CONAC to investigate Ako council accounts

By a correspondent
Tongues are still waging in Ako Council in Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region over the surprising incident that took place on May 28, 2014 when councilors of that municipality met to deliberate and adopt the 2013 administrative, management and stores accounts. Councilors who had prepared to raise hell on some figures presented in the accounts were hooked when the municipal treasurer failed to show up.
It should be noted that the 2013 administrative and management accounts of the Ako council took place under the watchful eyes of the Senior Division Officer for Donga Mantung Division, Ngone Ndode Mesape Bernard. The administrative and management accounts of FCFA 702,708,335 in income and expenditure were presented to the councilors but absence of the municipal treasurer, Stella Maih to give a convincing explanation on some budget heads became a bone of contention in the hall.
    However, we gathered that the municipal treasurer had received an impromptu audit team from Bamenda and she could not be allowed to attend the session. Many are still wondering aloud whether it was not a cooked-up audit to cover up some alleged wrong doing. A school of thought holds that the presence of the municipal treasurer would have clarified many burning issue given that she is hardly available.

    The Secretary General, Mbengia Wilfred Ngum who was the lone council technician had no other option than to ramble over figures as presented on papers. Yet as noticed, his curiosity was ostensibly at the council chamber where the audit team was surfing over documents.
    However, the councilors after examining the accounts, stomached their worries in anger as could be observed on their faces even the issue on readjusting the 2014 budget was hereto buried. It is aired that the budget head for mayor’s fuel dropped from FCFA 18 million to FCFA 6 million.  Those who thought the accounts would be rejected were taken aback when they adopted depending justifiable explanation in a-would-be extraordinary session. At the end of the session, matters became worst when councilors were only received their sitting allowances. One councilor even threatened to resign if they are not treated fairly. “We have been told to return after a week for transport allowances”, one of them told this reporter angrily.
    Some councilors threatened to stage a sit-down strike but were later convinced by Akio Augustine, the Mayor of Ako. One councilor wondered loudly whether it was fair for the treasury to spend FCFA 8 million as operating expenses as compared to FCFA 3.750.000 paid to the 25 councilors in 2013 as sitting allowances. To them, the amount consumed by the treasury department was much when compared to FCFA 17.810.964 million spent as allowances for wages to staff of the council. “We are being owed 7 months”, a staff of the council hinted this reporter. It is even alleged that the mayor could not receive his sitting allowance for the session on grounds that the municipal treasurer on leaving the municipality had not instructed the cashier pay out any money.