Interview: Ntum-Kwifon Che Linidolf opens up on consistent support for Biya, CPDM.

In a recent interview on Facing The Mirror, aired over CRTV Bamenda, the CPDM Mezam II Section, Santa Resource Person, who is also the Divisional Representative for Mezam at the North West Regional Assembly, stated why he decided to join the ruling party. He hailed his National President, H.E Paul Biya, for achievements in the domains of education, health, infrastructure, social amenities, among others.

Ntum-Kwifon Che Linidolf Ndongnyam, who is also Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Merdolf Group, also disclosed his accomplishments in the business sector and how he has been empowering young people, employing many and mentoring several.

It is a revealing and compelling interview which positions the interviewee as a dynamic, down-to-earth personality and an inspiration for the youth to hold tight to hard work and contribute to nation building. Excerpts 

Hon. Che Linidolf Ndongnyam, Divisional Representative for Mezam at North the West Regional Assembly. Others know you as President Director General, PDG of Merdolf Sarl. Can you please give us a brief profile of yourself?

Thank you very much. I am Che Linidolf Ndongnyam, one of the founding members of the North West Regional Assembly. I hail from Santa Mbei, Santa Subdivision, Mezam Division of the North West Region. 

I am the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Merdolf Group. I have a series of companies under this Group. I am equally holder of the title of Ntum-Kwifon of my village. I am equally a Resource Person for the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, Mezam II Section- Santa.

We are also told that you are a teacher by profession. Can we have some details? 

Yes, I am a trained teacher by profession. I left Higher Ecole Normale as a Category A2 civil servant in 1999. I am a PLEG, what is known in French as Professeur de Lycée de l'Enseignment Generale. I taught for quite some years before joining the business domain. You know, in life, you must discover some other soft skills.

When I discovered that I equally had soft skills, some God-given talents in this other domain, I equally decided to join it. But at the same time, what I am doing, I cannot say that I have completely abandoned teaching, because I equally have young businessmen, collaborators and so on, whom I keep on training too. My teaching background is always alive. I believe that I am still teaching and I do enjoy it so much. 

Are you married and with how many children?

I am married with five children. But you know, as an African man, at times I would have just said I have so many children. 

What can you say you have achieved in business as an international business guru? 

Well, I don't know whether I am an international or a local business guru, but what I think is most important is the lives I have impacted and some of the society’s problems I have helped resolve. This is because the principal objective of an entrepreneur should be to provide solutions and solve some problems.

What pleases me most is the number of companies that I have created and the number of young Cameroonians that we have been able to recruit. I like to talk about a company and a team, because, I don't want to think that I've been doing all of these alone.

It's because I have a vibrant team- a team that is very collaborative, a team that is flexible and we put our heads together to reflect and to forge ahead. I cannot say I am all alone. My successes are results of teamwork.

What can you cite as your achievements in business, apart from the so many companies you created and the people employed therein?

The mother company, when we started, was dealing in public contracts and when you look at what Merdolf Sarl has done all over the national territory, it speaks for itself.

We have glaring examples, like the administrative block at the School of Public Works at the Elig-Efa (Yaounde); constructed by Merdolf Sarl. You have the police hotel in the police school itself also done by Merdolf Sarl.

There is also the Data Centre in Bafoussam, there is RDC, the fence of IRIC, all done by Merdolf Sarl. In short, if I want to name them, we can start from now till tomorrow, and I will not be able to complete the list. 

As I said, it's a group. You have Greenfield Group, which has been managed by me. You have Tasman Civcom, which is still being managed by me.

We also deal in real estate with the real estate company, SCE MERDOLF. We equally have Merdolf Farms where we rear pigs, fish and also produce animal feed.

As at now, every month, we are able to produce between eight to 10 tonnes of fish. We have piglets that most farmers buy in order to grow their own farms. We equally think that we are contributing our own small quota towards import substitution.

We identified at one moment that if somebody is hungry, he or she will always be angry and will be unable to think well, reflect, and do other jobs. So, we thought we should be able to do something that is linked to the food sector. That's why we embraced pig rearing and fish farming. 

I want to assure you that when we recruit veterinary nurses and doctors who leave school, we are happy that we are offering jobs and they too are happy. You know, the government cannot do it all alone. So, we are contributing our modest quota towards development. 

How many youths have you been able to impact business wise or train to be self-sufficient? 

I may not be able to say with exactitude, but then I know there should be more than 150, whom I have trained. Some are still around me, working with me.

Some have established their own businesses and have equally recruited others. That is where I find my greatest joy. 

Talking about politics, why did you decide to join the CPDM, whereas there are other political parties? 

I've been a CPDM member since the year 2000. I started contributing my small quota for the growth of the CPDM since the year 2002.

I decided to join the CPDM because when you look at the party’s programme and what the CPDM has been able to do in our country in terms of education, health, infrastructure, among others, it is very laudable.  

I joined the CPDM because I actually saw the socioeconomic and development vision of the National President, H.E Paul Biya and what he has achieved. The other political parties are full of promises that I've not yet seen fulfilled. So, I decided to go to where a lot is being done. 

We all know that it's not yet the best that all Cameroonians are expecting, but there is some evolution, there is some development, and things are progressing. Just in my Subdivision, when I was growing up, there was no secondary school or government secondary school in the whole of Santa Subdivision. 

But today, there are many. So, with all of that, I think I had a good reason to start following the CPDM. I have my primary school classmates who were unable to pursue their education because there were no secondary schools at the time in the entire Santa Subdivision.

But today, I don't think any child in Santa would tell you that they were unable to go to school because there are schools. Schools are right at our doorsteps today, thanks to the CPDM. 

Hon Che Linidolf, can you explain to us what pushed you to strive to become Divisional representative for Mezam at the North West Regional Assembly? 

Well, you know, being in the CPDM, I've had elder brothers whose footsteps I am struggling to follow. These include Ntumfor Fru Jonathan, the Section President emeritus, who is in the Central Committee of the CPDM. He's one of the Charge de Missions at the Central Committee. 

He was always a Section President who was resilient and some of us saw in him somebody who could die for the CPDM. He is somebody who made us understand that the CPDM actually has something to offer.

So, in my business, I equally thought that I should join and have an elective post. Santa unanimously agreed that I should be one of their representatives in the Regional Assembly. I went to the Regional Assembly because I thought I could equally have a small voice where I could better serve my people. 

President Paul Biya, who is also National President of the CPDM, is candidate for the October 12 presidential election. You are a member of the National Campaign Team, member of the Communal Campaign Team and Divisional Campaign Team. How much have you been contributing to make your CPDM party succeed? 

I don't think I should really be mentioning amounts. If I am mentioning amounts, it would not be appropriate. The most important point is, I have contributed at the national level, contributed at the regional level, and equally contributed at the level of my Subdivision. All of these efforts are not that I have so much, but I think it is to put things together, put in my small best, so that our candidate, H. E. President Paul Biya, wins the election by landslide, because he still has a lot to do for this nation.

If not, I will not be sacrificing my hard-earned resources for my companies to support the cause. It's because I deem it necessary, as others equally deem it necessary and that it is a very good cause worth supporting. 

We want to continue to be inquisitive. At what level did you contribute 8 million FCFA? At what level did you contribute 5 million FCFA and so on and so forth? We think that is going to motivate others.

You seem to have a lot of information. You got a lot of information before this interview. Well, as you have said it rightly, 8 million FCFA was at the regional level, and 5 million FCFA was at the level of my Subdivision, CPDM Mezam II, Santa. I will mention the others with time. I think it's good, because this is the time to motivate others, who may want to support.

Already, what we've mentioned for now, I think is a booster, and a motivation too for others already. I think so, because that is just what people know.

There are other things done in the background to get things moving and that don't necessarily need to be brought to the public. 

How did you find your name in the national campaign team? 

Well, you know, when you work hard, it's but obvious that the party sees your hard work. I want to think that it's the party hierarchy that recommended me. I want to think that it was on the basis of what we do for the party at our level. I think that was the bottom line.

It is being rumoured that you are aspiring to become a Member of Parliament under the CPDM ticket to man Santa's Special Constituency. What do you have to say about that?

Well, what you have said is good. You said it's being rumoured and you know people have the right to think, people have the right to talk, especially when they see somebody working hard. When they see somebody working hard, it's but normal that they should say I am aspiring to be a mayor or aspiring to be a parliamentarian or senator.

But for this particular moment, what we are more focused on is the presidential election. We are focused on giving victory to our candidate, President Paul Biya. 

When we get to the regional elections, we will make sure that our party has the highest number of regional councillors in this country. But as a servant of the people, when the moment shall come, wherever the CPDM militants of Santa would want me to be, to continue serving them, I think as their servant, I will humbly accept, God being my helper. 

Hon Che Linidolf, you are currently Divisional Representative for Mezam at the North West Regional Assembly. Have you put your documents together to seek re-election into the Regional Assembly?

Well, I was one of the pioneer members from Santa. We tried our best during the past five years, and I think I am not the only person who is working in Santa.

There are other people who are working seriously for the growth of the party. So, personally, I thought I should not seek re-election. I should not renew my mandate and should give the possibility to other people to showcase what they are able to. This is because I know that we have many talents in Santa, and it's always good to give a possibility for others to go in and work. So, that is just what I have done. 

So, with the many young people you have groomed, who is the lucky one you may endorse and back to replace you at the Regional Assembly?

As at today (Monday September 15, 2025), when this interview is being conducted, we cannot draw conclusions. The documents are being examined at the Regional level. They started at the level of the Section and will go to the Regional level, and eventually the Central Committee of the CPDM has the final say. 

I don't have any right to think of any candidate for the moment. The Central Committee has the final verdict, and whoever they will decide on, we will all toe the line and give them our total support. 

As a veritable senior militant of the CPDM, can you indicate to us what you have put in place to ensure that the campaign is successful and your presidential candidate, Paul Biya, wins? 

Well, at the level of Santa, we did our best when the electoral register was opened, to make sure that we sensitise our militants to register. 

At my personal level, I went to the field, contributed and mobilised militants for them to register on the electoral list.

There have been statements about CPDM militants talking to the electorate, getting those who have registered, who have voter's cards to vote. How many have you been able to assemble? How many voters have you been able to convince to vote for your party? 

Well, I cannot give you the exact number now. I think my Section President has those statistics. But what I am very certain to tell you is that the number of voters this time around is far above the number of voters that we had during the 2018 presidential election. 

In 2018, there were more than 12,000 votes in the election in Santa. 

Can you just tell us how many votes you prepared to give President Paul this time? 

We are thinking that if in 2018, we gave him above 12,000 votes, this time around we should be thinking of between 16,000 and 20,000 votes. This is because so many people registered, so many people became of age and so on and the strategy that we put in place for registration was actually serious, supported by so many elite.

Even the Santa Mighty Caucus came in, under its leadership of Dr Chi Asafor Cornelius, who is equally Secretary General of the National Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism; with academic excellence award and so on. Those were techniques that we brought in to equally galvanise our militants, mobilise them to see the need to follow the CPDM and most of them eventually did so.

As a member of the North West Regional campaign team of the CPDM, what will you be doing for the Region, considering that we have talked about Santa, your constituency? 

For the Region, it is simple. We'll be struggling to see that we put in our efforts, for our militants to remain calm. Because of the insecurity that we face once in a while, we will have to sensitise them that they should not fear and on October 12 they should come out and vote.

We'll be struggling to put in some strategies or techniques to make sure that relative peace should reign in order that our militants can come out to exhibit their civic rights. 

Your Region is suffering from acute insecurity with people killed on a daily basis. What have you done to help pacify so residents can all live in peace? 

Well, the efforts we have put in place have been enormous. Most often than not, you will see me with so many youths around, engaging them in gainful activities to enable them to be busy. They say an idle mind is the devil's workshop. There are some who would have picked up arms against the State, but through frequent talking to them and making them see their hidden talents, they have not done so.

Some were real good farmers, some discovered their hidden talents, and because of that, they opened small businesses through our efforts. These have kept them busy. That's why they could no longer join the others and when the others who went to the bushes started seeing meaning in their own lives, some repented and came back. 

I want to think every person, every elite or individual in the North West Region should put in some small efforts in order that the insecurity should become something of the past. 

Thank you for talking to Facing The Mirror on CRTV North West Regional Station. 

The pleasure is mine. 

Interview transcribed from the programme Facing The Mirror and aired on CRTV Bamenda

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3576 of Friday September 26, 2025