“We can not build Misaje Council by Painting It Black to the World….”-Mayor

By Ignatius Nji

                                         Mayor Sammy Mgbata Of Misaje Council

In a bid to state clearly some of the major challenges he is facing as Mayor of Misaje, Sammy Mgbata on the third paragraph of his opening address during the 2014 administrative and management account that took place on Monday June 15 reiterated that speed brakes to all his effort to speed up the development of the municipality unfortunately are some councilors who still nursing grudges upon his being elected mayor after 2013 municipal election. He pulsated that in as much as it is incumbent of all councilors to criticize his management which in a way is to spur him to better performance in output, the mayor observed that a handful of them are authors of vicious calumny in spite his incessant appeals for love and work in synergy. According to Mayor  Sammy Mgbata, these persons do not have the common good of the municipality at heart rather are being egocentric. Hear him, “…It has been proven that most of the time some Councilors go to Bamenda for their salaries at month end, do carry with them slanders for publication by Journalists. Even damages in the council caused by some of them are shamelessly attributed to me as if they believe that I am not knowledgeable enough to refute and redirect them to their malicious creators….” Former Mayor Nkenda Simon who happens to head the supposed disgruntled councilors did express their openness to dialogue with the seating Mayor but unfortunately some drummers are in the bush hampering any peaceful agenda probably reaping from it. He called on the seating Mayor Sammy Mgbata not to keep preaching peace yet listening to diabolic music of war from the shadows. The Mayor should be seen to work for peace by taking his responsibility towards reconciling the councilors for a better working environment in the interest of Misaje council for if he fails at the head we all have failed as councilors. He said. .

In response to a publication in the Press where he was accused for not paying workers salary in eight months, the Mayor was categorical that he came in and inherited a huge debt with those salary arrears inclusive and so far he is paying those debts and has tried to pay four months hoping that in the near future the other four months would be cleared. Another aspect mentioned was that some Councilors are discouraging taxpayers from paying in their taxes to the council which in a way is to sabotage activities in the municipality. As a warning to recalcitrant workers who have lost focus in the exercise of their functions, the Mayor reminded them thus, “…Some workers deceive themselves that since they campaigned for the CPDM to win the council, I can not punish them for what ever crimes they commit. I tell them that nobody in this council with me inclusive is more CPDM than the Ministers who are suffocating in Prison for having acted adversely. For no political lineage would cease the hammer from me against workers working out of the ambit of the law.” The issue as to which salary classification the Misaje council was using given that other councils are paying using the new salary scale with minimum wage of FCFA 36000. The Mayor tried to make excuses that he was working with the 2008 classification, based on the advice of the Divisional Delegate of Labour and Social security. The Supervisory authority stepped in and cautioned him against demoralizing his workers by not using the present classification on salary as is the case in other councils. Mr. Ngone Ndode Mesape SDO encouraged the Mayor to start paying using the present barim and should in case in the future it is realized that workers were unduly or over paid, these sums would be automatically stripped from their salaries.

During deliberation the Councilors scrutinized the reports on projects executed by the council and those from central administration realized in the municipality. The 2014 budget realization spread in the domain of education, health and social activities. From a projected budget of FCFA 173.9million the council ended up with a whooping additional that rocketed it to FCFA 534.2million. Revenue stood at FCFA 362.2 million and expenditure stood at 343.9million though local collectivity witnessed a drastic drop from 17.2% in 2013 to 6.2%. In all the council witness a 67.8% rise in the  rate of realization comparatively to 36.6% in 2013.