Peter Mafany Musonge, Grand Chancellor of National Orders and Leader of the CPDM Senate Group received the new royal father of Lebang, Fon Fontem Asabatong in audience, on Saturday, June 14.

The meeting took place shortly after a South West Regional Information Seminar for Mayors and Presidents of CPDM Council Groups brought together eminent traditional rulers of the region, among them,the noble Fontem Asabatong.

Musonge was at the head of a CPDM Central Committee delegation to Buea. He was accompanied in the in-camera audience by Joseph Dion Ngute, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth; Victor Mengot Arrey Nkongho, Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic and Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Former Minister and CPDM Central Committee Member.

According to a source who spoke to the Journal on anonymity, the CPDM bigwigs congratulated Fontem Asabaton for earning the trust of the kingmakers and the entire Lebang Fondom, urging him to immediately step into the shoes his predecessor left behind.

Musonge and his fellow Central Committee Members regretted that they could not attend the funeral rites of late Senator Fontem Njifua, and by extension were absent at the enthronement of Fontem Asabatong or Lebialem.

They reportedly used the close to half an hour audience to express their readiness to guide the new Fon of Fontem in the political paths his father walked.

Our source hinted that the Central Committee Delegation assured Fontem Asaba that he will, as a matter of fact, succeed his father at the Central Committee of the CPDM, hinting that the necessary arrangements are being done at the level of the CPDM hierarchy.

The Fon was told to throw his weight behind the ruling CPDM and to collaborate fully with the National Assembly Member for Lebialem, Hon. Bernard Foju and to assist the local administration in the discharge of their duties.

As one of the highly placed chiefs of Lebialem, our source hinted that Fontem Asabatog will in the days ahead propose a replacement for his father at the Senate, given that by-elections are expected to be held in the Lebialem South West constituency in under 11 months.

Fon Fontem Asabatong emerged from the session with Musonge beaming with smiles, as if to indicate that it was a successful audience. He, however, chatted briefly with Fon Joseph Ndindem of Fonjumetaw before leaving