Abuse of office:

Fako SDO to face trial for arresting SDF chairman

 Zang III, Fako SDO

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
The SDO for Fako, Zang III is in a “Cold War” with the SDF party after he ordered the arrest and detention of the Party’s Limbe I Electoral District Chairman, Godden Ndenge Zama last Wednesday, February 3, 2016. The Chairman has threatened to sue the SDO.
    Reports suggest that Ndenge Zama was arrested and detained for protesting against the city council’s demolition of makeshift structures along major streets and that the demolitions touched even structures that had already paid rents and taxes to the council.
    The SDF is considering taking court action against the SDO for what they qualify as his excessive abuse of office and violation of the constitution.
    “We are currently talking with our lawyers and examining all possible avenues for a lawsuit and I think we have a lot of support from people within and without the community who think we should actually sue the SDO through the administrative court,” Zama told reporters, adding that his party will plead the court to fine Zang III for “violating the constitution, denying citizens the right to peaceful protest, illegally destroying the property of law-abiding citizens and for illegally detaining him”.

    On why he had initiated a protest in the first place, Zama said he felt that for purposes of equity, the council should have first demolished its own property.
    “There should be equity in justice. What the council is doing is discriminatory, punitive to the poor and so I was compelled to stand in defense of the rights of the people. You have to ask the SDO why he detained me in the first place. I think the right to housing and peaceful protest is protected by the constitution of this nation. I think the SDO was involved in excessive use of his powers,” Zama said, justifying why the courts must call SDO Zang to order.
    After a 24-hour stay in a cell at the Central Police Station in Limbe, Zama says he is more than determined to protect the interest of thousands of Cameroonians who are victimized everyday by the reckless actions of those in power.
    “This detention hasn’t stopped us in any way. In fact, we are not going to move a muscle. We are going to hold strong to the position we have taken,” he stated, adding that “the council should start by demolishing and reconstructing most of the market infrastructure in Limbe including the New Town Market, the markets in Down Beach and Sokolo where most of the stalls are constructed with wood and are makeshift structures.”
    Reminded that the council had given a three-year period of grace to owners of makeshift structures and that plenty of sensitization was done within this period, Zama laughed and said:
    “The council should have used the three years to demolish and reconstruct its own structures. They had three years to effectively communicate and look for a viable means to resettle some of these people. The council did not do that. It was completely slow in carrying out its duties.”
    On whether his action was intended to reap political capital ahead of imminent elections, the local opposition party leader said the SDF is out to protect the interest of the masses and not selfish interests.