– Motombi and Mandenge dismissed as 1st Deputy Mayor and Councillor respectively
– Mayor Ekema says Motombi’s dismissal is due to excess absences
– Says Mandenge is unpatriotic, rebellious and recalcitrant
– Won’t fight over ‘earthly things’- Motombi
– Chief Njie Mandenge fires back
– All markets in Buea to operate and be functional from Mondays to Sundays, 24/7
By IKOME CHRISTIE-NOELLA EPOSI
Following decisions arrived at during the Buea council’s first ordinary session on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, 1st deputy Mayor, Motombi Mbome Emmanuel and Councillor Chief Njie Mandenge have been relieved of their duties by the Mayor and his councillors.
The session was aimed at examining and adopting the Administrative, management and stores management accounts for the 2018 financial year. Presiding over the sitting was the 1st Assistant Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Fako, Bejedi Otto, representing the S.D.O, Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux. 25 councilors, 8 proxies were present making it a total of 33 councilors and 5 absent.
Why Motombi and Mandenge were ousted
To begin with the 1st deputy Mayor, Motombi Mbome Emmanuel, Mayor Ekema explained that he was fired as the first deputy mayor due to his excess absences and inconsistency in office: “The volume of work we have at the council has been weighing anchor on a very few persons. I have worked and I feel tired, I feel aged and so we had to fill up vacancies. The council cannot harbor juveniles. Such cases have been kept aside. The council law is very clear. If you are absent for 3 consecutive sessions, we have to replace your capacity as deputy mayor. That’s exactly what we have done by firing the 1st deputy”, Mayor Ekema explained.
As to the case of Chief Mandenge’s dismissal as councillor, the Mayor of the Buea Council said, “Mandenge has been unpatriotic, rebellious, and recalcitrant and in his deepest frustrations has been throwing stones on a glass house. We cannot keep being with such a person”, he stated.
The 2nd deputy Mayor, Lyonga John Effande replaces Motombi Mbome Emmanuel as 1st deputy Mayor, Mosoko Edward Motuwe who previously occupied position 3rd is now the 2nd deputy Mayor, Guembou Tchonta Rose is now 3rd deputy Mayor and the 4th position which remained vacant was filled by Ikome Williams Lifange who was appointed by Mayor Ekema on the spot as 4th deputy Mayor. The newly appointed 4th deputy Mayor, Ikome Williams Lifange says he feels heavily loaded and is ready for the task ahead. He appreciated the Mayor and councilors for the confidence bestowed on him. He equally promised to act accordingly and help to foster growth and development at the level of the council and the nation at large.
The Ekema/Motombi battle, Motombi says he won’t fight over ‘earthly things’
While many people anticipated that the 1st deputy Mayor,( now former) was going to heavily spit fire or fight back following his dismissal as 1st deputy, it is important to note that, Motombi Mbome Emmanuel in a recent outburst took everyone by surprise when he revealed that the so-called decisions arrived at are earthly: “I cannot and would never fight over earthly things”. Ears and eyes are still wide open in the coming days to hear or see if the ‘former deputy’ will justify the accusations levied on him by the Mayor and his councillors or if he will stick to his “I won’t fight over earthly things” response. Nonetheless one thing could be certain; the battle line between the two friends, now enemies has been drawn.
Chief Njie Mandenge fires back
His Royal Majesty erstwhile councilor, Njie Mandenge has in a lengthy release reacted to the decision to dismiss him as councillor of the Buea Council. Njie Mandenge describes the decision as ‘funny and a non-event’. He says it is needless for him to delve on the issue of his purported unconstitutional and misguided dismissal: “It is also a truism that ‘the eye that sees doesn’t see itself’”, he stated.
Markets in Buea to be functional 24/7
As part of the decisions arrived at during the session, it was agreed that henceforth, all markets in the Buea municipality will become operational from Mondays through Sundays. There shall no longer be a particular market having a particular day to become operational. This was done in order that people in their various areas could always go to the nearest markets around them and purchase whatsoever at any given day, a decision which was jointly agreed by all councillors with the Buea Mayor inclusive.
According to the reports, the council is 75% done with its projects; though three bore holes are left to be constructed at Molyko, Great Soppo and Bokova village. Other projects such as earth roads on the Bokwango-Bwassa-Likombe stretch of road, classrooms under construction, completion and equipping of the VIP ward at the hospital which is one of the council’s major challenges will be completed before December 2019, it was assured.
Mayor Ekema went further to state that the ghost towns in particular and the crisis in general have gone a long way to cripple down the economy of the municipality. The council he said, however, is leaving no stone unturned to combat the ‘cankerworm’.
At the close of the session, the Pan African Press Network for peace and development through the Fleche Press Awards handed to the Mayor an honorable mention for making the municipality what it is today.