CPDM gov’t vindicates NsoFon, spites SDF mayor
By Gideon Wirsuiy in Kumbo
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| SehmMbinglo inspecting Kumbo water catchment |
In what can be interpreted as reaffirming the authority of
the Nso Palace over the SDF-run Kumbo council, the CPDM government has ruled in
favour of the palace as the de facto manager of the Kumbo water project.
Authorities
of the Supreme State Audit last week handed over the keys of the Kumbo Water
Authority, KWA, to the NsoFon, SehmMbinglo. This was at the end of an audit
they carried out on the management of the water project.
For
over a year now the management of the community water project had been the bone
of contention between the Nso palace and the Kumbo council.
But
denizens of Nso who spoke to The Median said that by handing the keys of the
Kumbo Water Authority to the Nso Palace, the government has ruled in favour of
the latter in the long-drawn altercation between the NsoFon and the Kumbo
Mayor, NjongDonatus, over who manages the water.
However,
reacting to the development, some denizens of Kumbo, supposedly loyal to the
Mayor, said the ruling of the CPDM government in favour of the Palace, could
not be otherwise giving that the CPDM party must make such overtures to the
Fon, if they expect him to help the party in its usually fruitless efforts at
wooing the populations of Nso to its camp. It is believed that for the CPDM to
gain control of Nso, the intervention of the Fon will be instrumental and
indispensable.
Yet,
whether SehmMbinglo will be seduced by this gesture of the CPDM government
cannot be known now; it will be known only later on, perhaps, in 2018 when the
electorate would be convened for the multiple elections in the country notably
council, senatorial, parliamentary, Regional and Presidential elections.
SehmMbinglo riding high
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| Nso warriors cleaning Kumbo water catchment |
The Fon
told a curious crowd that had gathered at the Palace that officials of the
Supreme State Audit announced this to him during a visit they made to his
palace. SehmMbinglo said with
the KWA now restituted to the people, the piece of land that was acquired at
Tobin for the sum of FCFA 10 million is now also the property of the Palace.
The Fon told his subjects that because the land in question was purchased with
their money, it can only be their property.
It
should be recalled that the mayor of Kumbo, in his capacity as supervisory
authority over the KWA, had acquired the piece of land with the intention to
erect a befitting structure to host the Kumbo water authority.
SehmMbinglo
told his subjects that he will in the days ahead reconvene them to shortlist
those who will clean the water catchment area situated at Yeh and Njingari and
those to manage the water project.
SehmMbinglo
used the occasion to also fire a grim warning at thieving former managers of
the KWA. He said the baskets of money they have stolen from the coffers of KWA
would be recovered when the time comes.
“How
could Nso people give their water to some of their own to manage and these
persons turn around and steal the proceeds?,” wondered SehmMbinglo, who
promised to get the culprits to pay back the stolen money even if it means
auctioning their private houses.
Meanwhile,
the Fon has also implored his subjects to be calm and law-abiding vis-à-vis
state authorities.
It is
however worth noting that though the Nso Palace has claimed victory over the
SDF-run Kumbo council in the water dispute, the council has yet to officially
concede defeat. For one thing, the council is supposed to be the supervisory
authority over community water and electricity projects by virtue of the law on
decentralization.
Unfortunately,
by press time yesterday, we could not get the mayor of Kumbo, NjongDonatus to
react to the development.
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