The ceremony to warmly welcome Ekema Emmanuel Likine, Director of Communication and public relation at the National Assembly also featured the conferment of a traditional title on El Hadj Boukar Abdourahim, representative of Rt. Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril.
The village of Bonjongo was abuzz on August 2 as Ekema Emmanuel Likine, recently appointed Director of Communication and Public Relations at the National Assembly, returned to his roots. The ceremony blended politics, tradition, and community spirit and drew hundreds of community members, dignitaries, and traditional authorities who gathered to honour one of their own, now occupying a key position in the country’s legislative arm.
In his keynote address, Ekema Likine paid tribute to the CPDM Party. Likine underlined the deep-rooted loyalty of the Bonjongo people to the CPDM Party, and expressed gratitude to those who have paved the way for his ascent. “I am a product of the CPDM, just like many of us here. In Bonjongo, the CPDM is like a religion. No opposition party has ever won here, we are CPDM, and CPDM is us,” he declared. He acknowledged the late Hon. Emilia Lifaka for playing a central role in launching his political career. He credited her with introducing him to the national stage during his early political engagements as Vice President of the YCPDM Bonjongo Central Sub-Section.
Likine used the moment to publicly convey a message to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, acknowledging his role in appointing a son of Bonjongo to such a high office. In return, he pledged the community’s unwavering political loyalty in the upcoming presidential elections.
To El Hadj Boukar Abdourahim, personal representative of the Speaker at the event, he said “please convey to the Speaker that Bonjongo has always stood with the CPDM. This year, during the presidential election, we will once again deliver 100% support to thank the Head of State – the patron of the Speaker who made it possible for me to serve at the National Assembly.”
As part of his commitment to giving back, Likine announced the donation of a generator to the Bonjongo Health Centre, where he was born. This, he assured, was only the beginning of a series of development projects he intends to undertake in collaboration with the paramount chief, local elites, and youth leaders. He called on the youth and local elites to unite around community development rather than division, urging them to embrace values such as discipline, humility, patience, and integrity and stressing that success isn’t determined by wealth or elite education alone. “You don’t need to study at Harvard or come from a rich background to make it in life. What you need is character, hard work, and the fear of God…Envy and backstabbing destroy. Let’s come together – each bringing what we can to build a better Bonjongo,” he said.
He pledged to work closely with the paramount chief and community stakeholders to roll out additional development projects in the near future. For Ekema Emmanuel Likine, the homecoming was more than a ceremonial return – it was a clear statement of purpose, service, and readiness to champion both community aspirations and national duty.
Claudette Chin
