As traders are getting impatient:

Who is blocking elections at Kumba main market?

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Traders of the Kumba Main Market have begun asking questions to the Meme administration as concerns elections into the executive body of the Kumba Main Market Traders Welfare Association. The anxious traders who have waited for close to three months since the abortive election into the market was cancelled at the 11th hour say they are running out of patience.

                The traders revealed with the coming of the new Meme boss, they knew things will be regularized in no distant time for elections into the market to reorganize. According to some of the traders who spoke to this reporter on the basis of anonymity, they have waited patiently for the SDO to organize elections into the market’s welfare association and it appears the Meme boss is rather comfortable with the eight-man caretaker committee that he put in place two months ago.

                Following the abortive election that was organized to the Kumba Main Market Traders Welfare Association, the Kumba main market was in total disarray and confusion without anyone to handle issues related to wellbeing of traders and their security in the market. This situation was lay to rest by the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, Chamberlin Ntou’ouNdong when he created an eight man caretaker committee to handle the affairs of the traders in the market.

                In a prefectoral order dated April 6, 2017, Chamberlin Ntou’ouNdong appointed an eight man caretaker committee with all of the members been neutral from the three camps that contested the abortive election into the market which ended in a sham after been cancel at the 11th hour.

According to part of the order The Median procured two months ago “pending the organization of election in view of voting executive members of the Kumba main market traders’ association, the following persons were designated as members of a caretaker committee to the Kumba Main market welfare association: EyoMbone as chairperson, Mr. AgienChrysantus as Vice chairperson, Mrs. SiehMalah as Secretary, Mr. AbuahDiuedonneIbiatoh as treasurer, Mrs. Monya Rose Tambe as financial secretary, Mrs. MbolaMarthia as 1stadvicer, Mr. KovalchouNgassa as 2nd adviser and Mr. TchindaHogus Alexandra as 3rd adviser” read part of the order.

                The order as well gave the committee the powers to manage the security situation of the market, day-to-day running of the affairs of the market and unfailingly render weekly account to the senior divisional officer until elections are organized in the market. It equally warned the outgoing executive to cease carrying out any functions in the market and ordered them to hand all materials at their keeping to the caretaker committee as well as empowers the DO for Kumba I, government delegate to the Kumba city council as well as the forces of law and order to ensure the effectiveness of the said order in their respective spheres.

                It should however be recalled that before the coming to play of the new SDO for Meme in putting in place a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the market, a stormy election had taken place in the Kumba main market and was only cancelled at the 11th hour for reasons best known to the powers that be who acted as supervisory authorities to the abortive election. After the cancellation, this reporter had gathered that the cancelation was allegedly due to the fact that the candidate that had been tipped favouriteby some individuals who parade the corridors of power in the division had risk losing the election and for fear of the unknown the election was cancelled at the stage of vote counting.

                The election which took place on Friday March 17, 2017 was hotly contested by three candidates; Mr. SonaSonaHabibullah represented by the blue ballot, Mr. Tabot William Tabot representing the white ballot and Mr. Tatang Augustine representing the green ballot. Prior to that stormy election, the First Assistant SDO, EverklineEpoulewaneMbua had signed a communique disqualifying the incumbent president, Mr. Chamajuh James for reasons best known to her and her office. 

The questions which now lingers on the mind of many Kumba market shop owners and traders is just how long the set caretaker committee will continue to work after being in place for two good months?. Other observers who were not satisfied with the election process in the abortive election have started asking questions as to whether the election process will be started all over to give chances to new aspirants? While others with a critical eye have been asking what the finances gotten from the market will be used for by the Meme administration that has now overseen activities at the level of the market for the past two months?.

                Whatever is the case, traders of the Kumba main market are pleading on the powers that be to do a free and fair election that will enable them put to power their candidate who will represent and work in accordance to their wish and not to satisfy the high offices of the division.