Mismanagement Scandal at Nwa Council?

 By Fai Cassian Ndi

Nwa Council in Donga Mantung Division is purportedly suspected under a nonconventional epithet petition writer’s claim. CONAC we gathered is actually working on a petition from Nwa which has kick-started another debate. The petition signed by some four concerned citizens of that municipality (which we got hold of a copy), they are suspecting and questioning some expenditures in the council. “In effect, it is suspected that something may be getting wrong with the council finances in the said council: councilors are not allowed to deliberate on the extra-budgetary income before it is spent and the Finance Committee of Nwa Council has been completely marginalized” the petition reads. This state of affairs they say has urged them to solicit for an audit expressed in the forwarding stating that “a sum of eleven million FCFA cash surplus in the 2011 administrative account of Nwa Council is mysteriously not accounted for”. More so they are also questioning the whereabout of “a sum of 49 million FCFA paid to Nwa Council (suspected to be of the “credit carbone” source, November 2011) an amount which according to them came in when the budget was already adopted, yet it was never presented to councilors for a deliberations before it was incorporated into the 2011 budget for eventual expenditure.

The petition also claims that the mayor of Nwa, Dr. Ngomfe Loma David has also violated the contract code to buy a new Toyota Hilux in defiance to what was initially agreed by councilors that the money generated from the sales of the old council land rover and old council double-cabin Toyota Hilux of which has not yet been sold be used to buy a new vehicle for the council.

The petition also accuses the mayor of using the council double-cabin Toyota Hilux abusively by transporting building materials to council project sites without accountability. Besides that allegedly they claim fuel and stationeries are not known, as the Mayor “disregards existing regulations and administrative procedures in this domain”. The mayor is also accused that he “stood off the Nwa Council temporal workers in 2010, in total defiance of the council deliberations and resolutions of the March 2010 budgetary session which had sufficient provisions for the salaries and salary areas of the said temporal”, the petition further accuses of the mayor to have “single handedly proceeded to the employment of close to 60 temporal workers without the knowledge of his deputies and councilors. Zonal balance and equitability the petition as well as socio political balance were completely brushed aside they claim, noting that temporal workers are recruited based on favouristism and non transparency.

The petitioners also raised the issue of a certain 17 million FCFA set aside for maintenance works on the Nwa-Jah-Ngomko out of which only a sum of 5 million FCFA was actually spent and the balance of 12 million FCFA has never been accounted for. In addition, they also claim that a double payment for the JAN Bridge Project in a bid to enrich himself. The mayor is also accused of being a hidden contractor with his enterprise known as “Ets Hamza” which has won most of the contracts in Nwa. And the petitioners ended their petition raising an alarm on the rate at which the mayor attributes mission orders to himself….and that even the mayor’s “driver is put on an exaggerated salary and out-station allowances of more than 200.000FCFA at time, which is very revolting”. 

However, when contacted, the Mayor of Nwa Council Dr. Ngomfe Loma David said the accusations were unfounded and baseless. “What I can say about this petition is that the names that are there are non-existence names. They are writing from hiding, in fact they are cowards. However I am aware they are my political enemies and their fear is my growing popularity and my successes in Nwa. For instance, I took over this council with more than 70 million FCFA debts. Now I am paying November salaries and I am proud of that. I have completed four classrooms and eight others are ongoing. The fear, I repeat is my growing popularity. The truth is that I have done what a mayor has never done in Nwa. I know people are looking for my position and what I know is that the people believe in me and I am comfortable”.

In reaction to the purported surplus of 2011, he wondered where the information was coming from when the 2012 administrative account has not yet been presented to councilors for deliberations and adoption. “It should reflect in 2012 administrative account and not 2011” he added. On whether additional revenue of 49 million FCFA came into the council and it was never brought for councilors to deliberate on it, he argued that the funds were disbursed as “centime additional” (CIC from Feicom) and that is how it was used. He said the analysis of the disbursement came from Feicom after they council had used the money. On whether he favours some establishments in the award of contracts, he responded that he is not a member of the contract board. On the issue of violating council deliberation to buy a car for himself, Dr. Ngomfe said that there is no council deliberation to that effect and that the only deliberation was on the sales of the council tipper.” The vechile they say I bought, I used but Prime Ministerial gre-a-gre” he revealed. He said instead of instead of 17 million FCFA as stated in the petition, the contract for the construction of the road Nwa-Jah-Ngomko was 18 million FCFA and it was awarded accordingly. To conclude, Dr. Ngomfe Loma David said the accusations were more of political witch-hunting than mismanagement.

However, since there is no smoke without fire, we are investigating into the issues raised in the petition as well as the pronouncements made by Dr. Ngomfe. (a suivre)



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