I did not insult Bakossi people - Mayor Rose Ngassa, Tombel council

Against my usually quiet attitude towards press reports I wish, albeit reluctantly, to react to a front page story in The Detective newspaper, Vol. 20, No.7, of March 8-26, 2013 in which I am maliciously alleged to have insulted the Bakossi people; as per the title “Wena Bakossi people be langa people, I be buy wena, I go buy wena again -towards the new mayor in Tombel”

In the same article, the author insinuates that my achievements at the helm of the Tombel council are pretty small and unacceptable for the Tombel people to hand me another mayoral mandate. Other virulent attacks on me by the Detective Newspaper and its publisher, Ndengu Francis, include my having usurped an indigene’s mayoral position, my conniving with the supervisory Authority, the SDO for Kupe-Muanenguba to rob the indigenes of their reserve, as well as his wish to see TACUDA designate potential mayors from a winning CPDM list in the wake of what he believes is “ an intrusion into an entirely Bakossi affair by a non native. “ The poor state of the Tombel - Loum and Tombel -Nyasoso roads also featured in Ndengu’s list of my unaccomplished projects which should constitute, without further thought, the basis of my leaving the Tombel mayorship.

 But for want of space and time, I would have gladly addressed Senior Journalist Ndengu’s personal worries as evident in his write up, on this page. Permit me in the next few lines dwell on the publisher’s very aching, inciting and divisive remark falsely attributed to my person and reportedly, spat out as comment, according to the report, by Barrister Mpacko Jacob Njume, presented in the story as one of the mayoral contender. That I said, in  an open council session, in my early days in office and in the presence of an SDO of Bakossi origin, Eboue Njoume and I quote, “Wena Bakossi Be Langa People, I Be Buy Wena, I go Buy Wena again, Towards the next Mayor of Tombel,” on the front page and page five of his last publication.

Disclaimer

Owing to the falsehood and fabricated lies spread around by the egocentric and slanderous journalism embodied by Mr. Ndengu Francis Epie and his Detective Tabloid, I, Rose Ngassa, mayor of the Tombel council and daughter of Tombel, do hereby disclaim as blackmail the statement of insult in the aforementioned newspaper. I, at the same time disassociate myself from such provocative pronouncements whose aim is to wreck havoc in a peaceful municipality like ours.

 I could not have rained insults on a people that have given me their “all” from birth, including, love, confidence, trust and parental care. I could not have insulted the Bakossi people, let alone, called them “Langa People” when my lineage and I enjoy the incessant benevolence and hospitality of our brothers and sisters of this tribe. I could not have paid the Bakossi man back with such venom when I know they came calling at my Douala base for me, their sister, to come and lend them my little support too, to weed out thorns and plant vegetables to develop our municipality, and consequently voting me massively thereafter. It could never have happened in an open Tombel council session with 35 firebrand councillors present who would have reacted violently to such.  No one can doubt the calibre of councillors we have in Tombel who will not take such insults lying down.

Perhaps, The Detective’s founder, a son of Nyasoso, should tender an apology to the Bakossi people he and his hirers are indirectly putting to ridicule for, I don’t have what it takes to buy over a determined and politically focused Bakossi people. I also lack the lies telling courage to voice such blatant lies anywhere else, let alone, in an open council session presided over by an SDO of Bakossi origin.

I strongly hold that, Learned Barrister Mpacko Jacob, quoted by Ndengu Francis Epie in his story, cannot for the sake of truth say this! If he did, then, it’s most regrettable because, Barrister Mpacko is one of those councillors the people in Tombel hold in high esteem and count on for the truth. In that respect and for the sake of same truth, I expect him to disassociate himself from this scam the Detective Newspaper and its publisher are pitifully dragging him into. My fervent wish is to read a disclaimer from him as well.

Ndengu did well to line up names of my possible successors at the helm of the Tombel council in the same write up, which ties with our democratic process.  But for him to wrap them up in  a blanket of blackmail, sabotage and character assassination against me even when elections are still to be announced, is to say the least,  too primitive and immature. Of course, elections are around the corner, we all look forward to our mature electorates of Tombel to appreciate each and every one of us through their votes based on our legacies and what we have in store for Tombel. Wanton mudslinging will not do the trick.

  As for the Tombel – Nyasoso and Tombel-Loum roads he accuses me of having abandoned, I presume Ndengu should know as much that, these are highways maintained by the state of Cameroon. One needs the express authorization of the minister of public works via the Governor, which may never come, to work on them. You see why we can’t get up one day and push our caterpillars out there to grade these roads.

Paradoxically, Mr. Editor, you are of the opinion that I should be given marching orders out of Tombel council due to my unacceptable performances, the same performances your newspaper Vol. 20, No. 6 of December 27, 2012 to January 8, 2013 hailed and displayed on her first and inner pages. What journalism! Though, I don’t seem to know much about journalism, I perceive this as a professional blunder from someone the young generation of pressmen should look up to for responsible journalism and the respect of its ethics.  Not surprising at all, you revisited the issue of the purchase of a Council Caterpillar, since sanctioned in a session. This, to whip up unnecessary sentiments and create uproar where there should be none. You are aware we are in need of a competent driver to handle the heavy duty machine not to be entrusted into the hands of misfits. As for the allusion to the purchase being done in shady circumstances, auditors can better do that job not you, sir. 

 While I hold Journalists in extremely high regard because of the very vital role they play in shaping our society, I cannot at the same time hesitate to condemn, without ruling out possibility of taking legal action against one whose pen power is to denigrate his own people under the guise of tribal sentiments. This is patent proof of journalism being dragged into mud. That freedom of expression has come to stay in Cameroon does not give journalists in the likes of the publisher of The Detective the latitude to use their organs to promote tribalism, selfishly try to incite a people against their daughter, unanimously called and elected to run their  council affairs.

It should be out of sheer primitive tendencies for a Journalist of your standing to be fanning tribal conflicts in a subdivision with a cosmopolitan configuration, imbued with peaceful coexistence of several tribes as the Cameroon laws advocate. Of course, we can agree that,  of the several Mayors in Douala, Yaounde, and other parts of our country, many are not indigenes yet, they all look up to the development of their respective municipalities. That should be the goal of Tombel people at this point not what tribe should not be voted as mayor.

Needless reminding Mr. Ndengu Francis of the legal consequences of propagating such reputation damaging news, intended to create a rift between the devoted, focused and the committed Bakossi brothers and sisters of Tombel municipality and Kupe-Muanenguba as a whole, against my humble self, their daughter.

Although the main thrust of his story is to breach the very cordial and fraternal relation with a people I have entertained a free flow of socio-cultural, political and above all, family ties for scores of years, may I tell him loud and clear that, the Tombel population is too knowledgeable to be taken in by his misleading, divisive and fallacious writings.

Conclusion

Although Ndengu shallowly preaches illusionary unity in Tombel with vain claims that he and his hirers, if any be, are not antagonizing those he calls, “strangers” in the closing paragraphs of his demonic epistle, shrewdly denying making mayors in Tombel too, it is very clear that, this story like many other personal opinions expressed in The Detective Newspaper are aimed at putting me at loggerheads with the devoted, collaborative and committed Bakossi brothers and sister who have stood by me all along.

Ndengu should feel free and side with whosoever he wants. That is politics, but he should not use me as bait.  I can assure him that, I won’t take this last outburst lying down. He should be bracing up to tell the courts more on this soon.   Or, if Ndengu and Co. are sensing electoral defeat already, the best thing to do is to further reinforce or back out honourably.

Be it what, we are all sons and daughters of Tombel and we owe that subdivision a duty to bring it out of its present state of underdevelopment, each person in his or her little sphere, no matter the tribal barriers we try to erect. I don’t have any other place I call home, Tombel remains that. So, I owe this town much. Your likes should not disrupt the vision I have for Tombel.

On a last note, Rose Ngassa as mayor of Tombel, holds strongly to her achievements in the last five years, maybe reasonable enough to challenge previous records in the same council. But, this to me falls below the dream I have for Tombel municipality. That’s why I remain the lone mayor who has shunned her social amenities like electricity and water bill allowances, ploughing them back into municipality development programmes. This is what other mayors sign out first, even in the wake of financial crisis.  Tombel people share a common vision with me, an emerging, prosperous and united Tombel in the next few years. If you have Tombel at heart, then you should join hands to achieve more together.  As for the other baseless attacks on me, the SDO for Kupe-Muanenguba, they are irrelevant and inconsequential.

 Lastly, I entreat The Detective to publish this rejoinder on its front page and inner pages in its next edition as per the law.

My sincere regards,
Rose Ngassa, Tombel council, mayor