Njombe – Penja Council Gets The Third Mayor Within Four Years

Njombe – Penja Council Gets The Third Mayor Within Four Years

In 2020 COVID -19 unfortunately took away the National President of MPCN / Mayor of Njombe –Penja, PAUL ERIC KINGUE, who was so much loved by his people.

Barrister Rene Manfo who throughout the tumultuous years stood by Paul Eric Kingue as his lawyer and friend, was designated as the new Mayor of Njombe – Penja, in memory of late Mayor Kingue. But the shoe of the late mayor was too big for him to fit in.

In what is an unprecedented happening in the Littoral Region, and most probably in the entire country, Njombe – Penja Council in Mungo Division, has a new mayor in the person of Charly Olivier Lobe, who is the third mayor that the municipality is getting in less than four years, or better still since the last municipal elections which held in the country on February 9, 2020.

It would be recalled that at the February 9, 2020 Municipal Elections, an illustrious son of Njombe – Penja, Paul Eric Kingue, who was also a prominent political figure in Cameroon, swept his way to victory in the municipality, with his new party, MPCN.

                   Paul Eric Kingue  And Njombe – Penja Population  

It is also worth recalling that Paul Eric Kingue who lived in South Africa for many years before rerunning home, first became Mayor of the Njombe – Penja Council in 2007, on the CPDM platform. He was then also the CPDM Section President. His outspokenness against the exploitation of Cameroonian labourers by the French plantation company, PHP, operating a large plantation in Njombe – Penja Sub –division, earned Paul Eric Kingue a lot of support by the population of municipality. But on the other hand it raised the eyebrows of local administrative authorities of the sub –division, as well as that of Mungo Division. The French management of the PHP was of course very angry with Mayor Kingue.

The relationship between Mayor Kingue and the French management of PHP Njombe – Penja and the local administration in Mungo Division, got so strained. This was especially when Mayor Paul Eric Kingue exposed to Yaounde, a mafia that had for quite a number of years led the French company, PHP, with the complicity of some Cameroonian authorities, to unfairly benefit from some tax exemptions, to the detriment of the Njombe – Penja Council (municipality) and the State of Cameroon.

                 Imprisonment Of Mayor Kingue Jailed      

During the February 2008 uprising by youths in some parts of the country against high cost of living,   a group of irate youths in Njombe – Penja, stormed the plantation of the French company, PHP, and carried out some destruction. Though Mayor Kingue was not even in Njombe – Penja Municipality on the day of the incident, he was immediately accused by  the local administration,  the management of PHP, and the then Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Marafa  Hamidou Yaya, of having masterminded the operation.

Suffice to say Paul Eric Kingue who by then had been Mayor of Njombe – Penja for less than a year, was arrested and thrown into jail, He was slammed heavy imprisonment sentences. From the Nkongsamba Prison, he was later moved to the New Bell Prison in Douala, where he spent a number of years, and was finally released by the Cameroon Government following the strong intervention of the UN High Commission for Human Rights.

                                     Grand Return Of Paul Eric Kingue

Meanwhile at the 2013 Municipal Elections, the indignant population of Njombe – Penja, sanctioned the CPDM Party for what the CPDM Government did to Paul Eric Kingue, by voting the opposition SDF to take over the running of the Njjombe – Penja Council. The next municipal election came up on February 9, 2020. By then, Paul Eric Kingue who had since been out of prison had created his own political party, MPCN.  Kingue headed his party’s list at the municipal election in Njombe – Penja, and without any surprise, his new party won the election in the municipality. Kingue bounced back as Mayor of Njombe – Penja, to the delight and applause of the population.

But unfortunately, it was as if some negative forces would not allow Paul Eric Kingue to be Mayor of Njombe – Penja, or would not allow the population of Njombe – Penja to have the person they wanted most as their mayor. Mayor Kingue died in late 2020 in Douala from what was officially said to be COVID – 19, but which was strongly contested by the population of Njombe – Penja. He was mayor for just a couple of months. Despite the COVID -19 restrictions, the population of Njombe Penja turned out massively, and in tears, to bid farewell to their departed hero, Mayor Paul Eric Kingue.

           Late Mayor Kingue’s s Lawyer And Friend, Elected As New Mayor

The above story leads us to see how Barrister Jean Rene Manfo Songong, commonly known as Rene Manfo, who was not even based in Njombe –Penja, became mayor of the municipality after the death of Paul Eric Kingue.

Barrister Rene Manfo, who is also a human rights lawyer, was the lawyer of Paul Eric Kingue from the first day he was arrested in  in the February 2008 uprising by youths, throughout the time he appeared at  the Mungo High Court in Nkongsamba, and later at the  Littoral Court of Appeal in Douala. Barrister Manfo thus stayed by Kingue throughout the time he was at the Nkongsamba Prison, as well as the number of years he spent at the New Bell Prison in  Douala. Kingue and Manfo became more like brothers. Many sympathizers of Paul Eric Kingue from Njombe –  Penja, who used to travel to the Mungo High Court  In Nkongsamba and  later to the Littoral Court of Appeal in Douala for Paul Eric Kingue’s case, came to know Barrister Rene Manfo, and appreciated  the fact that he stood firmly by the incarcerated Kingie, despite all odds.

Paul Eric Kingue put  Barrister Rene Manfo on the MPCN list for  the February 9, 2020 Municipal Elections in Njombe – Penja, even though he was not based in Douala, and had not also been  engaged in politics before.  When Mayor Kingue suddenly passed away, the MPCN Deputy Mayors and councilors of  the Njombe – Penja  Council, unanimously agreed that the best thing to do pay homage to their fallen leader and also as a symbolic sign  of remembrance, was to make Late Mayor Kingue’s lawyer and ‘right – hand – man’, Barrister Rene Manfo, his successor as Mayor of Njombe – Penja. That was how they went on to vote Barrister Rene Manfo as  the new Mayor of Njombe –Penja at a council session that held on May 21, 2021. He was officially installed on July 7, 2021.

Alleged Incompetence And Other Allegations.    

But it did not take long for the new Mayor of Njombe – Penja, Barrister Rene Manfo, who was completely new in the domain, to start having serious problems. On November 15, 2021, workers of the Njombe – Penja Council issued a strike notice, complaining of several months of unpaid salaries. Also, the DO of Njombe – Penja in an observation note to hierarchy, said that the council was not functioning well. That drew the wrath of Mayor Manfo, who accused the DO of being CPDM, and of sabotage.

But soon, the MPCN councilors too started complaining of alleged poor management of the council by Mayor Manfo.  On March 17, 2022, the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, Elanga Obam Georges, received a petition filed by councilors of the Njombe – Penja Council, against what they termed the “calamitous management” of the council by Mayor Rene Manfo.  At a session of the Njombe – Penja Councilor on March 21, 2022, the SDO of Mungo, Yves Bertrand Noel Ndjana, tried in vain to reconcile the Mayor and the councilors, including the Deputy Mayors.

           Councilors Want To Destitute The Mayor

On June 22, 2022, workers of the Njombe – Penja Council issued another strike notice.  On September 13, 222, a delegation from Yaounde had a working session with councilors and Mayor of the  Njombe – Penja Council in an attempt to reconcile them, but the attempts failed.  Instead, the councilors later on November 15, 2022 wrote to the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, demanding for the holding of an extraordinary council session to destitute the Mayor of Njombe – Penja, Barrister  Rene Manfo, and the 4^th Deputy Mayor, Medard Tchatchoua Tchuente. The 4^th Deputy Mayor had ben blacklisted by the councilors for collaborating with the mayor.

The administration through the SDO of Mungo tried again to reconcile the Mayor and councilors or the Njombe – Penja Council, by holding a working session with them on November 25, 2022. But the councilors stood their ground that Mayor Manfo must go.  On December 28, 2022, the councilors of the Njombe – Penja Council, addressed another correspondence to the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, making it clear to him that they would not start 2023 with Barrister Rene Manfo as mayor.

            Blockage Of Njombe – Penja Council

2023 thus did not start well for the Njombe – Penja Council, The budgetary session of the council had also failed to hold, as the councilors would not attend any session with Barrister Manfo as Mayor. Worth noting, that Barrister Manfo too did not play his politics well. He had before ben elected mayor to replace the Late Mayor Kingue, promised councilors and local MPCN officials that he would relocate and take up residence in the Njombe – Penja Municipality. But after the election, he failed to do so. And so he did not have that close touch with the councilors and the local party officials.  Living away in Douala, and thus zooming into the municipality from time to time, Mayor Manfo was considered an absentee landlord.

Meanwhile on June 22, 2023, the workers of Njombe – Penja Council once more issued another strike notice for accrued unpaid salaries.  On July 6, 2023, the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development received a report of the blockage of the Njombe – Penja Council. The 2023 budget of the council had not been voted, no council session had held. In fact the council without a budget was grounded. A mission from Yaounde again visited Njombe – Penja to once more try to unblock the situation, but failed.

  Mayor Manfo And 4^th Deputy Pushed Out

In the face of the prevailing situation of blockage at the Njombe – Penja Council, and with all attempts to unblock the situation having failed, the SDO of Mungo gave his visa for an extraordinary session of the Njombe – Penja Council on September 27, 2023.  At the session, the councilors passed a vote of no confidence on Mayor Rene Manfo, which meant that that he was sacked from office. The 4^th Deputy Mayor was also kicked out.

Then on October 18, 2023, the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, Elanga Georges Obam, signed Arrete No. 000195/A / Minddevel, and  Arrete No. 000196/A/ Mindevel, officially recognizing the decisions that were taken by the councilors of the  Njombe – Penja Council at the extraordinary council session on September 27, 2023, to destitute the Mayor, Barrister Jean Rene Manfo Songong, and the 4^th Deputy Mayor, Medard Tchatchoua Tchuente.

The SDO of Mungo, Yves Bertand Noel Ndjana, then convened a session of the Njombe – Penja Council to elect a new Mayor of the council. At that session, Charly Olivier Lobe, who is the youngest councilor, was voted the  new Mayor of Njombe – Penja Council.