By Chief Zachee
Nzohngandembou
At The Hotel Sawa,
Douala, 25 February 2022
Good Attitude Begets Excellence
Excellence, Ralph Marston once said “is not a skill. It is an attitude.” Excellence is about having a positive “can do” attitude, a willingness to work hard to achieve goals; a pride in your own work and a desire to do your best. It goes without saying that having a good attitude is more important than possessing skills, for while skills can be taught in training both on-the-job and in formal environments, attitude develops from what we repeatedly do which eventually leads to excellence. Therefore, as Aristotle put it, excellence is not an act, but a habit. It is never an accident. It is the result of high intention, sincere efforts, skilled execution and vision to see obstacles as opportunities.
We are here today to celebrate a man whose
exemplary attitude has brought him to excellence and fame. We are here to
commune with a friend who is a gift given to us by his behavior. Yes, we have
gathered here from far and near to hail a man who has proven to look adversity
in the eye without pitching a fit, one known to have motivated those around him
with positive words and used the power of a smile to reverse the tone and
results of situations and to ignite change.
Sublime And Humble Figure
That man, award winning international legal luminary,
election expert with an unrepentant penchant for peace crusading is Ntumfor Barrister
Nico Halle. Like a conscious sojourner, Nico Halle has again made this stop
today, to take stock in magazine format, the distance covered and to assess the impact of his trajectory not
only as a legal consultant, national and international opinion leader, but
above all, as an unassuming humble child of God toiling in the Lord’s vineyard.
He exhibits this humility when he says, “Were it not by God’s grace, I would not
receive all of these honours. On my own, I don’t merit them. That accounts for
the reason I am heartily thankful to God and those who have blessed and
encouraged me. Whatever success I’ve recorded in any area of our living, I
attribute it to God, and all glory and honour go to him alone.
His
beautiful daughter, Barrister Vanessa Halle concurs (and I quote) “it can only be
God! No one else and nothing but God could have given him the strength to
achieve what he has achieved. No one else could have given him the resilience,
boldness and courage to do what he has done or say what he has said. No one
else but God could have given him the protection to go where he has gone. In
all of these, we give immense thanks to God.”
In the same vein, veteran journalist
and renowned public speaker and commentator, Peter Essoka attests to his humility:
“he is down to earth, unbelievably
humble. When someone masters the art of carrying out his professional duties
and also his community services correctly, without placing himself high above
others because of his quality, profession, his wealth and fame, that person is
humble.
Without doubt, Nico Halle needed humility as a
foundational principle of what has since become his major mission, his mantra
on earth – peace crusading – which
according to him, would be pursued till he dies. True to this commitment, he
has grown to become a household name as a peace crusader. His resilience on the
path of peace despite the roughness of the terrain, smeared with unbridled
hatred for one another, could be likened, guided and shaped by the Beatitudes
which hold that “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children
of God” –(Mathew 5-9NIV)
Astute Leader And Emissary
Ntumfor is a gifted peace crusader
with a special knack for building bridges, for arbitration and mediation. He
has reconciled journalists, administrators, government officials, the clergy,
families, communities and of course, members and institutions of his
profession. When he was President of the General Assembly of the Bar
Association, he met pandemonium in the house. Nico Halle, led by what sustains
him –God and the Holy Spirit, came in with a Bible , called the feuding
factions, prayed with them, found common ground and planned and
successfully held the General Assembly that had been stalled for more than
three years. Likewise, we all remember the babbles and squabbles within and
between the Northwest Fons Conference and Northwest Fons Association. Thanks to
Ntumfor’s mediation, the bickering and belligerence was put aside and the Northwest
Fons Union was created, permitting peace to reign.
James Freedman exhorts us that law must be practiced
not only with craft and passion but also with a tenacious commitment to ideas
and values. Barrister Halle as a lawyer has in his over 35years of legal practice
stood tall as an exemplary defender of justice, human rights and ethical
practice. His upbringing as a moralist has guided his professional practice and
would not hesitate to tell a client that he or she has a bad case and would
propose out of court settlement. Many families and friends have been reconciled
and restored, since he believes in the conventional notion that winning a case
in court would lose a friend or family in daily life. Nico Halle, like Marcus
Tullius Cicero believes that the fundamentals of justice are that no one shall
suffer wrong, and that the public good be served. Therefore to him, what the
world needs is justice not charity.
Towering And Inspiring Stewardship
Ntumfor Nico Halle is one of the very few Cameroonians whose efforts to
dismantle the planned electoral heist embedded in our electoral process paid
off handsomely through dedication to public good, courageous and selfless sacrifice
and rigorous discipline. As an election expert, not only has he been
commissioned severally to monitor elections in other countries and reconcile
rival government and opposition like in Zimbabwe, he has held the post of
regional coordinator for the National Elections Observatory, ONEL for the Northwest.
Teaching by example, he removed election materials from places including palaces
where they’re prone to malpractice to the chagrin of vote riggers –a rare feat
in Cameroon which was immediately appreciated by the Head of State with a new
assignment to organise bi-elections in another region.
Cross-Carrying Christian
A cross-carrying practicing Christian
and son to a church servant of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC,
Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle was introduced into Christianity early in his
infancy, as it was customary in those days. Since then the man has remained not
only steadfast but very active within the PCC. He has worked his way from being
elected to the post of president of the East Mungo South Presbytery of the
Christian Men’s Fellowship (CMF).
It is often said that the size of your
dreams should always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your
dreams do not scare you, you’re not big enough.
Ntumfor is not a man of small dreams and so is never afraid of taking on
giant assignments. It was not long before his peers within the CMF movement
realised his capacity and saddled him first, with the post of CMF regional
president before propelling him to National President. His tenure at the CMF national
office remains a reference to this day. With that excellent record, he was
easily chosen as a member of the Board of Trustees of the PCC—a position he and
two others –Chief Ada Keshi and Raymond Gwanyalla dumped over the controversy
surrounding the new constitution of the church.
Unparalleled Attainment
Ntumfor’s ceaseless efforts in community
and nation building are amply reflected in the unprecedented number of awards
to his credit. With a mind heavily tilted towards development, Ntumfor has
stood tall in the promotion of actions that aim at transforming society. As President
of the Ndong Awing Cultural and Development Association, NACDA, he initiated
the electricity project and made several financial contributions over the years
in favour of development initiatives not only in his native Northwest Region
but elsewhere in the country. As president of Bali Old Boys Association, BOBA, Ntumfor’s
tenure saw the construction of the Oneil Memorial Library in his Alma Mater, CPC
Bali.
By sheer persistence of vision, Nico Halle
has received numerous and diverse awards, certificates, medals, recognitions
and trophies which span the whole spectrum of his core values of peace,
justice, truth, honesty and love. These are values he imbibed from his father Pa
John Halle, a pious and devout Christian of blessed memory whose legacy he’s
determined to perpetuate. Ntumfor is not only succeeding in eternalizing and
immotalising the father’s legacy by his plethora of deeds and actions, but by
ingraining the principles of honesty, hard work, respect, humility and the fear
of the Lord in his children. When you
add the millions of individuals who swear by this man then we can safely
conclude that Pa Halle must be among the happiest in the world beyond.
The
sages submit to us (and I quote) that
“the real success of our personal lives
and careers can be measured by the relationships we have with people most dear
to us—our family, friends and co-workers. If we fail in this respect, no matter
how vast our wordly possessions, or how high on the corporate ladder, we will have
achieved very little.” Ntumfor Nico Halle’s life is an embodiment of
personal success and this can be measured by the intimate relationship with his
family and friends. His adoring, adorable and endearing wife, Mummy Jus and her
very mentally agile children speak of their husband and father in glowing terms.
If you say this is normal for every family then you will also say bagging a
plenitude of awards is also normal. Nothing could be more deceptive and
delusional!
Bridge-Builder
It is always good to speak and write about
a great achiever like this man; but to what extent can any one person or single
write-up chronicle Ntumfor’s heroic, multifaceted and cosmic impact on humanity?
A man whose activities and resultant achievements have positively impinged on
millions of lives across the board is no ordinary human being. Any wonder
therefore, that several national and international groups and institutions have
acknowledged his goodness in marble?
My brother and younger colleague , Kristian
Ngah Christian reiterates this truism when he asserts (and I quote) that “news that Cameroon’s
most acclaimed peace crusader and revered international legal icon, Ntumfor
barrister Nico Halle , has bagged more than 160 prestigious and credible
awards, in so short a time, should come as a surprise only to the unborn.” For according to him, no one,
has been written about (in Cameroon) like Nico Halle. Oh yes, didn’t someone
say a well-written life is almost as rare as a well-spent one?
How then do we apotheosize and
eternalize in one package this goodness ably transcribed and expressed in
various appreciative forms in the memory of the living so that when the song is
dead, the memory will linger on? This is where we doff our hat and commend the
dedicated team that joined Ntumfor in the conception and realisation of the
idea of an award gallery in magazine format. The initiative, like many of his
preceding ventures is pleasantly novel and refreshing. It remains, probably the
best way not only to preserve these insightful accolades, but to place them at
the reach of all in Cameroon and the wider world. One must say without mincing words
that the editorial team, a selection of seasoned journalists has done
exceedingly well. The editors are not only acclaimed writers but people who are
well-acquainted with the subject and theme of the magazine.
No Easy Climb To Prominence
Coolidge reminds us that no person was ever
honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave. We
are honouring you, Nico Halle for what you gave to society. It has not been an
easy climb to this pedestal. So we ask you to continue to stand tall on the summit
after this tedious climb. Please take in the remarkable scenery and the exhilaration
of accomplishment. And in the exhortation of Richelle Goodrich, we ask you not
to pause for long; for there are greater mountains to climb while you still
possess the drive and capacity to do so. Perhaps one reason why it has dawned
on many of us, your admirers, to honour you while you’re still alive is to buoy
you up to greater heights, because you remain an embodiment of aspiration and inspiration
to present and future generations.
Postscript
Ntumfor, my senior brother, let me
reiterate what you’re already doing with the words of Aaron Ralston: continue
to bring love and peace and happiness into the world in our honour. Thank you. Love
you!
As a footnote, I like to remind us of the
four ways to honour someone’s memory and keep their legacy alive:
1. Tell their stories – the ones that showcase who they are.·
Are we ready to tell the Ntumfor story?
2. Do something with the love;·
Shall we emulate him?
3. Spend
your time as wisely as Ntumfor does,
· Who
will and who wouldn’t?
4. Fundraise.
· How
shall we launch this magazine today?
Thank you for your
kind attention!
