View source for Marcel Niat Njifenji

{{Short description|Cameroonian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Marcel Niat Njifenji
| image               = Marcel Niat Njifenji Senateur.jpg
| office              = President of the [[Senate (Cameroon)|Senate of Cameroon]]
| term_start          = 12 June 2013
| term_end            =
| president           = [[Paul Biya]]
| predecessor         =
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| jr/sr1              =
| state1              = [[West Region (Cameroon)|West Region]]
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| birth_name          =
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1934|10|26|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Bangangté]], [[Nde]], [[Cameroon]]
| death_date          =
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| party               = [[CPDM]]
| spouse              = Marcie Tchaptchet
| children            = 4
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| website             =
| caption             = Official portrait, 2013
}}
'''Marcel Niat Njifenji''' (born 26 October 1934<ref name=Homme>Armand Essogo, [http://www.cameroon-tribune.cm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74270:-marcel-niat-njifenji-un-homme-dexperience-a-la-tete-du-senat&catid=1:politique&Itemid=3 "Marcel Niat Njifenji, Un homme d’expérience à la tête du Sénat"], ''Cameroon Tribune'', 13 June 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>) is a [[Cameroon]]ian politician who has been President of the [[Senate of Cameroon]] since 2013. A member of the ruling [[Cameroon People's Democratic Movement]] (RDPC), he previously served for years as Director-General of the National Electricity Company, and he was also a [[Minister (government)|minister]] in the government during the early 1990s.
==Life and career==
Born in 1934 at [[Bangangté]], located in Cameroon's [[West Region (Cameroon)|West Region]],<ref name=Nya>Armelle Nya, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20130613075703/cameroun-rdpc-paul-biya-senat-camerounaiscameroun-marcel-niat-njifenji-elu-president-du-senat.html "Cameroun : Marcel Niat Njifenji élu président du Sénat"], ''Jeune Afrique'', 13 June 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> Niat Njifenji worked as an engineer of roads and bridges.<ref name=Homme/> He was Director-General of the National Electricity Company (''Société nationale d'Electricité'', SONEL), the state-owned electricity company, from 1974 to 1984. When rebellious soldiers attempted to overthrow President [[Paul Biya]] in an [[1984 Cameroonian coup attempt|April 1984 coup attempt]], Niat Njifenji was immediately arrested and jailed. Although it was considered doubtful that he had anything to do with the coup attempt, he was reportedly abused during his imprisonment and attempted suicide.<ref name=Report>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6WY1AQAAIAAJ&q=marcel+Niat++1974 ''Country Report: Cameroon, CAR, Chad''] (1989), ''The Economist Intelligence Unit'', page 11.</ref> He was released from prison in 1989<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=9Wc1AQAAIAAJ&q=Niat+Njifenji+1974 ''Country Report: Cameroon, CAR, Chad''] (1992), ''The Economist Intelligence Unit'', page 15.</ref> and promptly restored to his post at SONEL in September 1989.<ref name=Report/>
Niat Njifenji also served in the government as Minister of Planning and Territorial Administration from 7 September 1990 to 26 April 1991, while remaining Director-General of SONEL. Subsequently, he was Deputy Prime Minister for Mines, Water, and Energy from 9 April 1992 to 27 November 1992. He was elected to the [[National Assembly (Cameroon)|National Assembly]] in the [[1992 Cameroonian parliamentary election|1992 parliamentary election]], but he did not serve his term and remained in his post as Director-General of SONEL throughout the 1990s. Eventually the company was [[privatization|privatized]],<ref name=Homme/> and Niat Njifenji was replaced by an [[AES Sirocco]] executive in July 2001.<ref>[http://www.africaintelligence.com/AEM/who-s-who/2001/08/22/marcel-niat-njifenji,2325873-ART "Marcel Niat Njifenji"], ''Africa Energy Intelligence'', number 304, Africa Intelligence, 22 August 2001.</ref> In 2002, Niat Njifenji was elected as Mayor of Bangangté;<ref>[http://www.agenceecofin.com/politique/1306-11689-le-premier-president-du-senat-camerounais-est-marcel-niat-njifenji "Le premier président du Sénat camerounais est Marcel Niat  Njifenji"], Agence Ecofin, 13 June 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> he served as Mayor until September 2007, when he was succeeded by [[Célestine Keutcha Courtes]].<ref>Alfred Mvogo, [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200709240424.html "Cameroun: Célestine Keutcha Courtes, nouveau maire de Bangangté"], ''Cameroon Tribune'', 21 September 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
===President of the Senate===
In 2013, after years of delay, the Senate was established to serve as the upper house of Cameroon's [[Parliament of Cameroon|Parliament]]; previously only the [[National Assembly of Cameroon|National Assembly]] existed. President Biya appointed Niat Njifenji to the Senate in May 2013.<ref name=Liste>Daniel Kameni, [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/201305101581.html "Cameroun: La liste des 100 sénateurs"], ''Mutations'', 10 May 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref name=RFI>[http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20130613-cameroun-marcel-niat-njifenji-elu-president-senat "Cameroun: Marcel Niat Njifenji élu président du Sénat"], RFI, 13 June 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was one of 30 senators to receive their seats by presidential appointment; the other 70 senators were indirectly elected. Biya appointed three senators for each [[regions of Cameroon|region]], and Niat Njifenji was one of the three to come from West Region.<ref name=Liste/>
Niat Njifenji was elected as President of the Senate on 12 June 2013. In the 100-member body, there were 86 votes in favor of Niat Njifenji; no senators voted against him, although 14 senators cast [[spoilt vote]]s.<ref name=Nya/><ref name=Elu>[http://french.china.org.cn/foreign/txt/2013-06/13/content_29105816.htm "Cameroun : Marcel Niat Njifenji élu Président du Sénat"], Xinhua, 13 June 2013 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> As President of the Senate, Niat Njifenji would, according to the [[Constitution of Cameroon|constitution]], succeed President Biya if the latter were to die in office;<ref name=Nya/><ref name=RFI/><ref name=Elu/> he would lead the country until a new presidential election could be held, and he would not be permitted to stand as a candidate in that election.<ref name=RFI/> Niat Njifenji was re-elected on March 22, 2024 by 91 votes to 4 draws.<ref name=jeuneafrique>[https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1551049/politique/au-cameroun-paul-biya-reconduit-encore-marcel-niat-njifenji-et-cavaye-yeguie-djibril/ "Au Cameroun, Paul Biya reconduit (encore) Marcel Niat Njifenji et Cavayé Yéguié Djibril"], Jeune Afrique, 22 March 2024 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niat Njifenji, Marcel}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate (Cameroon)]]
[[Category:Chairs of upper houses]]
[[Category:People from West Region (Cameroon)]]
[[Category:Cameroonian engineers]]
[[Category:Deputy prime ministers of Cameroon]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Cameroon]]
[[Category:20th-century engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Cameroonian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century engineers]]
[[Category:21st-century Cameroonian politicians]]