Honourable P.C Fonso clears the air on some burning issues

By Emmanuel F. Sanosi

The Social Democratic Front member
of Parliament for Momo East Constituency, Hon Fonso, recently gathered a cross section of journalists in Bamenda, to clear the air on what he termed vicious allegations from some unscrupulous and jealous persons involved in the political life of his constituency. He started with a comment on the July 22 twin elections. "During the elections," he declared, "something happened in Mbengwi which the press has never been told… I am going to do it now"

He revealed how, four days before  the polls, the Divisional Officer for Mbengwi Centre, removed all the electoral registers  where they had been pasted and substituted them for another list of voters. This illegal move, he continued, was to disorient voters who could no longer identify their polling stations since the new list only carried their names in alphabetical order.
Hon PC Fonso then pounced on Barrister Bernard Muna, who, he claimed, had put up public notices all over the constituency, accusing Hon. Fonso of embezzling FCFA 50 million from grants made available under the Parliamentary Micro Project. He added that Muna also "fabricated" a story implicating the MP of arranging for some SDF vanguards to travel to Yaounde to disrupt Muna's "illegal convention." Barrister Muna also said the vanguards were responsible for the death of APF militant Grégoire Diboule.

Honourable Fonso described both accusations as outrageous. He explained the Meta people, those who hail from Mbengwi, are intelligent people who cannot be fooled by such childish allegations. He castigated Barrister Muna's machinations and the Mbengwi DO's role in manipulating electoral registers in favour of the CPDM. He said these contributed to his low score in his constituency. "There is a third factor", he declared, "---which I shall bring out at the appropriate time."

He detailed the deplorable health conditions of 23 SDF vanguards who were arrested more than two years ago and are being detained at the Kondengui maximum security prison . One of them died on August 25, 2006. He said the detainees have been to court eight times and have not been judged. He exhorted the government to resolve the matter as it has tainted government's image. "I appeal to government to discharge the 22 detainees including Mbah Justice who is deaf and mute, without any further delay, in order to wipe out government's image of callous insensitivity and human rights abuse," the Hon. Fonso said.

He enumerated many of his achievements in his constituency as a parliamentarian, adding: "The Meta people know my projects and can show them to anyone who wishes to know the truth."
He frowned at some media reports that said he had been campaigning to be the SDF Parliamentary Group leader. He pointed out that he has always worked and collaborated with the group leader, Hon. Joseph Banadzem. "I am one of his staunchest supporters," he spat out, glaring malevolently at those who were from news organs that ran those reports.

In a bid to clear himself of these and other undisclosed allegations, the MP enumerated a long list of what he considered his achievements at both the local and international levels. Among them, he cited the Meta Fons' Union that adorned him in special regalia and gave him a red feather and the traditional title of 'Te Toh', which means "Palace Pillar". He also disclosed that he was singled out in Africa and appointed as the Commonwealth elections observer in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

Taking cognizance of the reputation he has built for himself, Hon Fonso told journalists that he could not have done any of the things Muna and others have attributed to him. He said he has decided consequent upon the fact that Bome zone in Mbengwi Centre has seven Fondoms, that there is no councillor in Mbengwi from any of those fondoms. "I have therefore taken it upon myself to pay sitting allowance to each of the five SDF councillors who lost the elections from this zone and one other from Fringyeng to represent Tuombeng." Reacting to some sceptical probing from journalists, he said they were free to verify all what he had said.

Barrister Muna and the D.O of Mbengwi are yet to react to Hon. Fonso's declarations. It is actually one of the reasons Hon Fonso said that pushed him to make these declarations, "So that the D.O of Mbengwi Centre will explain why he did those things while those of Batibo and other places did not behave as such," he stated.

By Emmanuel F. Sanosi

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