By Ndi Eugene Ndi
In his first major appointments since becoming National Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, Hon Joshua Osih has named the Deputy National Coordinator of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West (PPRD-NW/SW) regions, Njong Donatus Fonyuy as Secretary General of the political outfit.
Njong who has been Deputy National Coordinator of the PPRD-NW/SW following his appointment by the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute in April 2020 was candidate for the position of First Vice National President of the SDF party at the October 29 Elective Convention during which Osih was elected National Chairman, but was defeated by Mochiggle Vanigansen, lone SDF representative at the Senate – appointed by President Paul Biya.
Mochiggle whose appointment into the Upper House of Parliament from the North West region and subsequent election as Vice President was heavily criticized by some members of the party seemingly transferred his constituency to the Center region as he was elected as candidate from the region that hosts government and other institutions.
Mayor of Kumbo from 1996 – 2020, Njong replaces Barrister Adeline Lord Djomgang, who the new party chieftain appointed into the college of advisors – the National Advisory Committee.
Political observers say Njong comes to the head of the SDF secretariat with a wealth of experience in administration and will no doubt deliver. Cumulative as Mayor of Kumbo, he served as Secretary General of Union of Councils and Cities of Cameroon (UCCC) an association that brings together all mayors and City Mayors in the country irrespective of their political inclinations. After five years as SG of UCCC, the then mayor of Kumbo was elected Vice President for another five-year term and became National Treasurer of same union in 2007, a post he surrendered just after leaving the Kumbo council in 2020 – same year he was appointed by the Prime Minister.
However, critics say the appointment of the Deputy National Coordinator of the PPRD-NW/SW – also an appointee of the regime has further brought the party closer to the ruling Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement (CPDM) of President Biya.
They argue that the National Chairman, Hon Joshua Osih is bureau member of the National Assembly where he is Questor while First Vice National President, Senator Mochiggle is also bureau member of the Senate where he is Vice President.
Some observers had already found the SDF increasingly CPDM-friendly under Osih when he was First National Vice President and “behind-the-scenes leader” of the party while the late Ni John Fru had been convalescing.
The controversy further made headlines when Osih joined members of the ruling CPDM in a signing a controversial memo to the US President, Joe Biden Administration concerning US-based Cameroonian asylum seekers in 2021. Though the Member of Parliament then defended the act saying it was a petition initiated by the entire house, his colleagues accused him of siding with the ruling party for personal interests.
His then comrade, Hon Jean-Michel Nintcheu said Osih was motivated by “personal, egoistic and egocentric interests to the detriment of the population”, but Osih rebuffed saying the petition defends the Republic of Cameroon and parliament defends the republic.
“The SDF defends the republic and I belong to the SDF” Osih said then.
However, some observers still think the expulsion of some senior party officials, including Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu, considered the most CPDM-hostile SDF member was a way of clearing the way for the romance with the ruling party to continue.
First published in NewsWatch newspaper No. 165 of Monday December 4, 2023
