Councillors of the Tiko Council have said that they are angered by the arrogance of the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Zang III.

During the Second Ordinary Session of Tiko Council held Monday, December 29, to scrutinise and pass the 2015 budget, the councillors turned their backs on the supervisory authority Zang III as he made recommendations to them. The councillors closed their eyes to Zang’s message, insisting that it is only normal for him to have apologised for keeping them waiting for too long.

“During the last session, the SDO came two hours late and did not apologise. Today, the SDO again came over two hours late. The session was slated to start at 10am, but he came at 12:20pm,” Councillor Wirngo Buven Martin said.

Buven Martin went on to add that “We had to look for a way to show our grievances. People should respect time. By turning away our faces from his speech, we passed on our message. We are sure that when next the SDO comes here, he’ll respect time because during the very first session in 2013, councillors who came 15 minutes late were locked out.”

Another Councillor, Barrister Stanislaus Ajong chimed that “with this disrespect shown by the SDO to the councillors, we told ourselves that we must just pay him back in his own coin, by not listening to him.”

Ajong warned that if the SDO does not turn a new leaf, the reaction from them may be different.

“…Next time, he should respect us because we shall not only turn our backs on him, but we’ll do something different. It is our duty to make sure that we pass such a message to the SDO because he has disdain for us,” Ajong warned.

Contacted by The Cameroon Journal for reaction, Zang III sounded unapologetic. “I don’t have to apologise to them (the councillors) because I was not sleeping in Limbe. I was there because I had a formal activity. I was opening a seminar on the instructions of my hierarchy. I don’t have to apologise. I came and was even in the office of the DO (Divisional Officer for Tiko) to correct the budget. The budget was not well prepared. You had some errors there. So, I had to see the budget so I could give the recommendations I made.”

Reminded that he has been noted for coming late to events to which he is presiding officer and that this wasn’t just an isolated case, Zang chose to say: “I’ll give no answer to this question.”

It is worth noting that during a similar session at the Buea Council, the mayor regretted that a deliberation to increase the sitting allowances for councillors has not been signed by the SDO for over six months after it was submitted to his office.

Just as the councillors in Tiko say they have no problem with Zang III as a person, but his capacity as SDO, many, like Councillor Wirngo Buven Martin, are of the wish that the SDO picks a new good fashion this New Year.