An extraordinary council session of the Tiko Municipal Council was abruptly halted this Friday morning by the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) of Fako Division, Viang Mekala.
The meeting, called by Mayor Chief Peter Ikome Mesoso III, was convened to consider the dismissal of Mrs Mukwele Elmina Avibe Epse Ngomba, the council’s Second Deputy Mayor, over allegations of repeated unjustified absences from duty.
According to a communique from the Mayor’s office, councillors were also expected to
elect a replacement Second Deputy Mayor if Mrs Mukwele was relieved of her duties.
However, the SDO issued a directive instructing the Mayor to immediately adjourn the session. The confidential letter obtained by BN states that Mrs Mukwele had resumed her official functions, and, in the SDO’s view, there were no longer grounds for her dismissal.
The SDO further stated that any extraordinary council session must first secure approval from the Minister of Territorial Administration, as required by Cameroon’s decentralisation laws. He also noted that moving to dismiss the deputy ahead of the imminent municipal and legislative elections this year was unnecessary.
The SDO’s action deepens ongoing concerns about the limited autonomy of elected municipal councils in Cameroon. Although the country’s 2004 decentralisation law was designed to transfer more decision-making powers to local councils, in practice, appointed administrative officials, such as SDOs, retain overriding authority in many key governance areas.
The incident has sparked debate among local leaders about the role of appointed administrators. Mayors and councillors argue that as elected representatives, they should be empowered to make personnel decisions within their councils without interference from the central administration.
Supporters of stronger decentralisation point to constitutional provisions guaranteeing administrative autonomy to local authorities. Yet
critics argue that these provisions have never been fully realised, leaving elected councils dependent on supervisory officials for approval of crucial actions.
In Tiko, this dispute adds to broader challenges facing municipal governance across Cameroon’s local authorities, where tensions between elected officials and administrative supervisors have repeatedly surfaced in recent years.
Mayor Mesoso has not yet issued a public statement following the SDO’s intervention. Councillors are expected to hold internal discussions on next steps in the coming days.
By Lucas Muma
