The two protagonists in the insidious crisis over the management of the Kumbo Water Authority, KWA, have gone to court to settle a matter that otherwise could be settled out of court, by the elders of the land.
The Mayor of Kumbo Council, Njong Donatus Fonyuy has refuted allegations that he took the Fon of Nso, HRH Sehm Mbinglo I to court. The allegations had spread like wild fire all over Kumbo.

Mayor Njong made the disclaimer at the Kumbo Town Hall, on 5 November 2015, during a council session to deliberate and adopt the 2016 budget of the Council.

“I did not take the Fon to court. The people of Kumbo should note this; On the contrary, it is the Fon of Nso who has decided to take me to court.” emphasized Njong Donatus, who at once made bold that he too would not hesitate one bit to take the fon to court if ever the need arises.

Brandishing a copy of the fon’s complaint to the councilors and the population, the Mayor revealed that the fon tabled a complaint to the legal department of Kumbo High Court on 5 October 2015 accusing him of forgery, use of forged documents and aggravated misappropriation.

“In order to bring the crisis to a logical end, we have tabled a motion in the Kumbo High Court to stop the illegal parallel activities going on at Ntoh Nso in the name of Kumbo Water. Unfortunately the Fon and his cronies are intoxicating the population, insinuating that the Mayor of Kumbo has taken the Fon to Court,” Mayor Njong explained further.

While calling on the population of Kumbo to remain calm and serene and to avoid “falling prey to detractors” who are using the crisis to divert the attention of the council from its development plan, Mayor Njong reassured them that the activities of Kumbo Water Authority are going on well and that the population are paying their bills normally.

It should be noted that during the first hearing of the case on October 27 a mammoth crowd gathered at the Kumbo High Court to follow the proceedings. But the case was instead adjourned to a later date.

After the court session,the crowd booed and jeered the Mayor, cursing him for dragging their Fon to court.

It should be recalled that on 10 July 2015 the fon of Nso, Sehm Mbinglo I sealed the doors of Kumbo Water Authority KWA faulting it for gross mismanagement.

KWA however transferred their offices and activities to the old Kumbo Council building after councilors sitting in an extra-ordinary session deliberated and approved to harbor them.

On 29 July 2015 HRH Sehm Mbinglo 1, after a meeting convened to resolve the issue at the instructions of the SDO for Bui ended in a fiasco, announced to a crowd of curious subjects and journalists that he had decided to take full control of the water scheme.

An office under the banner of kumbo water with an interim water management committee was set up by the Fon and started collecting bills.
Since then, the Fon and the Mayor have been engaged themselves in a gory public spectacle with some self-seeking individuals and some politicians seeking political gains fanning the flames.

Many kumbo inhabitants have been caught in the cross fire. Reports which The Median could not immediately verify insinuate that some people have been declared persona non grata in some traditional cults in the palace for being loyal to the Mayor. Some others have been refused some essential services at the Council because they are said to be the Fon’s partisans.

Budgetary session proper

During the bedgetary session some 40 of the 44 councillors of Kumbo Council adopted the sum of FCFA 804,828.602 as the budget for 2016 with the investment budget standing at FCFA 325.230.718 representing 40.4 %.

Addressing the councilors, Mayor Njong Donatus said during the new financial year, they will give priority to rehabilitation of roads and construction of bridges and culverts with funds from FEICOM.

He said Kumbo Council is anxiously looking forward to be finally selected for the REDD+ Project which is getting to its final phase, announcing that he will be going to Kenya in the days ahead for a knowledge sharing exchange program on Climate Change management.

Mayor Njong added that the Potato Factory project in Kumbo has been submitted to the Ministry of Small and Medium Size Enterprises revealing that the ministry in question has decided to do some studies to beef up that which had already been done by the council.

“We have other projects in the pipeline like the construction of a Municipal Hotel and the construction of a Shopping Mall in Mbveh. We look forward for a better and a more sustainable management of our domestic waste in partnership with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing,” the mayor revealed.

He announced that a delegation of friends of Kumbo Council from the sister city La Crosse in the USA will be visiting Kumbo in December. He the population to give them a befitting welcome.