Development has often been described as continuing where God stopped at creation. This means that the developer is an envoy of the Almighty Himself because he (the developer) manifests God’s image which he is, through service to his community and mankind as a whole.
To be a developer, the first quality is to be good natured and selfless. The celebrated English writer, Henry Fielding, observes that good people sacrifice for others not because it is their duty but because it is their nature to do that. What Fielding simply means is that truly good people do what they do because they have the goodwill and not out of compulsion. David Moh Tangongho, North West Delegate for the Council Support Fund, FEICOM, is an incomparable agent of development. FEICOM has always provided the needed funds for the development of all ten regions of Cameroon . But the feel good effect of this assistance has been greater in the North West during the tenure of Moh David than ever before. This is because of the great confidence the Director has in him. Confidence is like a match stick. Once the light goes out, it cannot be lighted again by sticking on the match box. The projects of FEICOM have been flowing like a river to the North West because its chief executor has kept the flame of the council support fund burning incessantly.
Development is facilitated when people are sensitized on how to go about it. Developers are born as well as made. Since 2008 David Moh Tangongho has been indefatigable in his crusade to sensitize mayors of the North West on the various opportunities FEICOM has; reason why council areas today have facilities like good roads, bridges, well built classrooms, markets, electricity, water, health centres. Councils that don’t have befitting structures housing them are simply those who don’t consider such halls a priority. FEICOM has transformed infrastructurally North West council areas, besides the equipment of their offices, provision of education materials and construction of toilets. In all, over 167 impressive projects worth scores of billions have been realized in the North West , thanks to FEICOM since 2006. But the bulk of the projects have been carried out since 2008. But the most commendable thing about him is that although a devoted CPDM militant, David Moh Tangongho does not discriminate against councils run by the opposition. His high sense of judgment enables him to see each council as a structure put in place by government to bring development to each community. That party inclination is only primordial during elections, but once elections are over, and mayors are elected they automatically become officials of the state.
Unfortunately, the good faith manifested by the FEICOM North West chief has not been emulated by many of the beneficiaries. A good number of opposition mayors don’t always explain to the people that the development projects they are benefiting from are there, thanks to FEICOM. Obviously in a bid to win future elections, they give the impression mostly through their silence, that they are the ones carrying out the projects. Silence when one ought to explain something is a lie of omission. It is a sublime exhibition of moral and intellectual dishonesty. By keeping silence, the person conveys a lie without suffering the guilt of telling it and this allows people to draw the wrong conclusions. A perfect example is what took place two decades ago, in the North Region (then North Province ). The United Nations Development Programme UNDP provided food aid to the people. Officials of the UNDP, one of Cameroon ’s major political parties failed to explain to the beneficiaries that UNDP was a UN development organ and so allowed the people to believe that it was UNDP the party that had provided the gift.
A Developer Recognized by His People
It was the Saviour Jesus Christ who said a prophet is not recognized in his home town. Christ made this remark after people in his native Nazareth failed to appreciate the miracles he performed healing them. Christ spoke in a particular context. However, like most universally accepted principles, there are usually exceptions. David Moh Tangongho is one of such few exceptions. The people of Baba 1 where he hails from were quick to realize his development potentials and unanimously elected him President of the Papiak-Kum (Baba 1) Development Meeting in Bamenda not long after FEICOM appointed him to head its North West office. This they did despite the fact that there were far older people. To say that he didn’t disappoint them or that he did well is to understate the fact: he excelled.
He stepped down in 2012 much to the chagrin of the people because of the volume of development work he had to do for FEICOM; Work that requires frequent movements and supervision of projects. But he continues as an indispensable adviser to his successor. His recognition as a development prophet in his home town was manifested on November 6, 2012 during the celebrations in Baba 1 marking President Biya’s 30 years in power. Mombakwed Victor who coordinated the occasion noted (as indicated before) that the SDF-led Babessi council was taking credit for government sponsored projects. He mentioned no names but the huge population which participated in the event shouted the names of David Moh Tangongho as the great developer through whom government (FEICOM) had brought electricity and potable water to the people of Baba 1.
Humble, Patient, Accessible
Humility is the greatest attribute of a great man, according to Thomas a Kempis, author of the much approved book, “Imitations of Christ”. The author, drawing inspiration from the humility of Christ (washing the feet of his apostles) Christ was in effect teaching us that leadership is service. In fact, to minister means to serve. Unfortunately, in our Cameroonian and even African context, ministers see themselves as bosses, masters to be worshipped and addressed as ‘Your Excellency’ when they don’t merit this honorific form of address.
David Moh Tangongho is very far from being a haughty office holder. He is humble, accessibly, always wears a smile and kind. He thus abides by the advice ‘Be kind to those you meet on your way up because you will meet them again on your way down’. Kindness does not however denote philanthropy or giving lavishly. It simply means having a spirit of sharing, a spirit of goodwill. If Moh David, a state worker were to choose philanthropy it would mean being charitable which funds meant for development. Being kind could just mean being polite or saying what comforts a person or makes him or her feel important and of value.
Of this quality of kindness the North West FEICOM Chief is in a class of his own. He derives no satisfaction from keeping queues (people) waiting at his office secretariat when he ought to receive them. Even if he cannot provide satisfactory solutions to problems presented, he at least listens to the people and suggests what he thinks is a plausible way out. Nobody therefore, leaves his office with a frown or a feeling of having been slighted. In brief, he is an exceptionally humble, polite and accessible state official.
Too Tough For Blackmailers
The friendly and affable nature of Moh David has given some evil minded person the impression that he is a push around. It is certainly this mistaken impression which made a mean-minded gentleman passing for a journalist to make a blackmail attempt on him. Before proceeding to narrate the short story, we deem it necessary here to state what blackmail actually means.
Blackmail does not mean to paint somebody black as many politicians and even some lawyers erroneously think when they say ‘blackmail is against the strong’. Blackmail actually means using a piece of information you have about somebody and using that to intimidate that person to get money or some other advantage. If for instance you see somebody’s husband or wife in an uncompromising position, let us say kissing or actually making love, you take the picture and threaten the person that you will give the picture to his or her partner unless given money, you are a blackmailer.
Back to the anecdote, the fake journalist approached Moh David claiming that he (the blackmailer) was in possession of incriminating him. He claimed that some mayors had accused Moh David of siphoning FEICOM funds and threatened publishing the story. The North West FEICOM Chief challenged the blackmailer to substantiate his claim with facts and figures including the identities of the mayors. The blackmailer couldn’t.
“Can you quit my office immediately and close the door behind you?” Moh David ordered. It is reasonable to conclude that if the blackmailer had stayed a minute, the FEICOM Chief would have called the police. It is obvious that the blackmailer needed money and thought he could use intimidation to obtain it.
All knowledgeable persons know that it is unwise even dangerous to succumb to blackmail because the blackmailer would always come back. In many cases, people who are objects of blackmail hire killers to eliminate blackmailers, especially if the hands of the persons being blackmailed are not clean. But besides, the fact that Moh David is too much of a Christian to hurt somebody, he knows ‘he has no skeleton in his cupboard’ as the common saying goes. It is therefore certain that if the blackmailer had implemented his threat of publishing the story, he would today be in jail. To forgive certain malpractices is indirectly, to encourage them. If a blackmailer is allowed to get away with his villainy, he would be tempted to use it on another and possibly more vulnerable person.
Moh David the Man
We have so far depicted him in his capacity as an official of FEICOM or a developer. We deem it necessary to perceive him as a man because what you do in office is greatly influenced by your private life. He is married to a beautiful, loving and kind wife with whom he has two lovely kids, a boy and a girl. A family is a small state and a state is a large family, says the celebrated French philosopher Roussou (the social contract). By implication, if you cannot manage a family, you are unlikely to be able to control a state or state office. Moh David’s competence as a leader is thanks to the love and support he enjoys from his wife and kids.
The extended family is an aspect of African culture which no African can ignore without inflicting serious injury on his conscience. This explains why Moh David takes care of his brothers, sisters and relations who are not very close. He doesn’t end there. Many, who are not even his relations benefit from him only by deserving it. That is another way of saying that he helps the needy even if they are not related to him. A believer by faith, he makes sure his right hand never knows what the left is doing.
To be a believer does not however mean to be recluse, who shies away from company. Like Christ, he is a great mixer. Christ would not have accomplished his mission of serving mankind if he restricted himself only to his family or immediate followers as some of his modern followers erroneously do. When you are serving the people, you should be with the people at their ‘born house’, marriages, and their funerals. You should share a drink with them when it is appropriate or convenient for you to do so. That is exactly what Moh David does. Like Christ, he never despises company or distinguishes between rich and poor. All human beings to him are brothers and sisters.
To conclude, we can state without exaggeration and without any fear of contradiction that Moh David is not only the greatest developer the North West can boast of for now, thanks to the support he has from his boss, the Director of FEICOM, he is an example, a role model to be emulated by the Cameroonian youth.
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