Two Prominent NW Economic Operators, Daniel Nangah of NANGAH COMPANY, And Daniel Che Of CHE & SONS COMPANY, Both Committed One Deadly Mistake

The two close friends, allowed themselves to be manipulated by politicians, to clash in the election for the then powerful post of Mezam CNU Section President

 As Barrack Obama said when he was President of the United States, elections have consequences

. The consequences of the clash of the titans between Nangah and Che in Bamenda, almost crumbled the Che & Sons Company

 In those days of one party rule of the Cameroon National Union, CNU, which in 1985 was transformed into the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, CPDM, a Section President was a very powerful political figure in the country. Unlike today whereby a CPDM Section President is the boss of the party in a sub –division, in the one party era, the CNU or CPDM Section President was the boss of the party in a  whole Division.  In the Northwest Province, there were only five Divisions – Mezam, Momo, Bui, Menchum and Donga and Mantung. Today’s Ngohketunjia Division comprised of three sub – divisions, was then Ndop Sub – division, and was part of Mezam Division. Today’s Boyo Division was then Fundong Sub – division, and was part of Menchum Division. This meant for example, that the Mezam CNU or CPDM Section President then, was head of the party in what is today Mezam and Ngohketungia Divisions.

Today Mezam Division is comprised of seven sub – divisions, while Ngohketunjia Division is comprised of 3 sub –divisions. So the Mezam and Ngohketunjia area that in the days of one party rule was controlled by one Section President, is today under 10 Section Presidents. It was the same thing in other Provinces. It would be recalled that a well – known political figure on the political scene in Cameroon today, Hon Jean Jacques Ekindi, was the Wouri CPDM Section President in the late 80s. He was a very powerful political figure then, because he was in charge of the whole of Wouri Division, which today is comprised of six sub –divisions (Douala 1 – 5, and Manoka).

The Clash Of The Titans – Nangah  And Che Vied For The Post Of Mezam  CNU Section President

The power that a CNU or CPDM Section President wielded in those days was enormous, considering the large territory he had under his command, as regard the one party that existed then.  And because of this, the election of a new CNU Section President in the Northwest Province like elsewhere, was a do or die affair between members of the two lists in competition, or better still, between camps, in the race.   Each of the lists was also backed by powerful political figures in the area. The general tendency thus, was that the two lists in an election would turn into two strongly or bitterly opposed political camps. Most a times, the antagonism between the two opposing camps was so strong that it would drag on for a long time after the election.  Things would degenerate, a times, to the point where each camp would accuse the other of ‘’black magic’ or witchcraft. The result of the election, coupled with all sorts of allegations or accusations by both camps, often ignited rancour between some persons in opposing camps, or even between the opposing camps.

Meanwhile all the above flashback on the powers of the CNU or CPDM Section President during the one party era in Cameroon, and how rough the fight was between two camps at the election for the post of Section President, is to set the stage for the story of the devastating clash of the titans that happened in the then Mezan Division, at the election for the post of CNU Section President.

What many people could not have imagined happened. It was something that was not supposed to be allowed to happen by political elites of Mezam in particular, and Northwest Province in general, if they had given room to rationality, wisdom or interest of the province. Two illustrious sons of the Northwest Region, Daniel Nangah and Daniel Che, two big economic operators of the Northwest Province, Daniel Nangah , Founder the Family Business, Nangah Company, and Daniel Che, Founder of  the Family Business, Che & Sons Company, two close friends in business,  Daniel Nangah and Daniel Che,  and two financial heavyweights, Daniel Nangah and  Daniel Che,  had to clash for the post of Mezam CNU Section President.   It was the veritable clash of the titans.

Either Che Or Nangah, Was Supposed To Withdraw From The Election  

Daniel Nangah for longtime either did not have, or did not show interest, in politics. In those one party days, especially as a big economic operator, Nangah was a CNU militant, and would regularly make his financial contributions to the party. But it ended there. He never showed interest to run for an elective post. Suffice to say, that along the way, some prominent political elites of the Northwest, with whom Nangah had close relationships like Dr John Ngu Foncha and Hon Simon Achidi Achu, encouraged him, or even persuaded him to run for the post of Mezam CNU Section President.  On the other hand, Daniel Che of Che & and Sons Company, was encouraged by another strong group led by Fon Angwafo of Mankon, to also run for the post of Mezam CNU Section President.

It is not clear as to whether it was Che or Nangah that first sent in his list for the election. . But in a normal situation, the two big economic operators that were also close friends were supposed to have known each other’s political agenda. In a normal situation also, one of the two economic operators would have withdrawn from the race for the other.  And the person to have withdrawn should have normally been Che, considering that he was the one benefiting more from his relationship with Nangah.

Che Beats Nangah In The Elections, And Suffers The Consequences

Meanwhile though Daniel Nangah was a wealthy businessman, he was not used to the intrigues that happened in politics, and more so, he was a bit tight fisted. This was unlike Che whose hands were ‘open’, and who knew for example that militants needed to be motivated with the provision of ‘transport money’. Suffice to say in the clash between the two titans for the prestigious post of Mezam CNU Section President, the list that was headed by Che beat the list that was headed by Nangah. With that, Che thus emerged as the new Mezam CNU Section President.

Nangah felt humiliated by Che, and was furious. As Barrack Obama said when he was US President, elections have consequences. In the case of Nangah and Che, their relationship got so strained over the election. The consequences of the election on Daniel Che, was that Nangah in his anger turned off the tap.  Nangah stopped giving parts of his contracts to Che, and also stopped assisting him with loans to carryout contracts. Che was so much hard hit by Nangah’s decision. But it is difficult to imagine that Che did not think of the consequences to his business, when he decided not to withdraw, but rather to face Nangah in the election for the post of President of the Mezam CNU Section.  The Che & Sons Company was on the decline, because of the decision by Daniel Nangah to stop assisting Daniel Che.  Worse still was the fact that Che got into financial difficulties, at a time that he needed money the more. As Mezam CNU Section President, his private expenditure increased, as demand was of course high.

A Beti Friend Comes To Che’s Rescue, But – – –

Che & Sons Company was down for quite a while, until fortunately for Che, a close Beti friend of his was appointed Minister of Territorial Administration. By then, the Prisons Department was under the Ministry of Territorial Administration. The Minister of Territorial Administration gave his friend, Che, contracts to build a number of structures at some prisons in the country. Those contracts greatly helped to revive the Che & Sons Company. However Che still had one big problem, which was to raise funds to use to execute contracts. Che at one point travelled to the United States, allegedly to source for funds for his company. It is not certain as to what happened to Che in the United States, though a number of allegations were peddled around by the camp of his political opponents.  Suffice to say when Che returned to the country, he fell sick, and gave up the ghost.

Nangah Company Of Daniel Nangah Also Suffered!

Meanwhile, the Nangah Company of Daniel Nangah, also allegedly suffered the consequences of his involvement in politics. It is alleged that the Government at one point discovered that the Nangah Company had played some fowl games over the payment if taxes for a period of time, and slammed a very heavy penalty on the company which seriously affected the company’s finances. Some sources  alleged that it was the camp of Nangah’s political opponents that leaked the information to Government. Some other sources instead alleged that it was rather discovered that Nangah was also visiting the big man’s ‘deuxieme bureau’, and had to pay dearly for that.   Whatever the case, it should be noted that by the time Nangah passed away in 1990, his company was not what it used to be.