Political Witch-Hunting or Genuine Complaints?

L’be Chiefs Disavow Andrew Motanga, But why only now?

In a strongly-worded open letter addressed to the government delegate, the Chiefs indict the Andrew Motanga of multi-form wrongdoings. Commentators say the outing by the Chiefs only further sinks the gov’t delegate, literally auctioning him to the judge of the Special Criminal Tribunal in Yaounde, before whom the GD and several others are expected to appear, on 5 February, to answer to corruption charges brought against them by CONAC.

By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Y’de with reporting

L’be GD, Andrew Motanga

The government Delegate to the Limbe City Council is in for serious trouble that is, if the charges of abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds and embezzlement, among other non-corruption-related accusations, brought against him from several quarters, are anything to go by.

                Andrew Motanga Monjimba is accused by the Limbe Chiefs’s Conference of crimes ranging from disrespect for the chieftaincy institution, wrongful sale of ancestral heritage of Limbe (Botanical Gardens) to non-natives for commercial exploitation, inducing the chiefs into the error of signing a document acknowledging the implantation of street lighting in their palaces when no such lighting was ever put, despite payment of 1.2bn fcfa for the project, purchase of a dysfunctional fire extinguisher truck for 400m cfa, award of hundreds of fake 4.9m contracts to the tune of 1bn cfa, stuffing of the city council payroll with names of ghost workers whose salaries are siphoned to private pockets, using colossal council funds to organize annually a ‘self-aggrandizement’ stunt - the Limbe Festac, while sub-divisional councils are starved of their statutory financial allocations etc etc.

                Limbe Chiefs are further aggrieved that Motanga is doing everything to retain his seat as City Mayor, though, according to them, he hails instead from Boana village in Buea.

They have given the government delegate 7 working days to answer to the query or they will pass a vote of no confidence on the government delegate.

                The accusations by the chiefs only add to earlier indictments of corruption and embezzlement brought against the government delegate by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC.

                Following the Conac indictment, Andrew Motanga and several of his collaborators at the city council including notably the former SG, Nkongho Arrey, the Council Treasurer, Chindong and a supplier of the Council, Bibi, have been summoned to appear before the Judge of the Special Criminal Court SCC in Yaounde on 5 February.

                It is feared that the Conac indictment coupled with the accusations by the chiefs may just push Motanga and Co. into the anti-corruption (Epervier) dragnet. If this should happen, it might just signal the political demise of the otherwise hardworking, assiduous, politically loyal, submissive ‘vision-bearer’ of Limbe.

                Is it not said that in politics, “power is a labyrinth; actors only know their way in, but hardly, their way out.”

                Meanwhile, all our attempts to get the President of the Limbe Chiefs Conference to talk on the subject met with an adamant Chief Ndicko Fonderson Henry, who asked us to wait until the 7 working days given by the chief for Motanga to respond to them, elapses.

                All our efforts to get the government delegate to talk were also futile. But a source close to Motanga who spoke to us, said the Gov’t Delegate is serene and calm in the face of what he considers as well calculated political machinations, witch-hunting schemes and a contemplated plot hatched and orchestrated to frustrate his political ambition.

                The source expressed confidence that the GD will come out safe and free from the murky waters in which he finds himself.

                “I can say with confidence that the GD will walk out free from the office of the criminal judge in Yaounde. Motanga is a clean, hardworking gov’t delegate whose success story at the city council is instead attracting jealousy and envy from some persons who are scheming to take his place at all cost,” said our interlocutor.

                Needless to mention that the summons from the SCC in Yaounde is what now animates talk and debates in bars and public places in Limbe, with many fearing that their GD may be embarking on a one-way journey to Yaounde.

As the speculations and counter speculations are making the rounds about Motanga’s political future, only time and events would test and reveal. but until then, let’s wait and see!.