Tubah Councils stand-off over boundary paralyses Market Day

Buyers and sellers who showed up on Friday, June 12, 2015 for the regular weekly animal market along the Bamenda-Bambui highway had to do business along the road instead of the market where regular business is done.

The reason for the relocation was the blocking of the main entrance into the market by Councilors of the Bamenda III Sub-divisional Council. Quizzed on why the blocking, Councilor Lucas Ngu Afong councilor from Mbessi Quarter in Nkwen explained that they blocked the market in a bid to arm twist the administration of Mezam to give a verdict over the ownership and occupation of the land hosting the market.

According to Councilor Afong corroborated by George Moforzah and others the animal market which is controlled by the Tubah Council is within Bamenda III Subdivision and consequently it should be property of the Bamenda III council and not Tubah.

The protest which started as early as 5:30am calmed down at about 8am when the D.O for Bamenda III Ayuk Taknang Walter invited the Protesting councilors for a meeting at the office of the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam.

After deliberations at the SDO’s office, the SDO, Nguele Nguele Felix, then led the delegation back to the site. After listening to the councilors on arrival on the site, the SDO in response described the action of the councilors as illegal. Considering that the issue was already tabled for examination by the Bamenda III council to the administration, the SDO maintained that it was totally out of place for the Councilors to take such actions.

The councilors who took the decision to storm the market say they did so independent of the Mayor who they claim was siding with the administration and delaying the process of handing over their land to them.

The councilors also argue that the old building that hosted Tubah council services prior to the construction of the new premises is in Bamenda III and consequently should either be property of the Nkwen based council or Tubah should adequately pay royalties for the site.

Since nobody represented the Tubah Municipality, there was no argument. The SDO for Mezam at the close of the day created a special committee to look into the matter. He however stated that the statuesque will remain as before” until a solution is gotten.”

This decision was not well received by the councilors as many argued that such committee will only work as slow as the administration. They say while waiting for the decision the market should be free with sellers not paying market tolls. The market did not however function on its regular area but there are signs that next week Saturday the venue will be occupied.