Born at the catholic hospital in Shisong Kumbo on February 3, 1938 Cornelius Patrick Ngamteh (C.P.N.) Vewessee will begin his journey through life.  He was the 7th of ten children to his father late Pa Peter Vewessee, popularly known as “Pa Catechist” and his mother Cecilia Movuh Vewessee. Pa Peter Vewessee was a hard working man who raised his children with discipline and strict moral values.

Growing up the son of a Catechist and living just a few yards from the St. Patrick Catholic Church in Babanki Tungo, dad would spend most of his early life serving at the church in different capacities: house help, gardener and his all time favorite, altar boy. To serve as an altar boy in his days, you needed to be proficient in basic Latin which covered the mass liturgy, benediction and various hymns. The altar boys were regarded as an “exclusive” group which most of the young boys aspired to join. As a result, it would serve as the gateway to their Christian faith.

Dad attended St. Patrick Primary School in Babanki and after completing his primary education in 1955 his father informed him he couldn’t attend secondary school.  With a Catechist stipend of 15 Shillings per month, his father could only afford to send one child at a time to secondary school. Rather than being discouraged, dad decided this was the perfect opportunity for him to leave home and seek out his own destiny. He decided to move to then Southern Cameroon, to join his older brother who was working as a driver for the Cameroon Development Corporation (C.D.C)

In 1956, his older brother left for Nigeria in pursuit of better opportunities and dad had to now make a living for himself. Thanks to the discipline and hard work he had learned at home, he secured his first job at the CDC Motor Transport Garage in Moliwe (S.W. Province) at a minimum wage of about six pounds a month (less than 5,000CFA).

Through hard work combined with his honest demeanor and an avid curiosity to learn, he would soon rise to the position of Assistant Technical Store Keeper.  With aid from the CDC educational program for employees, he attended evening classes and completed levels I, II and III of the London Royal Society of Arts (RSA). RSA level III is equivalent to today’s GCE Advanced Level. It was also during his days at the Motor Transport Garage that dad became acquainted with the activities of the CDC Workers Union (CDCWU) and he joined the union in September 1957.

There is a saying that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. If this is true, then this would best describe dad’s transition and what would later become a prolific career as a trade unionist. Amongst his colleagues, dad was known to be a diligent worker and a committed union member who was keenly engaged in the activities of the union. When the position of Moliwe Sectional Union Representative became vacant in circa 1959, dad was unanimously voted to fill the position.

The rigor with which he executed his duties combined with his growing influence and popularity, he would quickly be promoted to the position of Bota Area Secretary of the CDCWU. As Bota Area Secretary, he coordinated the activities of all other Sectional Union Representatives - CDC Head Office, Bota Marine, Engineering, Medical, Oil Mill, Moliwe Palms Estate, Moliwe and Bota Motor Transport Garages, Tole Tea Estate and the Mabeta Estate just to name a few.

The sixties brought about progressive changes with the unions in Cameroon. CDCWU became an affiliate of the International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers (IFPAAW) known today as International Union of Food and Allied Workers (I.U.F) with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The CDCWU also became an affiliate of the Cameroon Trade Union Congress (CTUC) which was affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. (ICFTU)

The ICFTU together with Makere University in Kampala Uganda administered a labor and organizing program at the African Labor College. In 1962, dad was selected to participate in this program –this was his first formal training since becoming the Moliwe Sectional Representative. CPN had already made huge strides within CDCWU through his natural ability. One can therefore say that he was born to do this.

In 1966, at the CDCWU bi-annual Delegate’s Conference, dad serving as the spokes-person of the Resolutions Committee delivered an excellent presentation that got him a standing ovation and also captured the attention of visiting IFPAAW Field Secretary Edward Colbert, an American citizen who was residing in Geneva, Switzerland. He would later be recruited as IFPAAW Field Secretary to join Edward Colbert in Kakata, Liberia to organize an agricultural workers’ union for the Firestone Rubber Company. Dad was only 28 years old and the youngest expatriate worker of the IFPAAW at that time.

In 1968 after returning from Liberia, dad was nominated by the Bota area union delegates as the choice candidate for the CDCWU General President. This was an unprecedented event because in order to run for General President, you had to first attain the position of Area Chairman and prior to his Liberia mission, dad was the Area Secretary. However, his good reputation and innovative ideas preceded him and the CDCWU was also ready for change.

Dad was elected CDCWU General President through a landslide vote (258 to 35). He had just celebrated his 30th birthday. During his first 100 days as the General President, dad completely revamped the CDCWU. He restructured jobs and gave the General Secretary (assistant to the General President) more autonomy. He also promoted self-reliance development for members and this resulted in the creation of microfinance institutions (credit unions) and consumer cooperatives.

In 1970, dad received a scholarship from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to attend Harvard University in the U.S. He completed a leadership program in Trade Union Administration and Government from Harvard Business School and the John F Kennedy School of Government respectively.

The Fako Agricultural Workers Union (FAWU) was formed after the fragmentation of the CDCWU and dad became the President of FAWU in 1972, a position he held until Tuesday morning, January 15, 2013 when he went to be with the Lord. During the course of his career, he attended numerous international Trade Union conferences and served as the Workers’ Delegate to the International Labor Organization (I.L.O) annual conference from 1974 to 1987. He was also appointed member of the I.L.O Advisory Committee on rural development in 1984. He completed several assignments on the behalf of the I.L.O. and was a valuable contributor to the I.L.O International Labor Review publication of 1983.

At home in Cameroon, he was a key stakeholder in the negotiations that led to the creation of the “National Collective Agreement” for the agricultural sector in 1976 and the subsequent revision in 2003. From 1984, he served as the Workers’ Assessor on labor matters both at the Appellate Court in Buea and the S.W Regional Social Insurance Fund Dispute Commission, defending workers’ rights and advocating for justice and fairness. He often spoke candidly and boldly about the plight of workers and contributed several articles to local newspapers (though he never thought of himself as a journalist.)

In 1997 during the celebration of CDC’s 50th anniversary, he received the medal of “Commander” with the National Order of Valor, in honor of his invaluable service and accomplishment. As President of FAWU, he delivered a State of the Trade Union address annually during the Labor Day celebration, (May 1st), a tradition which began in the early seventies and has continued till present day. His poignant and no-nonsense delivery became his trademark and resulted in him being popularly known by the acronym “CPN” which is also the first initials of his names.

Dad was a great leader, a man of valor, principle and conviction. He was also a loving husband, an amazing father and grandfather, a devoted brother, a loyal friend and a selfless human being with a heart of gold. He never forgot his humble beginnings and was a true traditionalist at heart. He served as the “Njikebeng” (family head) of the Vewessee family, a role he performed with the same diligence and passion seen in his trade union career.

His professional and personal contributions are innumerous for he influenced the lives of many. He leaves behind 9 children, their spouses, 15 grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, colleagues, collaborators and several well wishers to celebrate his life. He will forever be remembered for his selfless dedication towards helping others and his unwavering candor.