The Ciity Mayor for Limbe City Council, Paul EFOME L.M. NGALE has expressed with a lot of dissatisfaction, the attitude of his subordinate and first deputy city mayor Madam Karen Nora MUTO TANGA epse WOUAPIT, aimed at tarnishing the image of the Limbe City Council.
This is contained in a letter addressed by the city mayor on August 3, 2022 to the first deputy in which he highlighted poor conduct towards other staffs of the council, irregularities at work as well as disrespect for hierarchy and public institutions.
In the letter, the mayor points out that Madam Karen Nora MUTO TANGA epse WOUAPIT always addresses council staff rudely accompanied by her husband, regularly invite unidentified individuals to perform unusual rituals on council premises and carry out field work on behalf of the Limbe City Council without any prior authorisation from the City Mayor.
The letter equally carries that the said Madam Karen Nora MUTO TANGA epse WOUAPI has gone as far as bringing in and imposing non-council staff to work as a secretary at the secretariat of the Directorate of General Administration of the Limbe City Council.
This first deputy, according to the letter went ahead to sign out the sum of fifteen million (15,000,000) francs CFA from the ministry of tourism and on behalf of the council and has never deposited the said sum into the coffers of the council till date.
Destruction of council properties such as civil status documents, instigation of council members to boycott council sessions, especially the 2022 budgetary session as well as the writing of unfounded petitions to administrative authorities and to government, aimed at blackmailing and frustrating the smooth functioning of the city council are not left out.
The city mayor has therefore called on his first deputy to cease and desist immediately from “these acts of rebellion to the council which do not only play negatively on the council, but also give a very bad image of her personality”. He says he will no longer tolerate the poor and demeaning attitude of Mme Karen Tanga Wouapit in the council, but will be force to take actions if need be.
The youngest city mayor since he took over from the late Motanga Andrew Monjimba following his glowing election on March 4, 2022 his predecessor has been so instrumental as far as development of the city is concerned. He has with success stabilised the boat of the Limbe City Council.
The City Council, when Efome took over was mired in huge salary arrears owed to permanent staff and casual workers which the mayor and his treasury department have cleared. The situation of debts owed suppliers and contractors is being looked into. The City Mayor has cut a very positive easy going personality and has injected fresh impetus to council matters since coming to office. This is the boat the first deputy is either by commission or omission trying to rock.
The First Deputy Mayor came to limelight when her former boss, Motanga Andrew flew out of the country in October 2021 for treatment. Motanga never came back to sit on the city mayor’s seat but his deputy which he freely chose was all over the place writing letters and querying some staff. The secretary general, Kinge Thompson was particularly blighted.
Upon Motanga’s death on January 5, 2022 she became Interim City Mayor. Her actions to large extent made her miss the opportunity to be invested by the party to take over as city mayor which she deeply craved for.
Observers of the Limbe City Council think we have not seen or heard the last from the first deputy mayor. Reports say she refused to receive her letter when served at her home noting that she receives official documents only at her office.