In consequence
of the poor situation of my parents and the past debts that my mother
had incurred (and needed many more years to pay off the debt), I could
not continue to High school. I was forced to seek employment at different
major cities of the country at that tender age. These efforts yielded
no fruits for I struggled in vain and came back to Kumbo after one year.
I then went to pick coffee at the Nso Area Co-operative Union on 150
CFA (15 pence) per day, or £4.50 a month.
After making a series
of contacts, sleepless nights, I got an offer for a one year scholarship
to study French in Paris from Secours Catholique headed by Monseigneur
Ramondot. The scholarship was to last only two years This scholarship
was to be valid pending some contribution (flight and processing of
travel documents) from my poor parents and myself. The only alternative
at our disposal was to sell our property. After the French course, I
went to study History and Anthropology at the University of Pantheon-Sorbonne
(Paris I) where I obtained the Licence, Maîtrise, DEA and Doctorate
degrees. While studying I had to work to pay for my education. The only
efficient way was to learn a good profession. I consequently became
a Telex Operator. This gave me regular temporary jobs in many companies
in Paris. I equally trained to teach and also taught at College Jean
Lurçat in St Denis in the Northern Suburbs of Paris.
My History and Anthropology
studies sent me back to the Cameroon in 1980 where I carried on research.
This trip brought me in touch and contact with the acute developmental
problems facing my community. When I returned back to Paris in 1982
I was continuously torn apart seeing the excessive differences between
the Western rich society and the extreme poor African communities. The
problems of education, health and infrastructure were too acute and
needed every energy to seek to address them.
I got married in
1980 and now have five children. In 1986 I decided to forgo the lucrative
job working for Slumberger, a big petroleum extraction company, to return
to my country where I stayed for 9 months without a job. With the savings
I had made in Europe, I toured many areas of the country, carried on
more research as well as wrote articles for local and international
newspapers.
In 1987, I was
recruited into the Ministry of National Education where I served for
1 year as a High School teacher. At the end of that year I was recruited
into the University of Yaoundé - Cameroon and dispatched to the
Higher Teacher Training School (ENS) which trains teachers of secondary
schools. I served in this school until June 2002 when I sought and was
elected into, the Cameroon National Assembly. While teaching at the
ENS (Higher Teacher College), I continued research in the Kumbo district
area and beyond and published locally and internationally. These researches
and earlier ones that consisted mostly of participatory observations,
brought me more and more in contact with the peoples of Kumbo in the
NW province and Cameroon at large. Some of my students at ENS went on
internship to this District and I continued with my contacts and deep
knowledge of the populations' problems and the peoples themselves. I
also proposed solutions as well as shared their difficulties and lives.
I have during these years been elected to many social and leadership
positions in the Province.
I have helped to
create and support many organisations, associations and schemes (development
oriented) etc and many of these have been implemented in the whole sub-region
and nationwide. One such outstanding case is the Insurance Scheme, which
through my wife, has been implemented at CNA (La Citoyenne) in Cameroon
and West Africa. I am equally one of the founding members of and supporters
of Strategic Humanitarian Services (SHUMAS) NGO and the 21st Century
Bamenda Forum. In addition, I am the founder and promoter of KUDOC (Kumbo
Development and Orientation Centre (see infra).
In June 2002, Parliamentary Elections were scheduled for the Cameroon
Nation. Since I had worked with and made many significant contributions
to, the people of my locality, there were many encouragements for me
to present my candidature for Parliament. One of the most urgent driving
forces that urged me take the decision to stand for elections is because
of the in-depth corruption of the Government Departments in my country.
In fact my country is blessed with many resources, yet people are growing
poorer and poorer. When I went in I was elected with a very large majority
and headed the list from my constituency. While in Parliament I was
appointed Deputy Group Leader of the main opposition party and Head
of the Social Department of that Group as well as being in the Foreign
Affairs Commission of the Assembly. I was also elected one of the 4
Board members of the Parliamentary Hotel building + Restaurant Service.
My election into the Cameroon National Assembly followed a deeper reflection
on how to tackle the acute problems of youth unemployment and fight
against corrupt government official and rural development in Kumbo.
In a nutshell, I feel I am a voice and shield of the silent majority
and the underprivileged that I am happy to represent.
In 1999, we organised
reflections on some pertinent problems, particularly the acute high
rate of youth unemployment and the complete abandonment of the area
because it dared to oppose corrupt practises of the government. The
resultant conclusion was the creation of the KUDOC (Kumbo Development
and Orientation Centre), which seeks to address two key issues - the
plight of youths and the excessive high level of unemployment and the
equally high under development rate in the entire District. The creation
of this centre has gained wonderful enthusiasm through its various activities.
We have had seminars, workshops, and orientation courses. We have mobilised
the population and carried out fundraising to address shouting developmental
problems. We are embarked on one of the great quests of our youths -
the creation of computer technology facilities. The youths have been
yearning for such facilities and this is our wish to create an ICT centre
to facilitate youth employment. KUDOC stands as a strong partner in
addressing problems of the region as testified by its high membership
rate and effective execution of some rural and youth issues.
Throughout these
numbers of years I have had contact with the Kumbo District and population.
I have constantly questioned developmental options of our government,
of international bodies, big companies and multinational companies as
well as big financial institutions. When I look at the level of the
existence of poverty in my region and the manner in which projects,
programs and development projects are elaborated, financed and executed,
there is great deception and bitterness and much is left to be desired.
I was pushed by all these factors to join politics and particularly
the opposition where I will have no constraints to denounce wrong options
and abuses. Being MP is also helping me to be able to finance some of
the projects, which have better meaning and greater impact to people.
My dual capacity as MP and co-ordinator makes me really tackle most
of the problems of the area much more effectively because of two strong
weapons - the possibility of high decision-making and that of financial
autonomy - even though my finances are limited. KUDOC, which has been
doing effective work and is equally very appreciated, will again have
its activities enhanced by my leadership.
