The committee has been put in place to probe into the Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) scheme of the Buea Council, a scheme that was initiated during the tenure of the then Mayor of Buea, Senator Charles Mbella Moki.

Municipal Deliberation No. 14/2014 of July 23, 2014 authorised the mayor of Buea to create an ad-hoc committee “to probe into the irregularities surrounding the BOT Scheme under the Buea Council.”

An extract of the deliberation reads: “Considering the anarchy observed within the different projects carried out under the BOT Scheme within Buea Municipality, considering the illegal occupation of council land by some unscrupulous individuals, considering the report of the works and development committee…the mayor of Buea is hereby authorised to create an ad-hoc committee to investigate the issue of ownership and management of Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) projects in Mile 17, Bongo Square, and Buea Town.”

The deliberation goes on to state that “…the committee shall seal the shops of defaulters and resolve the illegal occupation of council land.”

The deliberation was signed on July 23, 2014 by 39 of the 41 councillors of the Buea Council, Joseph Ewome Njie, secretary General of the Buea Council and Thomas Ewonde Elive, Protem Chairperson of the Buea Council. It has the visa of Fako Senior Divisional officer, Zang III dated August 12, 2014.

Service note no. 035/MBC of August 19, 2014 signed by the Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema appoints 24 members into the ad-hoc committee.

Prominent among the members of the committee are three former mayors of the Buea Council – Becke Smith Molua, Mokake John Endeley and Ikundi Peter Ray-Lyonga. HRH Johnson Njoke Njombe, Chair of the Works and Development Committee, Hon. Isuma Oscar Otto Endeley, Vice Chair of the Works and Development Committee, and Dr. Kingsley Lyonga Ngange, Secretary of the Works and Development Committee also form part of the ad-hoc committee.

A separate service note, no. 036/MBC/ August 19, 2014, designates Dr. Amos Namanga Ngongi as Chairperson and mayor’s representative to the ad-hoc committee.

The service note signed by Mayor Ekema Patrick states that “all members of this ad-hoc committee are called upon to give Dr. Ngongi the necessary collaboration required in the discharge of his duties. The Chairperson/mayor’s representative is required to submit the ad-hoc committee’s findings and recommendations to management within two weeks after the official putting in place of the said committee.”

Other members include: The First Deputy Mayor, Buea Council; The Second Deputy Mayor, Buea Council; The Third Deputy Mayor, Buea Council; Hon. Councillor Emmanuel Lifambe Sako, Member Works and Development Committee; barrister Kumfa Jude; Barrister Cosmas Lifanje; Njie Ewome Joseph, Secretary General of the Buea Council (Rapporteur); Godlove Njie Meoto, Stores Accountant Buea Council; John Mbontum Ndum, Molyko Buea; Chief of Service Works Department Buea Council; Elinge Lyonga, Buea Council; Njoh Stanley, Head of Municipal Police Buea Council; Bismark Kuve Mokake, Municipal Police Buea Council; Ngombi Esowe, Mile 17 Motor Park; Market Mistress, Buea Town Market; Market Mistress, Clerks Quarters.