By NOELA EBOB BISONG
The city of Limbe has been in tears, sorrow and anguish, following the death of the mayor of the Limbe I Council, Mbua Ro-Danny Mokako. Mokako had been hospitalised at the Bota Annex Hospital in Limbe for a couple of days.
Following a deterioration of his condition, he was transferred to the Gyneco-Obstretics specialist hospital at Yassa, Douala, on Friday, April 24, 2020, where he succumbed to the ravaging novel Coronavirus at around midnight, medics reveal. He was 48.
Few hours after his death, Mayor Ro-Danny Mokako’s remains were buried at the Kotto cemetery in Bonaberi, Douala, Littoral Region of Cameroon.
The mayor remained on his feet until a week before his death. Twice did he accompany the city sensitisation campaign teams against the COVID-19 in Limbe. He was last seen in public on April 15, 2020, during the campaign led by Fako Senior Divisional Officer, Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux accompanied by Limbe’s City Mayor, Motanga Andrew Monjimba, to sensitise the Limbe populace on ways to curb the virus and to distribute free face masks. Ro-Danny Mokako looked healthy and strong then.
News of his death broke out during the early hours of Saturday, and the entire city of Limbe has not remained the same. There is sadness, but there is fear and panic! Many who until the mayor’s death, who had no iota of the cause of his brief illness, are living in distress, and trying to reflect on their bodily closeness with him in recent times.While some remain in doubt as to the actual cause of his death, many who thought the Covid-19 was a distant enemy, are now certain of its presence around and have gone ahead to intensely observe measures in place to keep selves free of the virus.
That is not all. News that former Senator and Mayor of Limbe I, Matute Daniel Lyonga was also battling to survive the Coronavirus attack also in Douala, has heightened the panic in the city.
Last Friday, April 24 during an event to donate anti-Covid-19 protective materials to hospitals, councils and law enforcement agencies in Fako by CPDM Fako parliamentarians, it was announced that Fako has at least 13 confirmed cases of the virus.
Some say these official figures may be hiding a wider range of infection especially given the fact that an extensive testing campaign has not been carried out in Limbe and Fako, a city and division very close to Douala, a major epicenter of the virus.
Following the demise of Mayor Mbua Ro-Danny Mokako, first deputy mayor, Motomby Mokova Sona was on Monday, April 27, 2020 presented by Fako SDO as the interim mayor of the council. He will occupy the office for the next 60 days prior to fresh elections to get the ultimate replacement of the late Mbua Ro-Danny Mokako.
The SUN gathered that the Limbe I council has been closed since April 27 for the next 14 days and staff of the council have been required to quarantine themselves for same period for any possible signs in relation to Covid-19.
The Man Mbua Ro-Danny
He was born on December 13, 1972 in Buea, where he did his primary education and later secondary education at Baptist Boys Secondary School and Bilingual Grammar School (Lycee Molyko).
Mokako is said to have travelled to neighbouring Nigeria for further studies. He is a holder of many diplomas, including a diploma in decentralization and good governance from CEFAM Buea, an HND in computerised accounting.
He worked at the Cameroon Development Corporation CDC for 17 years as insurance assistant.
In 2007, after joining politics, he became 1st deputy mayor of the CPDM-run Limbe I Council, under Mayor Daniel Matute. Mokako will go ahead to become the Interim mayor of the sub divisional council following Mayor Matute’s ascension to the newly created Upper House of Cameroon’s parliament, the Senate in April 2013.
During the legislative and municipal elections of 2013, Mbua Ro-Danny Mokako was elected full mayor of the Limbe I Council. He successfully steered the affairs of the Council from that time until 2020, recording some landmark achievements, principal among them being the successful construction of the new council chambers for Limbe I. He also carried high the flag of the council at the national scene, harvesting several awards.
During the 2020 legislative and municipal elections which held on February 9, the CPDM was again victorious in Limbe I and Mbua Ro-Danny was unanimously elected mayor of the council by councillors of Limbe I on February 18, 2020. While awaiting installation, he was sworn in at the Limbe Court of First Instance as Mayor of the Limbe I municipality on March 12, 2020.
Mbua Ro-Danny was a staunch member of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, and he attended the Bota Middle Farms Congregation where he was equally former CMF president of the Fako South Presbytery.
Mayor Mbua Ro-Danny Mokako’s vision at the Limbe I Council was geared towards Social Action and he will be remembered for the strides he channeled at the council, in the domain of health, sanitation, infrastructure, education, transportation etc. He is the third Fako mayor to have died in youthfulness, after Mayor Ekema Patrick of Buea Council (2019) and Mayor Isaac Inongo Dalle of Limbe III Council (2014).