CPDM Reorganization Limbe:

Can Andrew Motanga stem the anger in Fako IA?

By Now Fuanya in Limbe

Andrew Motange

All fingers in the city of Limbe are now crossed waiting to see if the Government Delegate and outgoing Section President of the now defunct Fako I Section of the CPDM will be able to scale through in the face of anger of CPDM militants who have said he is trying to use means not prescribed by the party texts to hang on as Section President of Fako IA. The fuming militants vomited their anger last Monday 19 October 2015 during the launching of the reorganization exercise in Limbe I.

                Disgruntled militants argued that since 2002, Andrew Motanga Monjimba has been the president of the then Fako I Section which covered the entire geographical area of the then Limbe Urban Council. In 2007, the council area was split into Limbe I, II and III subdivisions. Motanga became the mayor of the Limbe II council, militating in the Mokundange sub section and voting there. Mokundange, they hold, is also where he lives.

                However, very recently the enlarged Fako I section was split into three vizFako IA, IB and IC. These new sections cover the land area in Limbe I, Limbe II and Limbe III respectively. And the text for the reorganization states that persons aspiring to positions of responsibility at the grassroots level must have militated in the sub section and must be resident in the area.

However, it emerged that the Government Delegate and outgoing Section President of the now defunct Fako I section has declared his intention to run as section president in Fako 1A whereas he militates and lives but in Mokundange, which is in Limbe II sub division or Fako IB.

                Reason why other aspirants for section president in Fako IA are putting pressure on the election commission not to accept Motanga’s candidacy in Fako 1A. They argue that Motanga should go to Fako IB which is his rightful political base.

                Raging militants say they are waiting to see the sub section in Fako IA in which Motanga will claim to be registered, giving that it is well known to all and sundry and even documented that he militates in Mokundange sub section in Fako IB.

                Some Fako IA militants note that after 14 years at the helm of the party in Limbe, Motanga wants to perpetuate his grip on power by claiming to be a militant of Fako 1A which is at the city centre, whereas his true political base is Mokundange at the periphery of the city.

                Some commentators say Motanga is running away from Fako IB because of the paltry population of CPDM militants; he fears the CPDM might not be able to over-power the mushrooming opposition population of the area during future elections.

                The protest of Fako IA militants notwithstanding, it is likely Andrew Motanga will have his way. The chairman of the electoral commission, MrGobina, for his part, has explained that all the points raised by the militants against Andrew Motanga candidature may be true but it is also true that Motanga not only works in Limbe I, he owns a house in Limbe I where he spends most of his time.

                “On these bases Motanga has every legitimate right to run for office in Fako IA,” Gobina was quoted as saying.

                Yet, this has still not gone down well with militants, some of whom continue to agitate that the texts regulating the reorganization exercise must be respected to the letter without which the elections will not hold. Threats and counter threats are now the order of the day among militants of Fako IA. Militants have crossed their fingers waiting to see what will happen when the teams go down to the field to begin campaigns.

                Meantime, similar launching exercises have taken place in Limbe II and Limbe III as well as other parts of Fako division.