Fako High Court president installed

Justice Dimo Dako Tongmo David has been officially installed as President of the Fako High Court with the challenge to uphold the respect of citizens’ liberties and freedoms under the law. Justice Dimo Dako replaces Justice Charles Namme Menyoli, who was posted to Bamenda following a Presidential decree No.2014/570 of 18th December 2014.

Chaired by the President of the SW Court of Appeal- Justice Bechem Eyong Eneke- the installation ceremony took place in the confines of the Buea High Court.

Speaking on the occasion, the Attorney General (Procureur General PG in French) of the South West region- Emile Essombe said last Friday’s commissioning ceremony was also aimed to present the new Court officers to the population.

The PG pledged that the judiciary will play its role of assisting government fight terrorism.

29 years in public service, the 59-year-old Justice Dimi Dako Tongmo David has before now held several posts of responsibility in the country’s judiciary.

From 1986 through 1990 he served as Deputy State Council at the Bafoussam Court of First Instance; he served in similar capacity in Muyuka SW region from 1990 through 1998. He later served as State Council still at the Muyuka Court of First Instance from 1998 to 2001.

Between 2001 and 2005, he was President of the High Court and Court of First Instance in Mundemba, Ndian Division. He was later the State Council of the High Court of Meme and Court of First Instance Kumba (2005-2008); Advocate General at the Chambers of the Attorney General of the South West Court of Appeal in Buea (2008-2012).

From 2012-2014, Justice Dako David was Sub-Director in charge of Judicial Cooperation at the Department of Criminal Matters in the Ministry of Justice Yaounde.

On the recommendation of the Higher Judicial Council, the President of the Republic appointed him on 18 December 2014 as President of the High Court for Fako Division.

Judged by the several posts of responsibility he held successfully in the previous 29 years of his service to the State of Cameroon, the Attorney General of the South West Court of Appeal said the new High Court President was up to the tasks assigned him. The tasks include amongst others clearing the huge number of litigation of all types (Criminal, civil, commercial and labour matters) that are lying in the court.

Given that Justice Dako David was taking over in a Jurisdiction full of litigations, this Newspaper sought to know from him the challenges he has faced since his appointment and how he hopes on overcoming them; the fourth grade Magistrate said the major problems in Fako High Court is issue of Declaratory Judgments.

“I have discovered that since the issue of the Boko Haram, many Cameroonians do not have birth certificates and so they always invade the place to get Declaratory Judgments,” Justice Dako said. Another worry was that of Letters of Administration. The new president however affirmed that all was under control.

Present at the installation ceremony was the Governor of the South West Region-Bernard Okalia Bilai, Fako SDO Zang III, Senator Mbella Moki Charles, Buea DO Paul Wokom Kouam, South West Treasury Pay Master Peter Ayuk Akpoeban, the Mayor of Buea Patrick Ekema amongst others.

According to a Press Release co-signed by the President of the South West Court of Appeal and Attorney General, the installation caravan will go next to the Mamfe Court premises where the President of the Manyu High Court will be installed on Friday 9 October 2015.