Motomby Mbome Emmanuel Facebook
Motomby Mbome Emmanuel, First Deputy Mayor of the Buea Council has been “dismissed” from office following a resolution taken at the first ordinary session of the Buea Council for 2019 reserved for the examination and adoption of the 2018 administrative, management and stores accounts.
The session took place at the deliberation chambers of the Buea Council Wednesday, July 17, 2019 chaired by Ekema Patrick Esunge, Mayor of the Buea Council.
It was proposed at the session that the First Deputy Mayor should be sacked from his position on grounds that he has since been absent from his office, boycotted council sessions and has been insubordinate. Motomby was thus unanimously voted out by Mayor Ekema and the councillors in session.
Motomby was replaced by the second Deputy Mayor, Dr. Lyonga John Efande. Mosoko Edward Motuwe moved from his position of 3rd deputy mayor to occupy the office of second deputy mayor. Tchonta Guembo Rose is the new third Deputy Mayor while Ikome William Lifanje is the new fourth deputy mayor of the Buea Council.
Cameroon-info.net could not immediately get the reaction of Emmanuel Motomby Mbome, a chartered treasury accountant and National President of Cameroon’s Athletics Federation.
Motomby’s dismissal now brings to six the number of councillors dismissed during the current mandate following the September 30, 2013 municipal elections.
On December 23, 2014, councillors of the Buea Council adopted a motion to expel two of theirs – Councillors Chief David Molinge Ikome (of blessed memory) and Kinge Thompson Molonge. The motion was proposed by Councillor Chief Njombe Njoke Johnson on grounds that the duo had been absent from three consecutive sessions of the council without forwarding proxies.
Chief Njombe had earlier tabled the motion calling for the dismissal of the two, citing the law which stipulates that if a councillor misses three consecutive sessions; such a councillor be dismissed through a deliberation of the councillors in session. The motion by Njombe was quickly seconded by Councillor Isuma Otto Endeley before a tense debate ensured within the chambers of the Buea council.
Though Councillor Amos Namanga Ngongi held brief for Chief Molinge on grounds that Molinge was sick, Councillor John Efande, second deputy mayor slammed the claims.
“…The law doesn’t state that a councillor should hold brief for another. The law must be applied. The law gives us grounds to dismiss these councillors. They are learned and versed with the council law and so have no excuse. They should be dismissed,” John Efande said.
Councillor Wokama Ngange supported the stance of the deputy mayor even before he had finished, getting the support of Councillor Chief Njie Mandenge who simply said “Cameroon is a state of law. Let us apply the law.”
Regretting that “the law does not give a human face in situations like sickness,” Dr. Kingsley Lyonga Ngange, another Councillor, added his voice to that of his peers like Councillors John Kameni and Hannah Etonde Mbua to say that the law should be followed.
Etonde Mbua, however, sought clarification from the Secretary General of the Buea Council, Joseph Ewome Njie who attested to the fact that the two councillors were duly served with summons for all the sessions.
Ewome Njie noted that the duo missed two extra-ordinary sessions on September 22 and September 30, 2014 and an Ordinary Session of December 23, 2014.
It is not known if the Senior Divisional Officer had approved the dismissals.
Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh and Chief Njie Mandenge had also fallen out of grace – the same Mandenge who had supported the dismissal of Kinge and Molinge. Dr. Mrs. Comfort Beyang Oben Ojongnkpot was also fired from her position of 4th deputy mayor on similar grounds of insubordination.
It should be recalled that after a council resolution to destitute a mayor or deputy mayor, the minister in charge of local councils takes the final decision. Deputy Mayors are elected by a list system – they are replaced in a similar way.
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