What a Disgrace to Traditional Institutions!

SDO Bans Petition-Writing L’be Chiefs Confab
-Accuses Limbe Chiefs of posing a threat to social peace and cohesion, and of setting confusion with a view to destabilizing the chieftaincy institution in Fako
By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

President of FCC, HRH Fonderson Henry

“Order Pass Power!” Talkative Limbe Chiefs must respect themselves and shut up, at least for once. This is the interpretation that the public makes from the prefectoral order No 32 signed on Friday 31 January, by the SDO of Fako, Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux, suspending all activities of the Limbe Chiefs Conference till further notice.
    “Considering the threats to social peace and cohesion……Considering the risk of destabilizing the chieftaincy institution in Fako, and considering the maintenance of public order within Fako division, I, the undersigned Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux, Senior Civil Administrator, Knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour and SDO for Fako division, do hereby orders as follows: 1)…….That as from the date of signing of the present Order, all activities of the Limbe Chiefs Conference are hereby suspended. 2)…That anyone who violates this Order shall be prosecuted according to the rules and regulations in force. 3)…That the DOs and heads of forces of defense and security are each in their spheres of competence charged with the strict and immediate application of the present Order…”
    The SDO’s Order thus short-circuits a planned media outing by the LImbe Chiefs to further drag the Limbe Government Delegate deeper into the mud.
The Chiefs who last week published a stinking open letter castigating the Limbe Gov’t Delegate, Andrew Motanga, accusing him of all kinds of wrongdoings at the City Council including notably allegations of abuse of office and power, corruption, embezzlement etc, had given the GD seven (7) working days to answer to the accusations failing which they would call a press conference during which they would further spill the beans. 
    But the Fako SDO intervenes just in time, to stop the Chiefs and spare Andrew Motanga further embarrassment and opprobrium.
    However, keen observers say the SDO’s decision to suspend Limbe Chiefs Confab might be upon the instruction of CPDM hierarchy in Yaounde that could not stand aside complacently and watch how the party in Fako is being split into shreds by the activities of local chiefs, and at this crucial period of elections.
    It should be mentioned that even before the SDO’s Order on Friday, the National Scribe of the CPDM Central Committee, Jean Kuete, had during an outing in Limbe on Thursday 30 January, frowned at division within the ranks of Fako CPDM. Jean Kuete ceased the occasion to call for renewed unity within and among militants and leaders of Fako CPDM.

    The President of CPDM Limbe I, Andrew Motanga, who incidentally has been the main target of the smear attacks from the Limbe Chiefs, also used the occasion of his welcome remarks to the CPDM Scribe, to castigate the Chiefs for what he described as anti-party activities. Motanga urged the Chiefs to refrain from petition writing, targeted smear campaigns and inciting division within the ranks of the CPDM in Limbe.
    Needless to state that the petitions by the Chiefs only weaken the CPDM in Limbe, especially at this time when the opposition SDF party is sparing no effort and leaving nothing to chance, in their determined poise to oust the CPDM from all the councils and parliamentary seats in Limbe and Fako.
    Analysts say the division within the ranks of the CPDM in Fako might have prompted Jean Kuete to undertake the trip to Limbe.
    It remains to be seen how the Chiefs, who by virtue of the law, should be obedient, if not, subservient, to local administrators, would react to this ‘slap on their faces’ by the Fako SDO.
    But if one person has emerged victorious in this first part of what promises to be a running drama, it is the Government Delegate, Andrew Motanga, who can now enjoy some period of respite, after his political assailants (the Limbe Chiefs) have been silenced by the SDO.