to feel that they are intellectuals and who is this or these independent C or Cs?Let no myopic brain feel that I'm saying that Cameroon hasn't got educated people.I'm saying that history has left me with the impression that there are no intellectuals in Cameroon worth mentioning nor let alone can represent the interest of the have-nots beginning from a law firm through the hospital to the classroom in the university except for a few who for share lack of the means or due to their virtues have decided to dance with the commons.History tells me that the spots on a leopard can never change,that a baby kite steals like its mother.From these points whoever is passing for an intellectual in political arena in Cameroon is only chasing his whims and capricies and not the interest of the down-trodden.If there is anyone in this God-foresaken land whose independent candidate is Cardinal Tumi then he is just a dreamer.Not because Tumi is not fit rather because he is too fit and given the political situation at this time he will simply become the Rev.Fr Betrand in Haitti.He was hail as one who had come to clear the mess dumped by Baby Dog in that first black colony to become independent but not long he became another mess to be cleared.Was he really responsible.No in my opinion.Like Baby Dog Biya has over stayed in power to the extent that no Angle can clear the mess he has dumped without becoming the hunted

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Mr Sango,
Excuse me to express my excitement on your explanation of how a journalist should write an article.A journalist should not just sleep and write something for public consumption.Without taking sides a journalist should be an imformant rather than a policemen to pass judegement without following a prosecution.All worksof life has gotten their job ethics and they go with them.

To this effect,we know Fru and his SDF are behind the misunderstanding within the party,but that notwithstanding he should not take the party for his personal property and be contented with his chairmanship post for ever.There are young,charismatic,aspiring Cameroonians with managerial skills,who can better manage situations and attack the CPDM and its stooges,who can be president tomorrow.We don't want flip-floppers who speak more than taking action.

He should not sit and think the SDF was created by him and should be ruled by him alone.This is 15 years today yet we are still dreaming of any prominent Anglopohne presidential candidate.It will still be a day-dreaming issue to think Fru can govern Cameroon period.He is already been taken by the ruling CPDM as a figure-head who gives additional political momentum to the ruling CPDM party to carry out their embezzling and fraud.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[vito]

Oh do shut up!

1.CPN Vewessee is not a journalist with The Post;the article is his personal opinion and you're all free to have and give yours.

2."Any young,charismatic,aspiring Cameroonian with manageria&l skills",who wants to replace Fru Ndi as Chairman of the SDF will have to join the SDF and beat him during elections.

3.the SDF was created by Fru Ndi and he doesnt think he alone can rule;as he never got re-elected unchallenged.

4.as far back as 1992 there's been a prominent Anglophone presidential candidate;Fru Ndi and he beat Paul Biya in the presidential elections then.

If you were too young or already out of the country,those are the facts and you should thank me.

[7512wilson]

Thanks Vito, for shedding some light on the SDF leadership issue. There is much more to leading a great political party like the SDF than being a young and charismatic individual. Millions of Cameroonians are looking up to the SDF and Fru Ndi to bring the long awaited change Cameroon needs. It will be a terrible thing for Fru Ndi to yield to some unpopular calls for him to step down without an election. Think about the multitudes that rest their hopes on him and the SDF. Those on this forum calling John Fru Ndi names and all sought of labels, rest assured that your opinions are on file and tomorrow, you will be judge by these opinions. If you don't like what the SDF is doing or what Fru Ndi is doing, then explain to us why and give us your suggestions of what should be done to make Cameroon a better place unless you like the current CPDM regime. It is not any bodies business to prophesize whether Fru Ndi will one day be president of Cameroon or not. If you think you are in Hong Kong, England or Singapore and it is OK to say anything you think about SDF or Fru Ndi, rest assured that your opinion is on file and you will be judged on them when the time comes. Beware that what you write on this forum may hurt or help you someday. Many politicians have lost elections because of somethings they wrote or said on record many years behind even when they were still in their youths. I am sure we all in this forum know that our writings are traceable and can be tracked no matter how hard we try to fake our names.
So please stop the name calling and just give us your opinion and suggestions.

NEVER SAY NEVER
More to come

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Sorry my dear brothers,
Don't be carried away that someday I will part of Cameroon politics.I am simply a critic and I say what is right writing the wrongs of party politics in La Republique.Read my writie ups and see if i have ever take sides.I am not interested in the dirty game of politics being played by SDF and CPDM.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[JB Samba]

Fritz,
You post a lot of interesting comments here and I commend to for that, but I'm afraid to say that what you post regarding the SDF or NJFN in particular leave much to be desired. Either deliberately or by designed you and of course some other guys have failed to realise NJFN is where he is because he merits it and SDF militants have endorsed him as their chairman.
Ngwasirri and Muna have tried to paint him black and what results have they got.
It would be worthwhile if you realise that if everybody working around NJFN were to be as steadfast and committed as he is, the SDF would have done more that it is doing at the moment. I am afraid with uys like Ngwasirri and Muna and others who are yet to be discovered, one needs to be careful else one will be tempted to see NJFN for whom he is not.
My own conclusion at this point is that someone is yet to come up who can convince me and I think many other non-partisan folks that they can be a better replacement for NJFN.
This is just my humble opinion.