By Eric Tataw – Thursday October 31, 2019.
The Senior Divisional Officer – SDO for Fako, a division in Cameroon’s restive South West has appointed an Interim Mayor to the Buea Council three days after its Mayor’s queer death.
Emmanuel Engamba Ledoux appointed Dr Efande John Lyonga Interim Mayor of the Buea, Wednesday October 30, 2019, to replace Ekema Patrick, who died, Sunday October 27, National Telegraph has been told.
Reports say the Mayor died at 42 in a hospital in Douala, early Sunday October 27, 2019 under unclear circumstances. No official report has been released stating the exact cause of his death. His office has been sealed while investigation has been opened into the matter, sources confirmed to National Telegraph.
Ekema Patrick was highly respected by the Cameroon government but was seriously hated by the population for the stiff residence he put against Ghost Towns.
Ghost Town is set aside for every Monday in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions as a means of civil disobedience against the government by majority of its residents seeking to restore the State of Southern Cameroons aka Ambazonia. During this day, shops were closed and transportation paralyzed.
The Interim Mayor, Dr Efande is now faced with the difficult task of containing the Ghost Towns. Mayor Ekema literally fought against this phenomenon. In some occasions, he moved with tight security sealing and breaking closed shops.
Just on Monday October 21, 2019, National Telegraph confirmed reports of Ekema Patrick together with members of the Buea Council Police moving around Bonduma, a precinct in Buea, snapping, sealing and in some cases breaking down closed shops.
Article 70 of a 2004 law on Decentralization provides for an Interim Mayor in the event of the death, resignation or dismissal of the Mayor or its Deputy.
According to Article 70 of law n° 2004/018 of July 22, 2004, Municipal councilors are convened to elect a new mayor or deputy. The interim runs the council’s affairs for sixty (60) days before fresh elections are conducted to get a new Mayor.
Dr Efande, voted by councilors in 2013 to man the position of Second Deputy Mayor, was reassigned the duty of First Deputy Mayor on July 27, 2019 after councilors indicted the First Deputy Mayor, Emmanuel Motombi Mbome, for multiple absences, local media organs, including HiTv say.
