Kumbo Water Management Crisis: Fon sues Mayor

The long-running controversy over who between the Paramount Ruler of Nso and the Mayor of Kumbo should manage the Kumbo Water Authority, KWA, appears to know no end in sight. Speaking on November 5, 2015, in Kumbo, Bui Division of the North West Region at a meeting called to discuss and approve the 2016 budget of Kumbo Council, Mayor Njong Donatus disclosed that Fon Sehm Mbinglo I took him to court on October 5, 2015. He recalled that the Fon on July 10, 2015, placed a traditional injunction on the KWA office located in the Nso Palace.

Njong Donatus denied rumours purportedly originating from the Fon and his supporters that he took the Fon to court, instead brandishing the copy of the traditional ruler’s complaint that was submitted to the State Counsel to the Kumbo High Court. The complaint is entitled, “Complaint against Njong Fonyuy Donatus for forgery and use of forged document and accessory to aggravate misappropriation.”

“One thing that is clear here is that I have not taken the Fon to court. But if it has come to that, I will not hesitate to do just that. It is the Fon who has taken me to court. As the complainant, the Fon is therefore interested in appearing in court to testify and prove his allegations,” the Mayor pointed out. Njong Donatus however announced that in order to bring the crisis to an end, he has tabled a motion in the Kumbo High Court to stop “the illegal parallel activities going on at Ntoh Nso in the name of Kumbo Water Authority.”

He called on those still owing water bills to pay to avoid disconnection and fines; and the public to remain calm and not be distracted. Meanwhile, the 2016 budget for Kumbo Council was approved in the sum of FCFA 804.8 million as against FCFA 786.8 million in 2015.