21 orphans given 8 days to pay FCFA 1.3 million debt

The 21 orphans of the Chlephic Orphanage in Kumba, Meme Southwest Region, recently rendered homeless through a court ruling have been given 8 days to pay off a debt of over 1.3million owed by their former landlord in accrued rents or have their properties auctioned.

Roberts Agbor, Director of the Clephic orphanage, disclosed the information to The Post, Wednesday, September 3, in a chat on the recent developments within the 'motherless baby home' after the court ruling that saw them now seeking refuge in a poultry farm.

Speaking to The Post, Agbor said the orphanage remains helpless in the face of a new issues going by a letter served him by a bailiff on September 1, 2014 ordering the orphanage to clear the debt within 8 days.

According to him, given the time frame and the pressure on the children, officials of the orphanage are in the process of seeking mercy and help from the Meme administration, considering the weight of the heavy arm of the law.

Agbor said, the orphanage envisages making mercy calls on the Meme SDO, David Koulbout Aman, Meme State Prosecutor, Justice Paul Batuo Akong, the Delegations of Social Affairs, alongside other State services to sort them out.

Quizzed if he acknowledges the FCFA 1.3million debt, Agbor averred that, that which is written on the package served him through a bailiff reportedly from the former landlord of the orphanage.

In another twist, the Orphanage Director argued that, in the wake of the legal battle that flushed the orphans from their former Moki Street Mile I habitat, over 60 bags of 50kg weight of rice were given to the landlord, as part of the house rent on an agreed price of at least FCFA 18,000 per bag. On the strength of the supposed price per bag, Agbor claims, the 60 bags of rice cost FCFA 1,080,000.

He instead expressed surprise that, the landlord emerged with a different receipt duly signed, which puts the total number of bags of rice at 58 and the money for which it was agreed at FCFA 700,000.

Besides the bags of rice, Agbor disclosed that, the former landlord equally laid claim on planks belonging to the orphanage. The said planks, Agbor sustained, are being used in the construction of a church where the landlord is a committee member.

Attempts by The Post to get the former landlord of the 'motherless baby home' to comment on the controversy surrounding the orphanage and him were fruitless.