Court Awaits Instructions From Yaounde To Discharge 6 NW Detained Mayors

But Agogho of Andek in Trouble

By Shey Wirba

The Batibo court of First Instance had entertained a plea from Tenoh Lawrence Ndangoh, Mayor of Batibo. The plea, Chronicle gathered, is a follow up of a memo tabled to the Minister of Justice. The court, observed that mayor Tenoh detained for having misappropriated some 17.3 million FCFA, money meant for communal stamps had since paid back. The same pleas, Chronicle learnt also came from the mayors of Ndop, Babessi and Balikumbat in Ngoketunjia division. Yet, there has been no word about the fate of Johnny Agogho, mayor of Andek.

Agogho is the North West regional president of the United Cities and Councils in Cameroon , UCCC. He is presently detained at the Mbengwi prison, alongside Tah George Mbah, mayor of Mbengwi. Chronicle gathered that while Tah George had paid back all 20 million FCFA accused to have misappropriated, Agogho is still hooked.

Accordingly, the Andek mayor is accused of having misappropriated 34 million FCFA, the highest so far. By press time, Chronicle got hints that the Andek mayor had not been able to clear the mess. Some Andek (Ngie) residents however confided in Chronicle that Agogho would not be able to come out of the hook; Chronile was further briefed that Agogho neither has landed property nor anyone to risk bail him out.

Should the minister of justice therefore decide to order for the release of the mayors who have paid back what they misappropriated, then Agogho would be left behind.

A source in the ministry of justice in Yaounde however confided in Chronicle that none of the mayors may escape the wrath of justice. He added that they are still being detained for the crime they committed. Moreso, Chronicle was clarified that crimes of misappropriation, embezzlement and felony are unbailable, by dint of the penal code.

Some critics have however styled the arrests of the mayors as an attempt by the CPDM government to quieten the SDF. They say, with the SDF mayors of Batibo, Mbengwi, Babessi and the ex-SDF mayor of Andek involved, is s strategy. “what would SDF criticize of CPDM officials, when she too falls in same soup”. This has been the question.

Hopes that mayors Tenoh of Batibo, Tah George of Mbengwi, Agogho Johnie of Andek would bounce back are almost lost. Even Tikanjo of Babessi, Ntoh Daniel of Ndop and Wasum Augustine of Balikumbat already have interim mayors in their respective offices.