CPDM councillors decry marginalization at council sessions

Some CPDM councillors in Kumba have complained that they often receive invitations to council sessions only on the day of deliberations.

They said only SDF councillors are given strategic committee positions.
The grumbling about marginalisation came after the budgetary sessions which were held at the Kumba I and III Councils Monday 7 and Tuesday 8, December 2015, respectively.

John Kingue of Kumba I Council lamented that for most of the sessions he has attended, he received information only on the same day.

Kingue said he received his invitation for the recent session at 10 a.m on Monday same day the session was holding.

According to Kingue, another CPDM Councillor, Emmanuel Kwatio, only succeeded in attending a committee meeting thanks to information from a Delegate of Lands for Meme. He thus concluded that some Councillors are favoured over others.

Earlier, Kwatio had frowned on the fact that only SDF Councillors enjoy positions on committee seats.

Kwatio had equally faulted the SDF Councillors for looking for ways to fill their pockets with money when they voted to be co-opted to help revenue collectors on the field.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Kumba I Council said Kingue is hardly at home which explains why his invitation is always problematic.

Meme Senior Divisional Officer (SDO), David Koulbout Aman, ordered for the setting up of a register for Councillors to always sign once they receive their invitations.

The SDO said others could be informed via phone.

Despite the worries expressed by the CPDM Councillors, Kumba I Mayor Abel Ebako Ndoh denied any discrimination. He said that "every Councillor enjoys the same privileges given and that all are working for the common good of the population of the Kumba I municipality."

The 2016 budget of the Kumba I Council stands at FCFA 835.6 million, showing a 27-percent increase from 653.8 million in 2015. The major projects targeted are the construction of a council hall, purchase of a pick-up, a 20-ton truck and a tractor for public use.

Councillor, DO Disagree Over Traditional Title

In Kumba III, the Divisional Officer, DO, Gilbert Gubai Baldenaand Councillor Victor Akwa Ndum went into a racket after Akwa Ndum introduced himself as "Councillor His Royal Highness".

Councillor Ndum is chairman of one of the council committees.

The DO said Ndumis is a mere notable and not a chief. However, Ndumis is said to be the leader of his tribal people in Kumba.

Seemingly irked by the title, the DO objected that Councillor Ndum is not a chief in the Sub-division. Yet, Ndum insisted that he simply called himself ‘Councillor His Royal Highness’ and nothing more.

After the matter died down, Ndum brought up the issue again when he moved a motion for the adoption of the 2016 budget of the council, he repeated the same title. This time around, he asked the DO to clearly get the pronouncement of ‘Councillor His Royal Highness’.

The row over Ndum’s title aside, the Councillors adopted FCFA 500million as the budget for 2016. Out of this amount, FCFA 300million will serve as recurrent expenditure as against FCFA 200million for investments.

According to Mayor John Kona Makia, emphasis will be on protecting underground water sources, grading more streets, re-organisation of the urban transport sector, afforestation, promotion of sports and culture.

Makia said more efforts will be directed towards extending electricity to the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, camps in his municipality.

For Meme SDO Koulbout Aman, the road network in all the municipalities needs urgent attention.