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| Senator Achidi: Head of the delegation |
Councilors of Nwa
council in Donga Mantung Division have declined transport allowances offered to
them by North West Senators. The incident happened today July 13, 2015 at the
Nkambe community hall when visiting North West senators led by Senator Achidi
Achu Simon stormed Donga Mantung in what observers described as a marathon
thank you visit. Some of the councilors threatened to block the senators from
leaving the hall, but were halt by the timely intervention of the mayor of Nwa,
Ngomfe Loma David who pleaded that he will take care of their transport fare. “We
cannot spend FCFA 13.000 each to come here and receive FCFA 10.000”, one of the
councilors was heard fuming in anger. Another councilor described the incident
as a slap in the face given that even the FCFA 200.000 promised them during
senatorial elections in 2013 were all paid. The Mayor of Nwa, Dr. Ngomfe Loma David said
it was really a pathetic situation. “I have begged them and I will borrow money
to complete the deficit. In fact I cannot allow my councilors to be stranded
here in Nkambe”, he concluded. “I think we will no more vote people from space
to the position of senators. A list that will not have councilors, we will not
vote it. We have learned a bitter lesson and we are waiting for them to come to us for votes again”, another councilor of Misaje council vomited.
On the other hand, the mayor of Ako said they received a telephone call which
announced to them that all the councilors should report in Nkambe today to
receive a motorbike each. “You know we are the closest neigbours to Nigeria and
we thought Government has realized that they could promote councilors with a
means of movement. But surprisingly, we came here to meet Senators. I thank
them anyway for giving supporting us with a motorbike”, he concluded. The councilors of Misaje were also heard
threatening their mayor that if they are not all paid mission allowances for
the trip to Nkambe, they too will boycott all meetings summoned by the senators
given that they are all ingrates.
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| Bikes donated to councils |
The former mayor of
Misaje, Nkenda Simon Sunde exploded that though it is better to be late than
never, “I was to ask them why they have forsaken us. And I was also going to
ask them whether they are very comfortable to see councilors being taxed on the
small sitting allowances. “I think I will also support the idea that councilors
should henceforth vote their colleagues into senate or councilors who are
mature people”, Nkenda Simon concluded.
Bunyui Emmanuel Nyugap,
Mayor of Ndu said the senate is there because of the councils and it is normal
for senators to show appreciation to the councilors after being elected into
office. “I want to appreciate the senators for the bikes. However, the mayor of
Ndu disclosed that senators are seemingly very comfortable when councilors and
mayors who voted them into office are without salaries. “Mayors are threatening
to stage a sit-down strike as from August 1, 2015” Bunyui said. He also
wondered why Anglophone senators are quiet about issues related to bilingualism
in this country. “Bilingualism is on paper and the Anglophones are largely
marginalized. We need to talk about the Anglophone issue”. He regretted that
the senate has been silent over a Private Members Bill on the protection of
water catchments whereas water is becoming a problem. He also lamented that the
senate may-likely be another rubber stamp like Parliament. “Cameroon will not
attend emergence by a decree. If decentralization is not effective, we may
still end up as the laughing stuck in Africa”, Bunyui Emmanuel concluded.
Ngabir Paul Bantar in
his welcome speech had earlier decried that the plight of Donga Mantung people.
In his speech, the mayor of Nkambe wondered why Fons who are only auxiliaries of
the administration while councilors and mayors are not paid salaries. He also
raised the issue of the Ring road which has ended in Kumbo, adding that the tarring
of Kumbo-Nkambe-Misaje stretch should be anticipated. The mayor of Nkambe
council also said that it is regrettable that Nwa which is the oldest and
largest sub Division has not been considered in the decentralization process. He
requested that Nwa should be raise to a full Division.
Matters came to a head
when a councilor for Nwa asked the Achidi Achu led team whether late senator
Jikong Stephen micro grants have been handed to them. In a desperate attempt to
respond to the question, senator Fon Teche said that when a senator dies, his
micro project grant dies as well. Tempers almost flared when he (Teche) said
that the clause was omitted in the constitution. Donga Mantung councilors
immediately sense the rat and murmuring took the central stage.When this reporter accosted Senator Achidi to find out from him why the FCFA 200.000 they promised councilors during campaigns have not been paid, he (Achidi) responded that some people think that senators have alot of money but that is not the case. " I borrowed alot of money to use during the senatorial campaigns and right now the bank is threatening to seize my assets", Achidi said.
It should be noted that
the senators donated a motorbike each to the five councils that make up Donga
Mantung Division.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
