SDF Councillor threatens court action over Bda road const'n

The SDF Councillor for Ntamulung a neighbourhood of the Bamenda City Council area is now threatening a court action with regard to the rehabilitation of untarred roads in his area.

The brawl between Councillor Ezekiel Nji Chi and another resident, Lucy Ndefru first made rounds after the Bamenda City Council decided to open up roads in Ntamulung which is closely linked to the central business district of the city of Bamenda.

Our reporter gathered that after the untarred roads were successfully expanded, some houses and property were affected. Lucy Ndefru raised an issue that the SDF councillor Ezekiel Nji Chi had collected bribe to deviate the rehabilitated road route away from the property of one Pa Nanje to her plot of land. Hence, infuriated Lucy Ndefru raised an alarm with the administration of Bamenda II and Mezam division through a protest.

Contacted to comment on the widespread allegation of corruption which was fueling tension in the neighbourhood, the SDF councillor denied the allegations pointing out that as chairman of a nine-man development committee, he was only charged with overseeing the road rehabilitation.

He explained that, it is the technical services of the Bamenda city council that demarcated the roads to be rehabilitated and the quarter development committee was only there to supervise the work.

The councillor who is also chairman of the finance committee of the Bamenda II council revealed that before the roads were graded, there were landmarks, adding that unless it was discovered that some people had their building permits, but the city council did not want to compensate them when there were damages to their property.

Councillor Nji Chi challenged Lucy Ndefru and other detractors who claimed that the chairman of the quarter development committee has collected a bribe to bring the prove. Failure to bring the prove amidst the raging tension, he fumed, leaves them no other alternative than to take the matter to court.

He said when roads were being graded on the disputed area, he as the development committee chairman was not present to have influenced the bulldozer, noting that Lucy Ndefru even has no authority over the land because her mother and brother are still alive to manage the family land in question.

Nji Chi disclosed that, following the dispute, the DO for Bamenda II, Itoe Mbongo Peter visited the said piece of land and asked for a land certificate which was not produced. He said despite promises that the land certificate, said to be in the keeping of the Fon of Mankon would be produced, nothing has since happened.

The councillor regretted that even though he lobbied for the supply of water to the people of the area amidst severe shortage, Lucy Ndefru went out on a sabotage campaign that the councillor was fake.

He concluded that the said Lucy Ndefru has refused to respect hierarchy or pay her development levy like any other inhabitant of the area.

Nji brandished a list of those who have paid their development levy and the name of Lucy Ndefru was not there. Given the magnitude of the allegations and the increasing tension on the ground, Ezekiel Nji Chi, with the support of the Ntamulung quarter head, Fonjong Samson Anye and the entire development committee are now bracing up to go to court to seek justice.

The opening of roads in the Ntamulung area will however eased the traffic flow in the city centre especially the Sonac street and Ngen junction which usually create a significant traffic problem in the city of Bamenda.

The road rehabilitation project in Bamenda is part of ongoing efforts to decongest the town and similar exercises have already been carried out in other parts of town with demolition of several houses.