Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
Senator Marcel Niat Njifenji from the CPDM party in the West Region of Cameroon is the first President of Cameroon’s budding Senate.
He was elected June 12 2013 at the close of the First Statutory Ordinary Session of the Senate that opened May 14 2013.
Niat had 86 votes out of a hundred. At the close of the polling exercise, there were 14 null votes.
Thereafter, it was the election of the First Vice President of Senate, H.M Abubakary Abdoulaye, Senator from the North Region, who doubles as the Lamido of Rey Bouba.
Marcel Niat Njifenji - Senate President
The other 15 bureau members were voted in a consensus list of parties represented in the Senate. They come from the CPDM, SDF, NUDP and the MDR of Dakole Daissala.
At 79, Niat is the second personality in Cameroon after the President of the Republic according to constitutional provisions.
Niat: Who’s He?
Observers in Cameroon have been quick to describe Niat as a man of experience, good knowledge of development and politics. This son of Nde Division, West Region is also known to be discreet in his operations. Since he retired from government, he has been active and focussed on the wellbeing of his native Nde.
His triumph was unexpected. He is one of the Senators President Biya appointed recently in the West Region, where his ruling CPDM party was barred from competing in the Senatorial elections by Elections Cameroon, ELECAM.
Niat was born on October 26, 1934, in Bangangté, West Region of Cameroon. After completing his primary and secondary education in the country, he proceeded to France for higher education where he obtained a first degree in the sciences and a post graduate diploma in engineering from the Higher School of Electricity in Paris.
Back to Cameroon, he was integrated into the Public Service on December 31, 1960, as an engineer, specialised in the construction of bridges. He was also placed in charge of state technical services.
December 16 1962, he was detached and sent to ENELCAM in his capacity as engineer and then appointed on January 1, 1965 as Chief of Service for Studies and Works at a newly created Electricity Development Corporation, EDC.
January 1, 1970, he was made Chief of Service for Studies and Programming of Equipment.
January 1, 1973, he was promoted to the post of Deputy Director General of EDC.
He will be redeployed as Director General of Electricity Production and Distribution Company, SONEL. After five years in the cold, he was called back on September 2, 1989, to continue work as the Director General of SONEL.
September 7 1990, Niat will be appointed Minister of Plan and Regional Development. His stay in Government was however brief, as he was dropped in the shake-up of April 26, 1991. From there, he came back to his position as GM of SONEL.
Between April 9, 1991 and November 27, 1992, he cumulatively occupied the post of Vice Prime Minister in charge of Mines, Water and Energy and Director General of SONEL.
2001, he left SONEL after the privatisation of the state owned company.
A member of the CPDM Central Committee, Marcel Niat Njifenji was one time Mayor of Bangangté and was later voted as a Member of Parliament for the Ndé between 1992 and 1997. He is married and a father of four.
First Vice President of Senate
The Lamido of Rey Bouba in the North Region, 52-year old Aboubakary Abdoulaye emerged as the First Vice President of the Senate. He had 87 votes out of 100.
Aboubakari Abdoulaye - 1st Vice President of Senate
He was one time a senior official at the Presidency of the Republic and later appointed Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture. As a civil administrator by training, the Lamido is ruling the largest Lamidat in the Mayo-Rey, the largest administrative division of Cameroon.
A member of the CPDM Political Bureau, Aboubakary Abdoulaye played a key role as the President of the Regional Commission for the supervision of voters on electoral registers and later on as President of the Regional Commission for the CPDM in the wake of campaigns for Senatorial election in the North Region. It was reported that during the campaigns, he publicly declared his determination to use every means possible to ensure victory for the CPDM party.
He is married and a father of many children.
Other Bureau Members elected include:
4 Vice Presidents:
Genevieve Tjoues (CPDM)
Paul Tchatchouang (SDF)
Sylvestre Naah Ondoua (CPDM)
Simon Achidi Achu (CPDM)
3 Questors:
Jean Baptiste Bascouda (CPDM)
Lucas Njifua Fontem (CPDM)
Paulette Bisseck (CPDM)
8 Secretaries:
Baba Hamadou (CPDM)
Fon Teche Njie II (CPDM)
Simon Obam Assam (CPDM)
Madaleine Houa (SDF)
Marie Claire Mouapea (CPDM)
Pierrette Hayayou (CPDM)
Dakole Daisala (MDR)
Pierre Flambeau Ngayap (NUDP)
