Bangem mayor wins big for outstanding dev’t strides.

This was during the crowd pulling second edition of an award ceremony organised by the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers’ Association, CENPA. It held at Mountain Hotel, in Buea. 

According to the award jury, Mayor Ekungwe was recognised for “spearheading the development of Bangem municipality, through opening of roads linking remote villages and for marketing the Bangem Council to the world”.

The award jury comprised revered human rights personality, Tambe Tiku Christopher, as President; Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor another human rights heavyweight as Secretary, and the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Post, Kristian Ngah Christian, who is also President of CENPA, as member.

While handing the prestigious award to the multitasking municipal authority, Ngah lauded his uniqueness in serving as a veritable agent of local development. 

The CENPA president challenged the award-winning Mayor Ekungwe, not to relent in putting his expertise and experience at the service of the population of Bangem municipality.

It was a humbled, yet elated Mayor Ekungwe, alongside his beautiful wife, children and some councillors of the Bangem Council, who matched to the podium to get the recognition. 

Given his unrivalled commitment to local development and the wellbeing of the population of his municipality, the mayor said the award goes to them, councillors and elite of Bangem.

The versatile mayor also dedicated the award to his wife, Munge Cecilia Ekungwe. He thanked God for making a season such as this possible in his life.

For Councillor Atane Peter II, the recognition of the mayor’s development strides calls for more unity and support to achieve more.

Facts, figures that speak

The distinction given to Mayor Ekungwe, many are now saying and rightly so, is merited, given the many projects and social initiatives he has taken to improve the lot of the people of his municipality.

Lauded as a selfless servant-leader, the mayor has to his credit among several other projects, realistations that have continued to be hailed as historic. 

Others, members of the community are saying, have never seen the light of day since the council area was created.

With its rich soils and huge agricultural potential, Mayor Ekungwe has been outstanding in opening up roads. One of such is the Ebamut-Nkonte stretch, that makes it easy for harvests to reach the market.

There is also the grading of the Government Bilingual High School, GBHS, Bangem-Nkikoh-Nyan-Mbuouassoum Road. 

When works were launched, the population thanked the mayor for embarking on the project, which they had waited for, for years.

Beyond opening up farm-to-market roads, Mayor Ekungwe is also being scored high in other sectors. Some of these are the rehabilitation of community water schemes, construction of health centres and embellishing the municipality’s headquarter, Bangem.

He is credited with having constructed 14 lockup stores; a drainage system and culverts in Bangem; extension of electricity to Mbat village.

Ekungwe has also constructed a fishpond in Bangem and a modern community hall in Nkack. The mayor is also being celebrated for extending and rehabilitating the Bangem water scheme.

Supporter of social projects

Mayor Ekungwe has also been consistent in his support of several social projects. Not long ago, he was active in activities to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

The levelheaded municipal authority accompanied the Sub Delegation of Women’s Empowerment and the Family in Bangem, throughout the exercise. He used the exercise to drum support for initiatives that educate girls in dealing with menstruation.

Passionately marketing Bangem Council

Another aspect of the rewarding leadership of Mayor Ekungwe Christopher at the helm of the Bangem Council has been his undying marketing strategy.

He has remained consistent in marketing the huge touristic and agricultural potential of Bangem to the globe. One of such was his strong showing at this year’s Councils International Economic Forum, JEICOM in Yaounde.

Ekungwe, a celebrated agriculture engineer, used the gathering to engage with investors from across Europe. Some of the investors in turn took commitments to visit Bangem municipality for investment ventures.

Ekungwe, the peace advocate

The mayor is also cited for good reasons, given the fruits of his crusade for peace across Bangem Subdivision. The peace and tranquility across Bangem municipality have been credited to his inclusive leadership.

He has worked tirelessly with traditional rulers, the administration and other actors to ensure Bangem stayed out of the troubles that have ruined several communities in the two English-speaking Regions. 

This, many say, explains the reason schools and other social services have been functioning at full capacity across the municipality.

The making of an overachiever 

Mayor Ekungwe Christopher is no novice in local development and service. He did his primary education across several institutions viz; Catholic School Nyan, Government Primary Schools; Muabi, Nkikoh, Wosing Bali and Muambing.

At the Secondary level, he studied at the then Government Secondary School, GSS, Nyassosso; Cameroon College of Arts and Science, CCAS, Kumba.

Ekungwe furthered his education abroad, studying at CRANFIELD University, United Kingdom, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Technology and Management.

He also holds a post-graduate diploma in Post-harvest Technology and Marketing of Fresh Produce. 

He also volunteered at SAFAD UK, while studying at CRANFIELD. Ekungwe became the Cameroon Representative of the same school in 1991.

The same year, he was recruited into the public service. Ekungwe worked at the South West Development Authority, SOWEDA for 10 years.

He was later promoted to serve as Sub Divisional Delegate of Agriculture and Rural Development for the then Kumba Subdivision and Limbe II Subdivision.

Ekungwe, due to hard work, was again raised to Divisional Delegate of Agriculture and Rural Development for Kupe Muanenguba Division. 

He is also a former Regional Delegate in the same domain. He has been serving as mayor Bangem since 2020. 

He is also credited with raising funds through the British Foreign and Commonwealth office, to execute water projects in several communities in Kupe Muanenguba and Lebialem Divisions. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3498 of Wednesday July 09, 2025