The mayor
of Nwa in Donga Mantung Division of the Northwest Region risks being booted out
of office with a vote of no confidence following claims from lobbyists in his
municipality that he bored a hole of over 72 million FCFA in the council’s
coffers.
The
four-man lobby of Nwa constituents says the mayor, Dr Ngomfe Loma David, on
several occasions made transactions on behalf of the council that cannot be
traced in the institution’s financial records. It has lodged an appeal at the
National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) calling on the body to look into the
allegations.
In the petition which News Watch has seen, they allege
that Ngomfe sidelines councilors in budget planning so he can have a free hand
in lining his pockets with tax payers’ money.
“Councilors are not allowed to deliberate on the
extra-budgetary income before it is spent and the Finance Committee of Nwa
Council has been completely marginalized,” the petition reads.
In
addition to a “missing” FCFA 11 million surplus last year, the petitioners say
a further FCFA 49 million, being “carbon credit” that was paid into the coffers
of the council in November 2011 was misappropriated. The quartet claims the
mayor skipped a required nod from councilors and, unilaterally adopted and
integrated the sums into the municipality’s budget for 2011.
Furthermore,
only a paltry FCFA 5 million, out of some FCFA 17 million made available is
said to have been used in bankrolling the construction of the Nwa-Jah-Ngomko
stretch of road. The FCFA 12 million balance has not been accounted for till
date, they claim.
The group
of four also claims Dr Ngomfe Loma David is doling out the majority of
contracts in Nwa to Entreprises Hamza, a firm he runs covertly.
Dr.
Ngomfe reportedly trampled on Cameroon’s contract laws when he bought a new
Toyota Hilux in flagrant defiance of an agreement reached with councilors. It
is alleged that they had settled that funds raised from the sale of the
council’s old Land Rover and another Toyota Hilux, which is still to be sold,
be used to buy a new vehicle for the council.
It is
further claimed the mayor proceeded to employing over 60 temporary council
workers, based largely on favouritism, without the knowledge of his deputies
and councilors. The mayor did this, it is claimed, after he “stood off the Nwa
Council temporary workers in 2010, in total defiance of the council
deliberations and resolutions of the March 2010 budgetary session which had
sufficient provisions for the salaries and salary areas of the said workers.”
The petitioners end their appeal on a grim note drawing
attention to inflated mission allowances the mayor is said to be attributing to
himself.
Even his “driver is put on an exaggerated salary and
out-station allowances of more than FCFA 200.000 at times.”
But Mayor Ngomfe counters, insisting that all the accusations
leveled at him are void of substance.
“What I can say about this petition is that the names
on it are non-existent. They are writing from hiding; in fact they are cowards.
“However, I am aware they are my political enemies and their fear is my growing
popularity and my successes in Nwa.”
By Ndi Eugene Ndi
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