Kumba City Mayor  Takes Oath As  Civil Status  Registrar

Kumba City Mayor  Takes Oath As  Civil Status  Registrar

Story, Prince Oben

The City Mayor of the Kumba, Meme division, South West region, Gregory Ntemeyok Mewanu, his first  and second deputies Victorine Ebanja and Umana Sako Macmillan, respectively have  been  sworn in as civil status  registrars.

The  ceremony took place at  the Kumba Court of First Instance Thursday  January 7. It was  presided at by the court’s President, Magistrate Hannah Misodi Itoe spouse Egbe.

This was in the presence  of the State Counsel of the Meme High Court and Court of First Instance, kumba, Magistrate Peter Esongmbi Mbuagbaw  in attendance flanked by his three deputies.

The solemn court session started with the Learned State Counsel presenting a submission why the newly-elected municipal authorities should be sworn in after the re-run of the mayoral election on October 22, 2020, following the annulment of that of March 3, same year, after the twin Poll of last year.

His submission was substantiated by the fact that, Gregory Mewanu won the re-run against former Government Delegate, Victor Ngoh Nkelle , by 64 to 11 null votes ; a result that was validated by the Minister of Decentralisation and Local development, Georges Elanga Obam, in November last year. The profile of the City Mayor and the deputy Mayors were all read out in court thereafter, each of them swore on oath beginning with the City Mayor, followed by the First and Second deputy city mayors respectively.

The exercise gives them the recognition to sign civil status documents. The President of the Court of First Instance, Kumba, then presented a catalogue of the duties of the City Mayor in fostering the development of kumba while at the same time reminding him that the time for politics is over and he should serve all the denizens  irrespective of political affiliations.

The magistrate took time to educate the three council executive officials on how they go about issuing Civil Status documents in accordance with the 1981 Civil Status Ordinance.

The oath-taking court session which was supposed to take place last year never held because of a protracted legal battle between the former Government Delegate, Ngoh Nkelle Victor and the present Gregory Mewanu over the city’s top job.

Ngoh Nkelle had earlier won the job before the Supreme Court overruled a decision of  the Administrative Court of the South West region in Buea over procedural lapses after Gregory Mewanu filed a petition.

At the moment, the matter is at the level of the Supreme Court again filed in by the Kumba City council Mayor after the South West regional Administrative Court could not decide on a criminal aspect if a suspended sentence on Gregory Mewanu should not allow him run for office. It is believe that the outcome of the appeal would be the final nail on the coffin of this legal battle.