One year on into his mandate as mayor of Muyuka, analysts say Mayor Nkeng Michael Akamin stands before the electorate with a blank balance sheet.
The SUN learnt that since the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Zang III installed Nkeng and his team at the helm of the Muyuka Council on Friday, November 15, 2013 he has not had rest because he has had to solve problem after problems at the council every now and then.
Zang III on July 12, 2014 promised to take severe actions against some councillors at the Muyuka Council who are making the Mayor’s job difficult.
The supervisory authority of councils in Fako turned an Ordinary Session of the Council reserved for the examination and adoption of the 2013 Administrative, Management and Stores Management Accounts, into a forum to school councillors on how their relationship with the mayor ought (not) to be.
Zang said since the last municipal elections of September 30, 2013, political differences are yet to be resolved in Muyuka; especially after the election of Nkeng Michael Akamin as mayor of Muyuka. Political witch-hunting, backbiting, slander and bad faith were described by the SDO as damaging to the development of the municipality.
The SDO gave the impression that those who stood against Nkeng for the Muyuka mayoral job have been burning the midnight oil to oust him, with rumours that night meetings are being held by some councillors with plans to hand the mayor a vote of no confidence.
“I advise once more and for the last time for you to work with the Mayor…Illegal meetings at night have to be stopped. Those who want to be mayor should wait for five years for elections to come. But as you wait, remember that now is the time for Nkeng,” Zang III spat out the words in a fire tone.
The threats of the SDO have been ignored given that the rift between the pro-Nkeng and anti-Nkeng factions have widened beyond mending point. In fact, the recent decision by the National Chairman of the CPDM calling Nkeng to order has further widened the divide.
When The SUN visited Muyuka, Mayor Nkeng was not on seat – he’s said to have travelled abroad.
The 3rd deputy mayor of Muyuka, Otto Ebonge Mukete found difficulties spelling out concrete projects their administration has realised one year on.
Apart from the roads that are largely done with funds from the public investment budget, the deputy mayor said they have struggled to complete the mortuary contract they met and have plans to complete the Banquet Hall project they inherited.
“As far as achievements are concerned, we have rehabilitated roads; we have handed out didactic materials, organised holiday jobs and an inter-quarter competition.We’ve improved on working conditions of staff and built an incinerator at the Muyuka District Hospital,” Ebonge said.
Reacting to stories that Nkeng Michael virtually executes all contracts under his company, Chariot, Ebonge said “The council hasn’t heavy equipment and our mayor is a business man and a contractor. The council hires machines from Chariot construction. The relationship between Chariot and the Muyuka Council is not for free. The council uses the machines for its roads works”.
The 3rd deputy Mayor also confirmed news that he has been barred from signing marriages. “As the issue of marriages is concerned, it is an in-house matter. The mayor said I’m still too young, and that with time I’ll sign marriages. All the others are signing, except me,” Ebonge said.
He claims that he is not worried about the decision, arguing that the interest of the team is greater than his personal interest.
Reacting to information that all money got from the civil status is shared almost immediately it enters the coffers, Ebonge said all financial transactions rests with the Municipal Treasurer.
Gratification to staff Nkeng Michael is said to have given out gratification to some council staff and members of his team before travelling out of the country.
Though the Secretary General of the Council, Emmanuel Mokambi and the Municipal Treasurer, Regina Kamdem say they are unaware of any such gratifications, The SUN learnt that the two, among others were also gratified.The chief of service for Administration, Johnson Nyonga Nyoki even hinted that the mayor only gives a few thousands to those who work with him after working hours. He said nothing is wrong with Chariot parking its equipment in front of the council.
It is said that the deputy mayors each received FCFA 250,000 as gratification, while the 3rd deputy mayor received only FCFA 200,000.
He however did not tell us how much he was given but he said the following: “As far as the gratification is concerned, I think it was the mayor’s discretion and it is an in-house affair. He did it with a free mind and is in the position to answer your question…if somebody gives you something, you cannot say it’s not enough.Sincerely, I don’t know how much he gave others because it was not disclosed. Any other thing about what was given, I cannot tell.”
Ebonge said a group called “the friends of friends” of Nkeng Michael is a structure within the CPDM that cropped up prior to the 2013 twin elections, during the formation of a council list headed by Nkeng Michael. With news that the click is fragmenting, Ebonge denied that there are plans to dismiss him from the “Friends of Friends of Nkeng Michael”.
Quizzed on the kind of relationship that exists in the council, Ebonge said it is cordial.
But when the question of how money recovered from the field is not properly accounted for, he had a ready answer. “If there is any such hitch, the SDO is better placed to address that,” he said.
Ebonge denied claims that the SDO was at the centre of their victory. He simply attributed his becoming deputy mayor on ‘politics’.
It is also said that bills for contracts that were never received are being paid without supporting documents. Though Ebonge denied knowledge of this, the Secretary General of the Council and the Municipal Treasurer also claim not to know.
Last July 12, Mayor Nkeng said: “Talking about difficulties, there are many. Let me inform my fellow politicians that the goal of politics is for governing and when the period comes, we play the politics. When the period is over, we make the population feel that they made the right choice. I want to remind politicians of my party, the CPDM, that they should understand that in five years, we shall stand before the electorate and give an account. My appeal is for us to stop politics.”
