PRESENTED BY HONOURABLE DR. AWUDU MBAYA CYPRIAN (MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT & QUESTOR AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY)
TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND
PARTICULARLY TO THE WIMBUM PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE DONGA-MANTUNG CENTRE CONSTITUENCY (NDU AND NKAMBE
SUB-DIVISIONS) ABOUT MY POSITION ON THE UP-COMING LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS SLATED FOR 09 FEBRUARY 2020 AS CONVENED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON H. E. PAUL BIYA.
My dear WIMBUM people,
Dear S.D.F. Party members and sympathizers,
Traditional Rulers of Mbumland,
People of Donga-Mantung,
Religious Leaders,
My dear FAMILY members,
Fellow Cameroonians at home and abroad,
Distinguished members of the Press, Ladies and gentlemen.
It is a privilege and a singular honour for me to come before you to make a public statement about my position on the up-coming Legislative Election that has been called to take place on the 09th of February 2020. Ever since the Electoral College was convened, many of you; my constituents and many other Cameroonians of goodwill at home and abroad have called me and sought to know my position as to whether I, Hon. Dr. AWUDU MBAYA CYPRIAN, shall seek reelection as M.P. for Donga-Mantung Centre or not. I should have normally been making this public declaration from the Nkambe grandstand from where I have always been addressing you. Unfortunately, the current civil war in the region does not permit me to be there physically with you. Reason why I am reaching you through the media.
I have since been observing the situation on the ground in the North West region; particularly Donga-Mantung division in general and my constituency, in particular. I have had deep reflections with my conscience and my family and friends, as well as with many of you, my noble constituents. I have also prayed for God Almighty to guide me in taking my decision, which I believe the time has come for me to share with you who have bestowed confidence on me by electing me four (04) times consecutively in 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2013; to represent you in the National Assembly of Cameroon.
In 1990, as a young businessman or entrepreneur based in Douala, Cameroon; I had a terrible experience in Seoul, South Korea where I had gone to finalize orders for textiles. Upon arrival at the International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, I was almost kidnapped by an Aiport taximan who had picked me up and diverted my itinery attempting to seize my briefcase that contained all my money and Travellers’ Cheques that I had carried along to pay balances to my suppliers. I resisted and fought back, protecting my briefcase and alerting the Police that finally took me to my business partners with whom I finalized business before leaving South Korea and flying to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While in Nigeria, my local business associate and I cleared my five (05) containers from the seaport in Port Harcourt and sold the goods in just a few days. Upon receipt of the revenue from our sales, my Nigerian business partner duped me and refused to give me my share of the money. We engaged in a serious dispute and a certain Cameroonian who came to the scene pleaded with me to calm down and rather go back home alive. By that time, I had missed my return flight to Douala and the gentleman offered to accompany me to Cameroon by sea using a “flying boat” from Calabar in Nigeria to Ekok in the South West region of Cameroon. Finally, I lost all my investment in the 05 containers but arrived Cameroon safely after turbulent ride marked by hostile sea waves and tides that almost capsized our boat in the Sea. I left Ekok through Mamfe by road and arrived my residence in Douala on the 29 May 1990, unaware of the latest political developments that had taken place in Cameroon after H.E. Ni John FRU NDI and the Founding Fathers had just launched the SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT (S.D.F.) on the 26 May 1990 in Bamenda during which six people were killed at the City Chemist Round-about, known as today Liberty Square.
On the 30th of May 1990, I, was summoned and picked up alongside other prominent or influential Anglophones living in the city of Douala on the instructions of Littoral Governor LUC LOE. We were immediately placed under some sort of house arrest in the conference room of the Governor’s office in Bonanjo, Douala. We were compelled to denounce FRU NDI and dissociate ourselves from what he and the Founding Fathers had just done by launching the SDF party. We were held against our wish; stayed incommunicado there all day and later released to go home that night after resisting to comply to the
Governor’s request. Thereafter, I immediately bought the ideals of the
SDF that revolved around: DEMOCRACY – SOCIAL JUSTICE
AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES; as well as its catchy slogan of:
POWER TO THE PEOPLE. From that time, I became a sympathizer and supporter and then a registered member of the S.D.F. opposition political party.
I worked tirelessly to plant the SDF all over Douala and across the Littoral province using my personal financial and material resources to set-up SDF party structures (Districts and Wards) in the Wouri, Moungo, Sanaga-Maritime and Nkam sub-divisions. Some key towns include but are not limited to Nkongsamba, Melong, Loum, Penja, Mbanga, Manjo, Edea, Yabassi, Nkondjock and even on the island of Manoka. I went beyond the Littoral province and implanted the SDF party in towns and villages of the Nde and Upper Nkam divisions of the West region and many parts of the Centre region.
Working initially under the leadership of Mr. FEKO and together with other party comrades like Mme. WANDJI, Dr. NJAKWA, Mahlem MOUSSA, Me. MBAMI, Mr. KUMASSE, Mr. NGONG, Mr. NDUMBONG, and a host of others; I became so active and instrumental that during the SDF Provincial elections of 1991 I was elected Vice Provincial Chairman, while Dr. NJAKWA was elected Provincial Chairman for the SDF Littoral Province. My fellow SDF comrades and I were tear-gazed, beaten-up and sprayed with water cannons as we peacefully marched through the streets of Douala calling for democratic change in Cameroon through free and fair elections; following the disputed 1992 Presidential elections which our Presidential candidate – Chairman FRU NDI won in a landslide victory in the Littoral province.
In 1996, thanks to our collective efforts and organization at the grassroots, my Littoral Province won all four (04) Councils in the Wouri division as well as in other parts of the Littoral. Dr Njakwa became MAYOR of Douala 1st District- a thing that was before that time considered to be a taboo. In a bid to frustrate the efforts of the SDF in managing the councils that she had won; the post of Government Delegate to the Douala City Council was re-enforced to keep government’s control of our legitimately won councils.
In 1997, when the SDF decided to participate in the Legislative elections, I had the easier and clearer option to run for political office in Douala, where I had become very popular and which was also one of the bastions of the SDF at that time. A delegation led by the Fon of Chup and Mayor Mangoh Jones Tangko (who had just been elected on the SDF ticket in 1996 to run the Nkambe Council); visited me in my Douala residence with a special message from my traditional rulers telling me that the Fons of Mbumland had requested that I come back home and represent the WIMBUM PEOPLE in
Parliament. Due to the love I had and still have for my people and knowing the under-developed nature of Donga-Mantung division at that time; I accepted their offer instead and contested in the pioneer innovative SDF Primaries which I won against all odds including a smear campaign by some Wimbum people within and outside the SDF party who swore that I “could not be the one to lead the Wimbum people in the 21st Century”. I was thereby invested by the Investiture Committee of the SDF party which charged me as List-Leader with the huge challenging task of winning all the 04 parliamentary seats of the Donga-Mantung Constituency (which was 01 single constituency at that time).
I sponsored the electoral campaigns for Donga-Mantung division, touring all the sub-divisions as List-Leader; and won all 04 seats (Ako/Misaje, Nkambe, Nwa and Ndu) in a landslide victory. You chose me as your trusted leader and bestowed your confidence on me and my political party- the SDF in that election and I became your Member of Parliament in 1997. For four (04) consecutive Parliamentary elections, you supported me and continued to renew your unwavering confidence in me in 2002, 2007 and 2013. With Presidential decrees that extended the mandate of MPs, I have been your leader and served as your representative in Parliament for close to 23 years.
While in Parliament, I have been inspired from Day One by the political ideology of the SDF and its ideals of democracy, social justice and equal opportunities; to legislate and control government actions in a bid to try and effect change with long-lasting consequences on the Cameroonian people in general and my constituents in particular. Some highlights of my actions in Parliament include but are not limited to:
1) Crusading for Good-Governance and the transformation of Cameroon into a modern democratic country as we advocated for the creation of a NATIONAL INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION that would conduct FREE &
FAIR elections impartially and proclaim the results without bias or fear.
This fight led to the transition of the elections supervisory authority from the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT) through the creation of the National Elections Observatory (ONEL 1 and then ONEL 2); to the creation of present-day ELECTIONS CAMEROON (ELECAM).
My colleagues of the SDF Parliamentary Group and I, marched through the streets of Yaoundé dressed in our official attire and were brutalized and molested by riot police and gendarmes. Through our efforts despite being the minority in Parliament however, ELECAM which in my view is still not yet totally independent and impartial but much better than the previous organs; was created in 2006.
2) Fighting for SOCIAL JUSTICE and EQUAL
OPPORTUNITIES for all Cameroonians.
On this front, I controlled government action by actively participating in, and asking Oral Questions during Question and Answer Plenary Sessions in Parliament. I raised debates on bills in Parliamentary Commissions and held government Ministers and officials to task on burning issues; while always upholding the positions and principles of the SDF party.
My colleagues of the SDF Parliamentary Group and I also pioneered the Fight Against Corruption and exposed so many cases; insisting on accountability by civil servants, government officials and all those who hold public office. In fact, we changed the way Parliamentary business was being conducted in the previous
Legislatures.
Furthermore, I made sure my constituency got its share of the national cake in the form of Public Investment projects in the domains of education, water, electricity, roads and healthcare infrastructure; and that served as socio-economic basis for the development of my people. I have also proudly served as the Chairman of the North West Regional Follow-up Committee for the implementation of Public Investment projects as voted in the Finance Law.
3) CLIMATE CHANGE Crusade
My love for the preservation of our environment for future generations led me to become an environmental activist in Parliament, crusading against the adverse effects of climate change on our vulnerable rural communities, our country and our continent, AFRICA. My advocacy in the domain of Climate Change, earned me the confidence of the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon as he endorsed my candidature and I was elected by Parliamentarians and delegates from 28 African Parliaments to become the Executive
President of the Pan-African Parliamentarians’ Network on Climate Change (PAPNCC).
I have travelled the World and represented Cameroon and Africa on the global stage, leading Parliamentary delegations at the continental level to participate and negotiate on behalf of Africa at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Council of Parties (COP) summits in:
- Copenhagen, Denmark;
- Rio de Janeiro – Brazil,
- Durban - South Africa,
- Cancun - Mexico,
- Paris – France, and
- Marrakech, Morocco.
We joined African governments and civil society organizations to crusade in defense of the vulnerable continent of Africa, that is today suffering from the depletion of the ozone layer which has been largely caused by the polluting activities of the Advanced Industrialized Countries. We called for a compensation of Africa and our advocacy led to the Paris Climate Accord.
Back in Africa, I initiated “Operation ONE MILLION TREES: One
Woman, One Tree; One Family, One Tree” and pleaded with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon to champion this project. Mr. Speaker, accepted to lead a delegation of more than eighty (80) MPs to tour Cameroon and personally sensitize and mobilize rural populations on mitigation and adaptation strategies; as well as fighting climate change and desertification through the planting of trees. It was during this tour that for the first time, Donga-Mantung was honoured to welcome the Right Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly - CAVAYE YEGUIE DJIBRIL in Nkambe.
For these past 23 years, my Parliamentary stewardship has yielded so many fruits as I have accomplished so many uncountable development projects back home in my constituency and Donga-Mantung division as a whole.
I, Hon. Dr. AWUDU MBAYA CYPRIAN shall go down in history as the first ever M.P. for Donga-Mantung that revealed to my constituents that there existed a thing called Micro-Project Grants (a yearly development token that Parliament allocates for each M.P to handle small-scale emergency projects and situations for the welfare of their constituents). Permit me recount some tangible and concrete projects executed during the 23 years of my stewardship, with annual costs far exceeding this meager yearly grant of 8.000.000 FCFA).
I. ELECTRIFICATION
In the domain of electrification, the following have been accomplished: Feasibility studies, lobbying, crusading as well as my personal donation of treated wooden electricity transmission poles and accessories like cables and transformers (as part of the contribution of my constituents) for the electrification of Villages in Nkambe Central sub-division, namely: Tabenken, Wat, Mbah, Kup, Nwangri, Chup, Njap, Mbot, Kungi villages and Bih Sah – Bih - Njeng aglomeration of villages. Villages in Ndu sub-division include: Ntumbaw, Taku, Ntundip, Sop, Wowo, Ngarum.
We were working on projects concerning Njirong, Luh, Mbipgo, Jit, Mbah Fuh, and others to be financed by the African Development Bank and the World BANK; for which funding had already been made available, call for tenders launched, contracts awarded and some villagers already indemnified just before the crisis in the North West and South West broke out.
That notwithstanding, I lobbied and some of our villages in Nkambe and Ndu were included in the Rural Solar Power project that was launched by government some years ago. Due to the crisis and the risk faced by project construction workers; the project has yet again been suspended, although some of the villages like Njirong, Mbanje and Njap already have the infrastructure. Electric poles have been planted on the network and Solar Power Stations with battery back-up systems have been constructed. Many other villages were ear-marked to benefit from this project before the suspension of project work.
ROAD INFRASTUCTURE
With regards to road infrastructure, the following have been achieved:
▪ Construction of Kekengi bridge in Binju, Nkambe;
▪ Construction of Mayeye Bridge in Nkambe;
▪ Construction of three bridges in Tabenken;
▪ Construction of bridge linking Njap and Ngie villages;
▪ Construction of bridge linking Ngie to Mbantu, Nfiengong and Njap village;
▪ Construction of Unity Bridge linking Wat and Mbaa villages over the Mambaa River;
▪ Participated financially in the Construction of the bridge of Mbabi in Wat;
▪ Contribution of 1000 000 FCFA for the rehabilitation of the
AKO-MBANDE road in AKO-Sub Division;
▪ Sponsored the Production of a project document at the cost of 4.000.000 FCFA with three other Members of Parliament from Donga – Mantung Division, which enabled the European Union to provide Funding for some roads in the Division from 1998 to 2007.
II. PALACE RENOVATIONS & COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
Concerning the renovation of palaces assistance to local communities, the following have benefited from our material supply:
▪ Assistance to Mbot Palace Women’s hall;
▪ Assistance with zinc to Mbot Palace for renovation works;
▪ Assistance with four bundles of zinc to Wat Palace;
▪ Assistance with a stand-by generator to Wat Palace;
▪ Assistance with zinc to the community hall in MBANKA- WAT;
▪ Assistance with zinc to roof the community hall in NTERMBANG - WAT;
▪ Assistance with cement to BINKA Palace for renovation works;
▪ Assistance with plywood and zinc for the Nkambe Palace;
▪ Construction of an eight-room building in Binshua Palace for the
“Wintohs” (Fon’s wives);
▪ Supply of zinc and cement for the renovation of the Binshua Palace;
▪ Assistance with zinc and cement for the construction of the community hall in WAT Palace;
Assistance with zinc and cement for the construction of WANTI Youth Hall in Wat;
▪ Assistance in the construction of the KUNGI Palace;
▪ Construction of the Green House in BINKA - the only hall in
BINKA Palace for now;
▪ Construction of Palace hall and the Women’s hall in NJAP;
▪ Supply of Zinc in Fai Mbayong sub-Palace in Tabenken;
▪ Supply of four bundles of zinc and cement to Mbabi - Wat for the construction of the Youth Hall, CBC Church, Pastor’s residence and sub-Palace in Yakwa;
▪ Supply of three and half bundles of zinc for construction of the
KUP Community Hall;
▪ Supply of four bundles of zinc for KUP Palace;
▪ Supply of three and a half bundles of zinc and cement for
NWANGRI Palace;
▪ Building a house in CHUP Palace;
▪ Assistance with three bundles of zinc and cement to the BONGOM Palace which was unfortunately sold by the chief of that Palace. We came back to their assistance in that project.
▪ Renovation of the Nkambe Community Hall to the tune of
1.250.000 FCFA.
▪ Assisted in the construction of Kindfu – Wat Community Hall.
▪ Assistance for the construction of C.B.C. Church Ngie; ▪ Assistance for the construction of Presbyterian Church Kiendfu
▪ Assistance for construction of Njema & Moh community halls
III. EDUCATION
In the sector of education, I can enumerate the following;
▪ Assistance to the Islamic School Nkambe with two bundles of zinc;
▪ Assistance to Government School Kup with two bundles of zinc;
▪ Assistance to Government School Mbi-Jah, Tabenken with four bundles of zinc;
▪ Assistance with three bundles of zinc to Primary School Ngotong in KUNGI village;
▪ Assistance with four bundles of zinc to roof Primary School Tuku, TABENKEN;
▪ Assistance with three bundles of zinc and cement for construction of the Primary School Bomanso in BINKA;
▪ Assistance to Government School Bansobi – MISAJE with four bundles of zinc;
▪ Assistance with cement and zinc to C.B.C Nkambe Primary School;
▪ Assistance of 1 000 000 FCFA to Presbyterian High School Nkambe after the unfortunate fire disaster that hit the school;
▪ Provision of cement and zinc for the reconstruction of two classrooms in Konya WAT after the destruction of the school by wind.
▪ Donation of 100 benches to NDU Technical College;
▪ Donation of 200 benches to all Primary Schools in NKAMBE; Construction of classrooms at the NJAP Technical College
▪ Assistance to Njema Primary School
▪ Assistance to Mayo Binka Primary School
▪ On-going Construction of the Islamic Development Bank – funded classrooms in:
- Government School Ntermbang
- Government School Binjeng
- Government School Ntambru
- Government School Sop - Government School Fukup – Taku
- Government Secondary School Kungi
IV. HEALTH CARE
Regarding health care, the following can be noted:
▪ A donation of 600 000 FCFA to the Tabenken Catholic Health Centre;
▪ Financial & material Assistance to the Health Post in Chup;
▪ Construction of the present Health Center in NJAP village;
▪ Donated beds, mattresses and other medical equipment to BIH and NJAP Health Centers;
▪ Support to Wanti-Wat Health Centre.
▪ Sponsored door-to-door health campaigns to check the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Donga-Mantung;
On-going construction and rehabilitation of the NKAMBE Divisional Clinic as funded by the Islamic Development Bank;
▪ On-going Construction of Zoo-technical and Vertinary Centers in Nkambe and Ndu as funded by the Islamic Development Bank.
V. WATER AND SANITATION
Looking at my accomplishments with regard to water and sanitation we have achieved the following:
▪ Financial support to the WAT water extension project;
▪ Financial support to the MBAA water project;
▪ Assistance to the BINSHUA water project after its destruction;
▪ Construction of BIH water point;
▪ Financial assistance to the NJAP water project.
▪ Support for the community water project in Mbanso quarters in Nkambe;
VI. MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE
Concerning market infrastructure, we did the following:
▪ Construction of a shed in Tabenken market
▪ Construction a shed in Wat market
▪ Construction of a shed in Ngie market
Construction of a shed in Njap market
▪ Construction of a shed in Binshua market
▪ On-going Construction of meat sales slabs at the Nkambe Old market and Binka market; as well as in the Ndu and Ntumbaw markets (as funded by the Islamic Development Bank).
VII. SPORTS AND SOCIO – CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
With a very youthful population, I have promoted the social activities of our YOUTH and WOMEN. I can recount the following in the area of sports and socio-cultural activities:
▪ Handed 2500 helmets to local motor-bike riders in Nkambe; Ndu, Misaje and Ako for their protection alongside their passengers, given the high rate of accidents on the bad roads;
▪ Organized football tournaments amongst the youths of Nkambe Central sub-division with a cash prize of 1.000.000 FCFA for several years;
▪ Organized a Gospel Music competition in Nkambe with a cash prize of 1.000.000 FCFA. The competition was graced by top performances from The Tribute Sisters and Richard Kings.
▪ Purchase of a complete Classical Brass Band with Uniforms for band members; as well as sponsoring a three months training of band boys & girls in the city of Douala, so that they could animate public manifestations back at home. This band was handed to the Nkambe Council;
▪ Assistance to some fire disaster-stricken families in Tabenken, Ngie, Konya and Kindfu – Wat;
▪ Financial, material and moral support to all football teams from NDU and NKAMBE for regional competitions;
▪ Financial support to; and negotiation for the compensation of plantation workers who were abusively terminated from the NDU TEA Estate after its privatization;
▪ Yearly provision of logistics for the C.B.C Bible Conference in Nkambe Field;
▪ Financial contribution during fund-raising events within Cameroon and abroad for community development projects under the canopy of the Wimbum Cultural and Development Association (WICUDA).
▪ Financial Assistance to and fund-raising in all churches and mosques in Nkambe, namely:
- Roman Catholic Churches
- Presbyterian Church in Cameroon churches
- Cameroon Baptist Convention churches
- Full Gospel Churches
- Nkambe Grand Mosque and all Muslim faiths.
▪ Fund-raising for the construction of the Nkambe Cathedral
VIII. INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
The following achievements can be highlighted with regards to Information and Communication Technology:
● The National Radio and Television signals continued to be epileptic and or absent and considering the need to keep our populations informed about what is going on in and around them, I felt the need to fill this gap. It is in this light that I spearheaded the putting in place of the Donga – Mantung Community Radio, DMCR. I single-handedly negotiated with the manufacturers in Great Britain purchased and got the equipment transported to Nkambe as well as bringing in technicians from the UK and the
USA for its installation and training of our local volunteers. The MAYOR of Nkambe, Mangoh Jones Tangko assisted me with the sum of 985.000 FCFA as well as with the renovation of the premises housing the Radio station. Today the Radio Station is being run by the Nkambe Council and is listened to in neighboring Bui, Boyo, and parts of Menchum divisions of the North West region and even in Nigeria.
● I then went further to purchase complete radio equipment with a very powerful transmitter and put in place the Savanah Frontier Radio in Nkambe and Ndu single handedly. These were followed by the DAN AWUDU Radio Station in Nkambe. This brings the number of community radio stations in DongaMantung division to four (04); three of which have been fully funded by me, notably Savannah Frontier Radio and Dan AWUDU Radio in Nkambe and Savannah Radio in Ndu. These radio stations played the key role of relaying CRTV news and world news to my constituents in Nkambe, Ndu, Nwa, Ako and Misaje as well as residents of other frontier divisions along the border with Nigeria.
● I equally felt the need to suppress the invading Nigerian culture into our society and so I went further to acquire and set up the first Community Television station in the North West Region, in Nkambe, called the Millenium Television (MTV). This was an achievement that was un-imaginable as Donga-Mantung had for long been deprived of TV signals of the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV). Even when the signals came, the local population was disconnected from the programmes of the CRTV which did not reflect their rural expectations. I paid the air tickets and provided accommodation to a team of five volunteers from the UK and USA. I also recruited an audiovisuals professional from Yaoundé on a salary of 200.000 FCFA per month who resided in Nkambe for several years and developed locallyapealing programmes for the residents of Donga-Mantung and neighbouring frontier Divisions.
● It should be noted that these Radios and Television stations generate no income and so for over 15 years; I, Hon. Dr. AWUDU MBAYA CYPRIAN do ensure that the staff and volunteers of these community media groups are paid salaries or allowances.
● I have also been funding the maintenance or replacement of radio and TV broadcasting equipment as well as paying rents, electricity and water bills, all for the sake of the development of my people of Donga-Mantung.
● Apart from bridging the gap in communication that existed; I supported the local multi-media centers that offered computer training and internet service to my people of Donga-Mantung.
While in Parliament I have served in several different Committees of the National Assembly and was elected into the Bureau of the National Assembly becoming Secretary of the Bureau in 2002. I later became Questor of the National Assembly - a post that I have held from 2007 till today; thanks to the confidence of my National Chairman of the SDF, H.E. Ni John Fru Ndi who continued to invest me for re-election in his capacity as Chairman of the Investiture Committee of the SDF. I have also served as a member of the ACP – EU (African, Caribbean and Pacific – European Union) Joint Parliamentary Assembly since
2002, thanks to the confidence of the Right Honourable CAVAYE YEGUIE DJIBRIL, Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon.
I have discharged my duties as M.P. honourably, diligently, tirelessly and selflessly during these past four parliamentary mandates. I AM VERY PROUD of the work that we have accomplished so far.
On the 30th of December 2019 therefore, my mandate as M.P. which has always come from you, my constituents- the Wimbum people, shall officially come to an end; although I shall remain in office as Member of the Bureau until we hand-over to the newly-elected Bureau during the Parliamentary session of March 2020.
I thank the National Chairman of the SDF, H.E. Ni John Fru Ndi for his renewed confidence in me as he recently invested me as candidate to seek re-election at the up-coming Legislative elections slated for the 09th of February 2020.
However,
1- Considering the on-going civil war that has brought about indiscriminate killings, kidnappings against request for ransome and the high rate of insecurity in the North West region; coupled with the de-humanizing conditions in which thousands of my constituents have been subjected to, some of whom have fled to neighbouring Nigeria or sought refuge in the bushes or other towns and villages within Cameroon as Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs);
2- Mindful of the risk to human life of my constituents who would be caught in cross-fires during any political electoral campaign in the absence of a ceasefire which would be the beginning of the end of this war;
3- Proud of my record as the longest serving M.P. of DongaMantung with a distinguished status of being the “Development
Champion of the Wimbum people” regardless of their political affiliations;
4- In line with my belief in the democratic ideals of the Social
Democratic Front and its firebrand slogan: “POWER TO THE PEOPLE” as the SDF introduced the conduct of Primaries before any elections in Cameroon. Today it would be practically impossible to rally and move delegates from all the corners of Donga-Mantung division and the North West region to converge in the designated premises and vote in any Primaries;
5- Given also that many of my local SDF party officials have either lost their lives, been framed and arrested, lost their family members, seen their homes and property burnt down or have been displaced by the war; whereas many other of my constituents regardless of their political affiliation are on the run for survival;
6- After a deep and thoughtful reflection of the above with my God, my conscience and my family; and given the current circumstances in the North West Region:
I, Hon. Dr. AWUDU MBAYA CYPRIAN,
M.P. for Donga-Mantung Centre Constituency, and Questor at the National Assembly of Cameroon;
DO HEREBY DECLARE THAT I SHALL NOT SEEK REELECTION INTO PARLIAMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTION SLATED FOR 09th OF FEBRUARY 2020; GIVEN THAT I HAVE DECIDED TO PUT YOUR SAFETY – THE
SAFETY OF ALL MY CONSTITUENTS FIRST, BEFORE OR ABOVE MY PERSONAL POLITICAL AMBITION OF STAYING IN PARLIAMENT. I MUST NOT GO BACK TO PARLIAMENT UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES WALKING ON THE BLOOD AND IN DISRESPECT OF ALL MY CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS CIVIL WAR.
I AM DEEPLY SORRY TO DISAPPOINT:
1- MY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, H.E. NI JOHN FRU NDI who still showed his renewed confidence in me by investing me as candidate to the up-coming February 09 2020 Legislative elections;
2- MY SDF COMRADES at the national and local levels with whom I have fought for a democratic change in Cameroon since 1990;
3- MY PARLIAMENTARY COLLEAGUES FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, ADMINISTRATIVE
COLLABORATORS AND STAFF AT THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY, with whom I have worked closely in Parliament for the past 23 years;
AND
4- MY DEAR CONSTITUENTS, MY ELECTORATE of all political affiliations and religious backgrounds, whom I have served diligently and impartially for the past 23 years. I appreciate the steadfast support that you have given me during these FOUR AMAZING HISTORIC MANDATES. I am forever indebted to you and I shall remain your LEADER and HUMBLE SERVANT.
I DO HEREBY PLEDGE TO SERVE THE WIMBUM PEOPLE AND MY NATION IN ANY CAPACITY AS THE NEED MAY ARISE IN THE FUTURE WHEN THIS WAR WOULD HAVE ENDED AND THINGS RETURN TO NORMALCY.
…THANK YOU FOR LISTENING…
…GOD BLESS YOU ALL…
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