Fonkam Azu'u Suspends Elecam Council Head for Corrupt Practices

 FC Junior

Linda Nange, Elecam council head for Belo in Boyo Division of the Northwest Region has been suspended from her duties last Friday, August 9 for corrupt practices. Linda Nange we gathered has been transferred to Balikumat as a support staff after an investigation confirmed that she was involved in electoral malpractices. The decision to suspend Linda Nange falls barely a week after Dr. Fonkam Azu’u gave firm instruction to North West Regional Delegate to investigate into the scandal during the deposit of files by aspirants for the Legislative and Municipal elections. On August 7, Samuel Fonkam Azu'u received a bitter complain during a press conference in Bamenda decrying how Linda Nange negated UDP council list for Belo. George Fointama Akong Ngong representative of UDP (United Democratic Party) submitted the petition accusing Elecam council head of corruption. The local representative of the UDP, also candidate for the same party in the parliamentary constituency of Boyo, presented in his letter that corruption seem to have taken ELECAM Belo hostage.

 Fointama George is quoted to have revealed that they arrived at Elecam office in Belo at about 11:15 pm to submit their list for municipal elections. The council head he said verified and confirmed 41 files. The latter further requested 41 file-jackets but at that particular moment all the shops were closed. Thus says Fointama in this note, the council head requested that he should disburse a sum of 12,300 francs to buy the file-jackets. Fointama having no money got 5000 fcfa from Nyuoh Simon Yong head of the list which they paid as advance and to complete the rest the next morning. But the council head rejected the 5000 FCFA demanding that the total sum should be paid.

Hooked, Fointama and his party comrade contacted the National Chairman of the party, resident in Bamenda by phone who pleaded that he will pay the remaining the following morning. Fointama indicates that when he came back the following morning of July 18 at 9am, council head had treated the files in his absence. He discovered to his dismay that some of the files had disappeared. Tempers flared and thereafter, one is found. However, he was asked to sign the delivery receipt. He refuses to do so, suggesting that he had delivered 41 cases instead of 40.

 The Regional delegate was alerted on the spot about the obnoxious practices in ELECAM Belo.

A school of thought holds that some Elecam council heads have been held hostage by politicians who have placed them on huge salaries to protect their interest in various elecam offices nationwide. The case of Belo is just one in a million, observers say.

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