SDO chastises councils for poor management

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Donga-Mantung, Bernard Ngone Ndode-Mesape, has chastised Donga-Mantung municipal councils’ authorities for poor management that leads to the strangulation of the development of these council areas.

The SDO was speaking on September 24, during a meeting he convened that brought together all Mayors; Deputy Mayors; Secretaries General of Councils and Municipal Treasurers in what he titled “First Evaluation Meeting, One Year After.”

The SDO frowned on the fact that most of the councils’ authorities have hindered the development of their municipalities through unnecessary wrangling and egoistic tendencies.

He regretted that, instead of working as a team to deliver the expected goods, individuals were rather defending personal interests. He said he was disappointed that councils which were expected to raise revenues for development were instead loosing these revenues as they concentrated on in-house fighting.

He took on the Ako Council which he described as the “sick man of the Division.” He said the Mayor, Agustine Akio Abe, was not collaborating with his immediate collaborators, making work very difficult. He further blamed the limping nature of the council on the notorious absenteeism of the Municipal Treasurer, Stella Maih.

According to Alice Chemo, 1st Deputy Mayor of Ako who was corroborated by the 2nd Deputy; “The Municipal Treasurer is never in Ako and works only 12 hours a month. She comes once and, before you know it, she has left for her Weh Village in Menchum Division. She doesn’t live in Ako. Mission orders and other dues are not regularly paid.

She has deliberately despised Mayor’s instructions to bring communal stamps and other materials.”

They also reported that the Secretary General of the Council, Wilfred Mbenga Ngum, was also working in his own direction. They complained that in this situation, revenue collectors were taking advantage to swindle their collections.

They also complained that the people were not feeling the impact of the Council because the wrangling between the Mayor, the Secretary General and the Municipal Treasurer, was frustrating any initiative towards development. They equally blamed this on the Mayor’s laissez-faire attitude and non-collaborative spirit within the council.

The SDO, who was discomfited with the situation in the Ako Council, frowned on the unpatriotic nature of the Municipal Treasurer, Stella Maih who he said he had counseled and warned her many times, but she would not heed to advice.

He requested her to take up her duty immediately or face sanctions. He instructed the Mayor and his Deputies, the Secretary General and the Municipal Treasurer to reconcile and put their hands on the plough for development in the municipality.

The SDO regretted that the very rich Ako border Council was unable to get revenue because the Secretary General and the Municipal Treasurer were not on the spot to follow up revenue collection, thus, giving the collectors the latitude to swindle their collections.

What was identified in the Nwa Council was the power tussle between the Mayor, Dr. David Ngongfe Luma and the Member of Parliament for Nwa , Hon. Genesis Mbopsek.

The tussle is reported to have brought many development projects to a standstill, namely; the Sih Border Market, as to where to locate it, despite the fact that government already awarded of the contract. The SDO advised that they should bury the hatchet and consider the interest of those who voted them, because posterity will judge them individually.

The SDO warned that no political party should dictate the functioning of the council because the council belongs to the people.

He advised the Mayors that in order to avoid power conflict among their collaborators, they should clearly define functions; pay supposed benefits to their Deputies and make their offices comfortable.

He encouraged the Nkambe, Ndu and Misaje Councils to speed up the pace of their development and endeavour to use the technical services at their disposal.