Magistrate’s wife storm project site to stop ongoing work

The wife of a Magistrate, Nnoko Mbo, has halted work on an on-going project valued at FCFA 25 million at the Kumba District Hospital, Meme Division, Southwest Region.

The Magistrate’s wife is demanding 10 metres of land to create a pathway. This information was made public by the Meme Divisional Delegate of Economy Planning and Regional Development, Godlove Buinda, on Tuesday, July 8, during deliberations on the execution of public investment projects, in the Division.

According to the Delegate, Nnoko Mbo appeared at the scene, July 7, and chased away the contractor and members of the technical team. The project in question is the construction of an FCFA 25 million-fence round the Kumba District Hospital, following decades of friction between successive health administrators and landowners around the area. Buinda said the contractor has fled the scene requesting the authorities and the parties concerned to seek a solution to the land crisis before work can commence.

The Post gathered that the Magistrate’s wife surfaced at the scene of the disputed land and ordered work to stop. Her order caused the team which accompanied the contractor, among who was the Divisional Officer for Kumba I Subdivision, Charles Duala Fomumbod, to leave the scene. Approached for comment on the issue, the Director of the Kumba District Hospital, Dr Zachs Ebongo Nanje, admitted that there was a problem, but wondered why an individual could go to the extent of frustrating Government action.

Ebongo explained that Nnoko Mbo is requesting for an additional 10 metres of land from a consensual boundary that was recently carved out by DO Fomumbod. The Director wondered how she could be thwarting boundary agreement which she was a party to.

The Director further disclosed that Nnoko Mbo has transformed the former hospital mortuary and other areas of the hospital into her poultry farm. The health official told The Post that he will consult Southwest Governor to report threats on his life as a result of the land dispute.

Ebongo said that there are documents to certify that the land in question was ceded to the hospital by the people of Kumba, decades ago. Meantime, the contractor has suspended work pending a security guarantee. Attempts to get Nnoko Mbo comment on the issue have been unsuccessful.

Investment Projects At 31 percent Earlier, the MINEPAT Delegate disclosed that the level of projects stand at 31 percent and 25 percent financial realisation for the Division. The realisation rate, according to his report, corresponds with some 25 projects already completed, spanning January through June 2014.

Buinda has, however, urged participants to step up interest in the follow-up committee to achieve Governments’ dream of effective projects realisation. To him, interest from all stakeholders in the way public projects are executed will guarantee development.

Paul Makembe, Vice President of the Follow-up Committee warned that if the stakeholders in Meme are not concerned with the way Government projects are executed; development in the division will remain a pipedream.Makembe urged contracts officials, the civil society and committee members to step up their productivity before blaming contractors.