By Peterkins Manyong
Councillors loyal to Fon Doh, on Tuesday September 5, 2006 frustrated a move by the acting Mayor of the Balikumbat Council to get himself elected full mayor ahead of Friday, September 8, 2006 Doh's homecoming.
An extraordinary council session convened by Edward Banla for this purpose ended in disarray when a majority of the councillors refused to pass a vote of no confidence against Fon Doh.
In the resolutions that followed, a copy of which The Post obtained, the Banla took over in accordance with Section 148 of Law No. 2004/18 following Prefectoral Order No. 0042/2006.
According to the law, he was empowered to handle only routine matters and could neither carry out the general management of council matters, nor modify the decisions of budget of the council.
These resolutions are clearly stipulated in Section 104 of the council law.
Considering that the acting Mayor lacked the powers to carry out all the council functions, including the holding of a budgetary session, the councillors saw the need for a full-fledged mayor.
They, therefore, unanimously requested the council Supervisory Authority "to take the necessary dispositions which will lead to the election of a new mayor".Vincent Ndimanje, Samuel Mbah and Vincent Sama, Chairman, Secretary and member, respectively of the Resolution Committee, signed the two-page resolutions.
The Post learnt that Banla wanted the election to take place immediately and was optimistic that the councillors would choose him. But Fon Doh's loyalists screamed in protest saying it was too abrupt. They insisted that the Supervisory Authority should give them at least one month.
So disappointed was Banla that the FCFA 20.000 which the councillors were promised before the session were not handed out. Twenty-one out of the 25 councillors attended the council session; Ignatius Dinga and Fon Doh were among those absent.
Intrigues
The extraordinary session, The Post learnt was convened abruptly, just a day before the date, whereas the law states that it should be done at least five days before the date.
Peter Mbuh, Ngoketunjia SDO, who convened it, did not attend. His First Assistant, Armstrong Voh, represented him.
Voh's initial mission was to stop the session, but he arrived when it was already going on and had no option than to attend it. The Post learnt was told that the SDO wanted the session stopped after a stern warning from "above".
When The Post contacted the Banla after the council session, which was held in camera, he said it was only for councillors. "Even the administration was not invited. Not to talk of the press," he said and rejected this reporter's appeal for a briefing.
The SDO was not in his office when The Post went after failing to contact him by phone.He was equally uncommunicative. "I am attending a sensitisation meeting on the new Criminal Procedure Code. I can't see you now," he snapped.
War Of Tracts
The two weeks that preceded the council session were characterised by the circulation of tracts both for and against Fon Doh. One of the tracts The Post got hold of, stated, "Everybody in and around Balikumbat is in total danger with the return of Fon Doh.
We can only be free in his absence. We must rise against him for our safety, that of our children, the neighbouring villages and the whole Cameroon".Another tract dated August 21, 2006, in support of Fon Doh, called on the Sub-treasurer, the Mayor, Assistant Mayor, Secretary General and Paymaster of Balikumbat Council to pack and leave the village.
"We are telling you to start packing off for we are going to see who is who when he comes. The administration of Balikumbat is not left out".Vincent Mbita, Balikumbat DO, whom The Post spoke with, said he knew and had actually spoken to the authors of the tracts. But they had all declined responsibility.
He, therefore, welcomed a decision by Benson Nwana Gwantuma, Balikumabt Traditional Council Chairman and Doh Gegha, representative of the kingmakers, that Fon Doh's reception, which was first scheduled to take place at Government Primary School, Balikumbat, will take place at the Balikumbat Palace at 10 am on Friday September 8, 2006.
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