Trouble in the House:

K’ba lawyers victimize president who suspended strike 

-But Barrister Mpako Jacob fires back at “zealots” who want to highjack the struggle

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Barr. Mpako Jacob Njume, MELA VP

This reporter has it on good authority that close to 100 common law lawyers of the Meme Lawyers Association, MELA are planning to slam a no confidence vote on MELA vice President, Barr Mpako Jacob Njume.

            We gathered that the ‘no confidence’ vote might be slammed on Barr Mpako during a stormy MELA meeting scheduled for Monday 16 October 2017 to address burning issues concerning the association, especially the decision to call-off the strike by the MELA Vice President.

            Our sources told us that the lawyers are angry Mpacko who unilaterally called off the strike in utter violation of procedure and laid down rules.

            To this group of angry lawyers, Barrister Mpako acted on his own accord to suspend the common law lawyers strike in Meme. They say the fact that the release suspending the strike action was signed by Barrister Mpako Jacob alone, makes it suspect. They also hold that the release neither carried the letter-headed paper of MELA nor any MELA stamp.

            According our source, it is very wrong for an association with more than 100 members to have less than 20 lawyers in court for the strike call off. They say such acts demonstrated by the Vice President shows he acted solo and for that reason they are thinking of slamming him a no confidence vote on their Monday meeting.  Our sources also revealed that there are allegations a total of FCFA 200 000 exchanged hands between those who called off the strike headed by the Barr Mpako and some politicians in Kumba. 

This reporter as well learned that after the strike was called off, the angry lawyers immediately held a meeting to discuss the burning issues and the Vice President, Mpako Jacob whom we are told also attended the meeting left angrily in disappointment from sundry criticisms from his colleagues.

            While waiting for the looming no confidence vote which has been promised him on Monday, MELA Vice President, Barr Mpako Jacob has fired back saying the struggle has been high jacked. He spoke to this reporter on the sidelines of the solemn court session that was organized to call off the 12 month old sit in strike action.

            “…Some zealots have high jacked this movement and think that their opinion must prevail over any other person. The constituent assemblies have made every effort to meet as a body to move ahead but threats will not permit them. So, in behind-the-door scenes the constituent assemblies decided that lets take respective actions” Barr Mpako explained adding that their meeting to call off the strike coincides with those of other associations to show they aren’t the only ones “as we are sitting here, FAKLA is sitting. In other places some lawyers were already going to work. In Bamenda they are two camps; those who are going to court and those who are not going to court so why is it only Meme” Mpako wondered aloud.

            Barr Mpako blamed the low turnout of lawyers during the call off to the fact that many of them were not aware of the magnitude of the ceremony but said all and sundry were cognizant of the date since it was discussed in two different meetings and voted for by the majority.

            The MELA Vice president denied all allegations levied on him that he might have collected money from certain quarters to call off the strike. “When you don’t reason according to some people they think that you must collected money” Mpako noted adding that he has never collected money from anybody and remains open and ready to be invited for interrogations and investigations.