The Member of Parliament for Donga Mantung Centre was sworn in as Advocate-in-Training of the Cameroon Bar Association last Friday, September 13, 2023 in Douala.

Fighting for the rights of women and children has been a passion of Honourable Ngala Gerard Ndombang since his childhood days.

That passion was further fueled by the outbreak of the crisis in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions where hundreds of thousands of children have been out of school for seven years.

The figures may be dark in several parts of these two regions but bnot in Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division, North West region of Cameroon. The town has stood in school enrolment defying all separatist threats to see children in school.

One man stands out tall behind the collective efforts to see children in school; that is Honourable Gerard NgalaNdombang, Member of Parliament for the Donga MantungCentral constituency.

The MP has fought tooth and nail to see children in his constituency in class year after year by making several donations. He has personally provided didactic materials, school fees and other accessories to encourage children to remain in school. Beyond education, his advocacy extends to healthcare, infrastructure, economic and social development.

He has decided to take the fight a step further into the courtrooms to defend the rights of the underprivileged by swearing in as an advocate-in-training of the Cameroon Bar Association.

The 49-year old was among successful candidates at the April 2024 Bar Exams who took oath on Friday, September 13 at the Wouri High Court in Douala, Littoral Region, marking his formal entry into the legal profession.

The oath taking ceremony was chaired by the President of the Wouri High Court, Magistrate Mrs Dickey NdoumbeMbangue who underlined the need for the pupil advocates to uphold ethics and serve with due respect to the courts and tribunals, and to the laws of the Republic for the two years they will serve as interns before becoming full-fledged lawyers.

“I am not coming to the Cameroon Bar Association for money. I have come to defend the vulnerable, less privileged and underprivileged whose rights are trampled upon daily especially those in the North West and South West Regions” Ngala Gerard told the media after being sworn-in.

“I feel honoured to be sworn in to and it is a big responsibility on my shoulder. Society is watching and it is now incumbent on me to be a role model to my community which I have often defended. Today, I am even more equipped with the legal instruments to defend them better and I will not fail them,” he added.

The practice at the Bar is a liberal profession that consists of assisting and representing the parties before the law courts, conducting suits, pleading and giving legal advice, against a remuneration, according to Law No.90/59 of 19 December 1990.

With the new role as lawyer, the representative of the people of Nkambe at the National Assembly  in Yaounde will now also better appreciate draft pieces of legislation sent to the institution for scrutiny.

Holder of a Bachelor Degree in Private Law with a First Class Honour from the University of Douala, Ngala Gerard also holds a Diploma in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, and an Advanced Diploma in Business management from the London Sterling Business School.

The Member of the Constitutional Laws Committee of the National Assembly is also president of the Parliamentary Network for Circular Economy, PANCEC.

Married with four children, Ngala Gerard is Founder and Managing Director of Jerry Sarl – a Douala-based multibillion chain of businesses operating in building construction and maritime activities with over 300 employees.