Weeks to 2015 Cameroon Bar Elective Congress in Yaounde: Who is Next Bar President? *Runners UP : Barrister Kenmende Henry, Ben Suh, Ngoulla Arlette, Njualem, Ebah OR Enow *Female Legal Icon Maître Ngoulla Arlette Fotso Favorite Candidate & Already 2015 Bar Council President Winner by Extension? Ride on in the Analysisbe Below to see what keeps her Flag Flying

Who is the Next Bar President? A Lady, A Man, An Anglophone, a Francophone, A South Westerner or still a North Westerner or somebody from the North ?

 Barrister Kenmende Henry NWEST

Barrister Ben Suh Fuh NWest

Barrister Njualem

Barrister Ebah

Barrister Enow

Is basically the big unanswered question that triggers so much a worry in the right thinking minds of Cameroonians in General and Lawyers in Particular who absolutely want power to change hands given that Barrister Sama’s regime did not meet the expected wishes of Lawyers as he declared in his early days speech in office. The Bar 2014 exams and the controversy surrounding the publication of her results also leaves much to be desired and expected of Barrister Sama and followers.“Time has come for a new course to be effected in the Bar” says a confident aspirant. As the tides of the fountain wheel drives to a destination yet to be defined and proclaimed by the majestic assembly of 31^st January 2015 that shall be playing host at the ampi theatre of the Cameroon Red Cross building in Yaounde, Barrister Sama confident of his achievements at the Bar believes his mandate will be renewed as a new cream of this generation’s Lawyers of the North West Region address their loyalty, total and unflinching support to Barrister Kenmende Henry, Eric Mbah Mbah and Hiram Umenjoh.

The following observations are exactly the cards in play in the North West Region ahead of the 2015 Cameroon Bar Council Challenge encounter slated for the 31^st of this January.

As days for the race narrow down tension and uncertainty hooks the air as there is clamor for vote canvas in the whole Republic with 60 vying for 15 places in the Bar Council others for the Presidency.

In the North West Region host holders of the Presidency, Barrister Ben Suh Fuh after primaries stands out as the favorite choice of some North Westerners while Barrister Kenmende Henry carry a whooping majority of all the camps in a conclave of the Region’s elderly Lawyers. That was on the 6^th  and 9^th of January 2015 respectively at Dreamland Restaurant where, Barrister Sama Francis backed out on pretext that he could not stand election with seven others he regarded his children.

Barrister Ben Suh Fuh of Amity Chambers Bamenda, Practicing for well over 15 years ahead of the race happens to be a favorite aspirant disposed in attitude and pragmatic in character. Barrister Ben Suh Fuh is also the favorite choice of some South West Lawyers.

Barrister Kenmende Henry comes in as the best runner up from the North West, choice of the North West Lawyer’s Association, renowned, highly favored and honoured by a cream of Lawyers who call themselves a new generation of talented lawyers. To them, Barrister Kenmende Henry of Posterity Chamber Bamenda, is their messiah, who masters the field, can face all odds, is realistic, firm, frank, fair in actions and words, is a good speaker, dynamic, charismatic, bold, industrious, and brave, can deliver the much expected aspirations of Cameroon Lawyers. Being in practice for over 16 years with challenging record, leaves a lot in the history of the profession and should deserve all the credit to take up leadership of the Cameroon Bar Council. Barrister Kenmende commands the respect and support of both South West and Francophone Lawyers.

The presence of these big Lawyers in the race regarded as guru in the profession in the North West is a major threat to Barrister Sama’s Career and ambitions as they have sworn with impunity that no major threat from whosoever can cause them to step down. Hear them “The battle is on”

Avalanches of reasons are responsible for a cross section of the lawyers disowning Barrister Sama; a cross sections of the Lawyers are not ready to invest their support on an incumbent who does not have up to three boutonnieres behind him. Hear them, “Acquisition of land and the law school in the offing are not major achievements of the president leaving major issues of the profession and the nation to redress. During these two years, most of the promises of the President did not come to pass, no professional cards, Lawyer’s rolls, no Lawyer’s directory nor calendar etc”. One even described their being under him, a brother’s leadership “like being in heaven an unable to see God” and will prefer to go in for the Jesus that is beside to take them to the right hand of the Father and are praying very strongly that let his will be done on earth this time so that total change can come in the legal corp.

To further buttress, Barrister Jacobs Ateh, one of the proponents of the “New Generation Advocates” on his part declared that, the genealogy of the association owes birth out of the frustrations of Advocates who are dissatisfied with the way the institutions of the Bar are managed by those who man them.

 “We are witnesses to situations wherein the Bar remains silent on issues of the society, even those affecting the Bar. The law on anti-terrorism has come with great expectations on the Bar to say something, yet, they are silent. The Civil Code that touches on the Anglophones is pending, but the Bar is silent. The situation of Notaries being appointed almost came to pass if the Northwest lawyers didn’t storm Yaoundé for a pronouncement to be made. The Bar was silent.

“The relationship between Lawyers and Magistrates keeps degenerating to a situation where Magistrates keep Lawyers in court from 8am to midday, just for a Magistrate to enter the courtroom and say ‘matters adjourned’ and the Bar is silent. We have to fight and assert the independence of the Bar.

“When you find a Bar that is silent about societal and professional issues, it is only the “New Generation” that can take the Bar to the desired level and we strongly believe that the old generation of the Bar has failed the aspirations of the “New Generation  Advocates”, added Jacobs Ateh.

Barrister Ngoulla Arlette from the Littoral, of French speaking expression, with a Master’s in Business Law is the lone female that has braved the odds to show up her head to enhance gender and decry female rights marginalization in the corps.

Very determined and optimistic, she has hopes of restructuring the Bar, cleaning up the profession based on ethics, enhance continues training of Lawyers, implementation of an annual budgetary system, establishment of a social security system, creation of a client common fund account, publication of the decree of application on the fees, computerization of the electoral system and the increase in the amount of professional fees etc.

In the South West Region where you have most Anglophone practitioners, FAKLA Fako Lawyers’ Association is faced with the options of Barrister Njualem Charlse of the Human Rights Law firm, Ebah Ntoko of Justice of the Justice Law Firm and Barrister Enow Benjamin of Late Bonu’s Liberty Law Firm all fervent choice of respective parties and camps.

In the South West, as the debate is on popular opinion holds that the task to be accomplished should be given or entrusted in the hands of Barrister Enow Benjamin of the Liberty Law firm formerly headed by Late Barrister Bonu Innocent as a sign of tribute to a big legal icon who was supposed, if still alive to have taken over from Barrister Sama Francis. May his Soul rest in perfect peace!

In Meme, Lawyers there through the voice of their able leader Barrister Awuta Philip Atuba are of the opinion that they should be united for a common course and face a common front in order to make victory come their way, projecting Barrister Mboke Divine as the lone candidate of the Meme Lawyer’s Association.  

Divided over who should stand for the Regions is a call for concern as pundits and analysts are of the opinion that if proper care is not taken Barrister Arlette Ngoulla a lady and of French speaking in expression may carry the day.  That is having first all the women Lawyers rallying behind her, to follow his francophone brothers and why not sell outs from the North West and South West.

Campaigns are on, manifestos littered around,  the future stale and blurred to aspirants God having it, with all certainty 31^st of January 2015 will surely come to answer the mix ridded opinion polls on who is the next Cameroon Bar Council President. Will it be an Anglophone or a francophone? A male or female Advocate? A North Westerner still or a South Westerners? Only God Knows and provided candidates play their cards well.  

  

NB:For the Female Legal Icon Ngoulla Arlette Fotso THE JOKER amongst Runners UP, her Pictures and career Profile, we shall disclose and Display  six days to the 2015 Bar Council Elections with excerpt of her Full Campaign Speech and the Vision she has for the Cameroon Bar .