4th Deputy mayor faces tribunal for
“treason”
By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
L-T, 1st det. mayor, mayor Ekema, Zang III, Buea DO |
It is now just a matter of time for the
fourth deputy mayor of the Buea municipality to get a “no confidence vote” from
the college of councilors of the municipality.
Dr.
MrsOjongnkpot has been publicly indicted by a sweeping majority of the 35
councilors of the municipality for gross misconduct, insubordination, taking
the laws into her hands and outright treason. This was during a stormy council
session on 28 April 2016.
Proceeding
under the watchful eyes of the SDO for Fako, Zang III, the ordinary session had
as main agenda to examine and adopt the Administrative, Management and Stores
Accounts of the council for the 2015 financial year.
But
the deliberations that had gone on smoothly, suddenly turned stormy; and this
was when the floor was open for other matters. Taking the floor, one of the
councilors sought to know whether the Mayor’s query to the 4th deputy mayor had
been answered by the latter. The Mayor
wanted the 4th deputy mayor, Dr. Mrs. Ojongnkpot to answer charges of
disrespect and insubordination.
We
gathered that during the women’s day celebrations in Buea, on 8 March 2016
MrsOjongnkpot without the mayor’s fiat, took upon herself to represent the
council at the official ceremonies at the grandstand at Bongo Square. She
headily refused to relinquish her seat to the 2nd deputy mayor who was
designated by the mayor to represent him on the occasion.
MrsOjongnkpot
was also accused of committing the unforgivable offence of openly and publicly
disgracing the mayor, when she told Mayor Patrick Ekema to his face and in
public that she would not give up her seat at the grandstand to the 2nd deputy
mayor. She argued that as the only woman among the four mayors, she should
logically be the one to represent the council at the women’s day event.
It
took the Governor’s instruction and the intervention of law enforcement
officers for Mrs. Ojongnkpot to give the seat to the 2nd deputy mayor, we can
reveal.
Then
as if that was not enough, she also got up from her new seat and joined the
queue that had lined up to welcome the governor when he arrived at the
ceremonial ground at Bongo Square.
That
was why, taking the floor during the council session, the 2nd deputy mayor,
Efande, said Mrs. Ojongnkpot had proven beyond reasonable doubt that she was
not a team player. He moved a motion that the lady be compelled to publicly
apologize to the mayor and the councilors for her volte-face. Efande’s
suggestion was supported by most of the other councilors at the session.
But
another councilor, Barrister John Kameni, said an apology was not enough as
sanction for the crime committed by the 4th deputy mayor. To him the 4th deputy
mayor’s defiance is tantamount to an attempted CôupD’etat. Barrister Kameni
said Mrs. Ojongnkpot must be made to pay the ultimate price for for ‘treason’.
He suggested that Mrs. Ojongnkpot be summarily dismissed from her office as the
4th deputy mayor of the council. This suggestion by the Barrister was greeted
by a thunderous applause from the councilors.
When
Mrs. Ojongnkpot finally took the floor to defend herself, she sounded rather
unapologetic and remorseless.
“I
could see you people coming. You have kept stopping me from talking because you
don’t want me to expose the truth. Since November in this council, i have been
treated like a rag; the Mayor refuses to accept my greetings. There were
moments when I drove to the council but was refused entry. I had to walk into
the council,” she revealed.
It
should be mentioned that if the Mayor treated his 4th deputy the way she
explained, it could be expected. This is because even before her volte-face on Women’s
Day Mrs. Ojongnkpot already had an axe to grind with the Mayor. She was
believed to be part of the conspiracy that frustrated the mayor’s ambition of
becoming the section president of CPDM Fako III, during the contested
reorganization of basic organs of the party in Buea in November 2015.
It
is said that Mrs. Ojongnkpot was a member of the committee assigned to
scrutinize the lists of aspirants for the various offices during the
reorganization, but she ganged up with the other members of the committee and
made sure the mayor’s list was not entertained.
However,
after the very emotional debates at the council session, characterized by the
hitting of the table and the raising of voices, Mrs. Ojongnkpot finally
accepted to tender her apologies to the Mayor.
“I
am sorry Mr. Mayor. Please find a place in your heart and forgive me. I am
ready to go on my knees just to ask for your forgiveness,” she said.
It
could however not be easily deciphered whether or not her apology was sincere.
It was also not immediately clear whether Mayor Ekema had accepted his 4th
deputy’s apology and had decided to give her a second chance at the Council.
It
should be pointed out that if Mrs. Ojongnkpot escaped a “no confidence vote”
from the councilors, it was thanks to the SDO, who literally played the
fire-fighting role. Zang III in his scripted remarks at the council session,
emphasized on the need for peace and harmony to reign at the council.
However,
many informed voices are already speculating that the imbroglio at the Buea
council is far from over. They said it is likely the mayor would take the next
available opportunity to flush out the 4th deputy from the council this,
because in politics crimes like the one committed by Mrs. Ojongnkpot are rarely
forgiven. This is because “in politics there are no permanent friends or
permanent enemies, only permanent interests”.
With
elections in 2018 fast approaching, the Mayor can not take the risk of keeping
a disloyal collaborator at those very strategic moments. And ever since her
volte-face at Bongo Square, and her role during the party reorganizations Mrs.
Ojongnkpot is now seen more as a spy rather than a loyal and trust-worthy ally
of the Mayor.
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