SDF official drops dead after attending NEC meeting

From Leinyuy Marilyn in Bamenda

The SDF district chairman for Bafmen in Menchum division, Che Ngong Rex collapsed and died later in Bafmen yesterday. Ngong Rex who was recently detained for mercilessly beating up the SDF MP for Menchum North, Hon. Ndong Larry Hills a.k.a Wum Boy, was meanwhile present at last Saturday’s NEC meeting that held at Fru Ndi’s Ntarinkon palace.

He left the meeting even before it could officially be declared over last night, for Bafmen. Sources in Bafmen say he collapsed while drinking the local liquor commonly called in the area ‘sha’ and was pronounced dead yards before reaching the doorsteps of a local clinic. His corpse was then escorted to the Wum hospital mortuary for preservation.

Ngong Rex’s shocking death, it should be said, comes barely two weeks after that of the former SDF mayor for Nkambe, Mangoh Jones Tankoh. Like Ngong Rex, Mangoh collapsed on a Sunday and died shortly before medical attention could be solicited. But unlike Ngong Rex who collapsed in a drinking spot, Mangoh though he collapsed while attending a village meeting had not only been to church that ill-fated Sunday but offered Thanks Giving to God that same day. While Mangoh died already reconciled with his party leadership, Ngong Rex died while NEC was still examining the decision of his electoral district that had slammed him the dreaded Article 8.2 for beating up Hon. Ndong Larry Hills.

It should be recalled that Ngong Rex had assaulted Hon. Ndong Larry Hills in Bafmen palace on August 1, 2014 where he was invited to take part in a meeting which was summoned by the Bafmen Cultural and Development Association president. The meeting was summoned to discuss issues related to the Bafmen water project extension. In attendance were also the fon, mayor and traditional council authorities of Bafmen,

When the SDF MP took the floor to give directives on how a follow-up committee be put in place to monitor the work of the contractor carrying out the water project that is being sponsored by a Dutch family, Che Ngong Rex not only ordered him to sit down but accused him of doing nothing for Bafmen with his micro-projects grants. The late SDF district chairman rained insults on the MP in total disregard of the fon of Bafmen who had ordered the late SDF official to behave himself.

The meeting was brought to an abrupt end following the tension that was created in the palace by Ngong Rex. The former Bafmen SDF district chairman was before the premature end of the gathering slammed a fine of ten goats by the fon and traditional council of Bafmen.

When Hon. Ndong Larry Hills left the palace, Ngong Rex kept following him from behind and calling him the highest crook in the world and a thief. In anger, the MP responded that Ngong Rex was the highest crook in Bafmen who had been selling election results since 1992. At this juncture, the late SDF official gave the MP a devastating blow on his left eye.”

While he lost consciousness and fell on the ground, Ngong Rex took to his heels but was later arrested by gendarmes in Bafmen. Irate villagers and Bafmen SDF militants had invaded the gendarmerie cell and demanded to have Rex released for them to skin him. It took the timely intervention and wits of the Bafmen gendarmerie brigade commander for Che Ngong Rex to be whisked off to Wum where he was detained until recently.

Following the assault, Hon. Larry Hills was hospitalized at the Bamenda general hospital for four days. Hon. Larry Hills. While Ngong Rex’s burial programme was by press time last night not out, observers say it would be historic if Hon. Larry Hills attend and deliver a eulogy at his funeral.