Bamenda III Council drags Tubah Council to court

The Bamenda III Council has dragged Tubah Council to court over land and property that was hitherto controlled by Tubah Council for close to 50 years.

Bamenda III Councillors resolved to take the matter to court on December 4, during the budgetary session after the administration failed to solve the problem.

A mixed commission and the former Mezam Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Felix Nguelle Nguelle, had decided that the land and buildings in question be ceded to Tubah Council.

“We are condemned to take this matter to the Administrative Court to seek redress because the recent Prefectural Order from the Mezam SDO, before he left the Northwest, instructed Tubah Council to follow the procedure to own the former Council buildings,” said the Mayor of Bamenda III, Cletus Fongu Tanwie.

Mayor Fongu Tanwie and the Fon of Nkwen, HRH Azefor, were particularly bitter that the administration has failed to resolve the problem. The Fon warned that if the issue is not tackled speedily, it could lead to war.

Meanwhile, Fongu presented the draft budget for 2016, which stands at FCFA 600 million.

He said 40 percent of the budget would be used in investment, 35 percent as recurrent expenditure while 15 percent would be spent on staff.

He thanked partners like Japanese, South Koreans and PNDP for facilitating the development of the municipality.

The Mayor said the giant water project the Council has embarked on is at the level of disinfection and, upon completion, the whole municipality will enjoy potable water.

For his part, the Secretary-General at the Bamenda City Council, Jude Waindim Nsom, called on the Councillors to collaborate with the City Council for more projects to be realised.

The Secretary General assured the Councillors that, before the end of December, the roads in Bamenda would be rehabilitated. He said, every year, at least, two kilometres of the road would be tarred in each Subdivision.

To curb urban disorder, Waindim said the three Subdivisional Councils have been authorised to put order in the commercial motorcycle sector, whereby, it is mandatory for riders to wear helmets, and jackets with numbers inscribed on them as well as pay taxes.