An excerpt from Invest In Limbe:
C.P.N. Vewessee
Limbe's Charismatic Firebrand Trade Unionist
From the 70s to the 90s, the most-awaited moment by all Fako workers gathered annually in Limbe for Labour Day (May 1) celebration was the speech of a certain man called Cornelius Patrick Ngamteh (C.P.N.) Vewessee. He was the event. As President of the Fako Agricultural Workers Union (FAWU) as well as the CDC Workers' Union (CDCWU), CPN Vewessee spoke candidly and boldly about the plight of workers. His poignant and no-nonsense delivery became his trademark.
He played a key role in 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 Labour Matters both at the Appellate Court in Buea and the South West Regional Social Insurance Fund Dispute Commission, defending workers' rights and advocating for justice and fairness. In 1997 during the 50th anniversary celebration, the CDC awarded him the medal of "Commander" with the National Order of Valour for his invaluable service and accomplishment.
CPN Vewessee had arrived Moliwe, Victoria back in 1955 after completing his primary education in Babanki Tungo, North West Region, where he was born in 1938. In 1956, he secured his first job at the CDC Motor Transport Garage in Moliwe and became a member of the CDC Workers' Union (CDCWU) in September 1957.
CPN rose rapidly to the position of Moliwe Sectional Union Representative in 1959, then to Bota Area Secretary, and later in 1968 was elected CDCWU General President at the age of 30. When the Fako Agricultural Workers' Union (FAWU) was formed in 1972, CPN became the first President, a position he held until his demise on Tuesday morning, January 15, 2013.
(***Culled from late CPN Vewessee's memorial booklet, courtesy of Ebenezer Ndumbe Haddison.)
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