According to Wikipedia glossary, Politics is the process of making uniform decisions applying to all members of a group. More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance, organized control over a human community, particularly a state.
A politician is thus one who is actively involved in politics or one who holds or seeks a political office. In Cameroon and Ngoketunjia division in particular, we are used to seasonal politicians. People who are seen only during the process of choosing someone for an elective position.
A fortnight ago a reporter referred to politics in Ngoketunjia being reduced to a Njingum Musa affair. Whether or not politics can be an individual’s affair, the hidden truth about Ngoketunjia is that Hon. Njingum Musa is politically more active than any other individual.
Take him as a case study, observe his activities and ask yourself from the bottom of your heart without party leanings what else is needed of a politician of his standards. He is people’s representative or more commonly a parliamentarian. As a parliamentarian he has the mandate to represent the people of Ngoketunjia North Constituency in the national assembly. Something he has been doing diligently and his contributions were recently rewarded by members of the national assembly who unanimously elected him to the position of a “Questor” having the rang and prerogatives of a minister.
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Back home, he has to support community development projects, rally his people to obey state institutions, to educate his people on changes to the law of the land among others. Taking support to community development projects or call it micro projects, this is an area where politicians especially parliamentarians have always had problems with their people. In the case of Hon Njingum Musa, the doctor is instead looking for patients, something that would have been the other way round.
Take for example, he recently paid visits to mosques within his constituency, ensuring that the prayer grounds are constructed to dignifying standards. Here, he donated bags of cement, plywood, corrugated iron sheets (zinc), financial assistance just to name a few. Then came the visit to schools both primary and secondary schools where he saw for himself development projects he supported, the case of G.S Mbonkwo Kake.
Bambalang village was without a ceremonial ground for some years and the Member of Parliament sponsor with a “twinkle of an eye” the construction of a ceremonial ground that today serves as the main playing ground in the village.
To the youths, the Member of Parliament organized a football tournament for peace, love and unity. A tournament that culminated with the visit of His Excellency the minister of sports and physical education Bidung Mpatt. This tournament, the Member of Parliament said in his words was for Ngoketunjia division and not only his constituency. It ended that not only youths in Ndop central and Babessi participated but youths from Balikumbat Sub Division also had a taste of his largess. During the semifinals that took place at Balikumbat ceremonial ground, indigenes came out and sang songs with praises to someone they have always been hearing about his good works.
These activities are just few among numerous activities he has undertaken within the past months. During Labour Day 1st of May like international women’s day on the 8th of March, the Member of Parliament had a communion with all groups that registered for match past. If a good politician is someone who does good work then what else do we need? This question and many others are being asked and Hon. Njingum Musa’s activities have gone beyond that of the people’s representatives. For if not, what does he want? There are no elections now, his party, the CPDM is without doubt the most popular party in our Division where people feel proud to identify themselves with the party, the case here wherein all the three councils, two parliamentary seats and a senatorial position are all occupied by CPDM representatives.
In the book Hardball, Chris Mathews does an outstanding job of explaining what good and bad politics and politicians are, as well as how to get there or avoid it. Even though they are his thoughts, every right thinking person will see that a good politician should be someone who is concerned with the well-being of his people and knows how to help them overcome their challenges.
In our case Hon. Njingum Musa is not only concern with the well-being of his people, but he leads the problem solving chain. This is seen through the number of people who identify themselves with him calling him “daddy or papa Musa”. To them, they don’t see him as a politician rather they see him as a father. His activities are not only lauded by his party comrades but by a cross section of non-militants.
This write up is not saying that Hon. Njingum is perfect but rather recognizing like any development oriented person, his efforts towards the amelioration of the living standards of people who are in need. Critics hold that it is a matter of time and thus only time will tell whether it is truly for the well-being of people or for personal aggrandizement. These critics should not also forget in a hurry that there is a popular believe that, “the more people talk positively about you, the more God’s blessings will be showered on you and your heart desires granted”.
His ingenuity in politics has earned him several awards from several media organs notably, The Watchdog Tribune, World Echoes, The Guardian Post, Life Time and most recently The Eye Newspaper where he was voted as Best Politician of The Year
Whether it is for the amelioration of the living condition of the people or not, observers hold that such a largess have never existed in Ngoketunjia division since the arrival of multiparty politics.
By Mbah Isofa
ngoketunjiaonline: when it happens in Ngoketunjia, we know it and when we know it, you know it and of course we know it because we are ngoketunjiaonline and we stand for the development of our division
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