Tubah Mayor Tanjong Martin admits dismissal from the SDF! Sets plan to move on

The Mayor of the Tubah Council in Mezam division of the North West Region who became Mayor on the ticket of the Social Democratic Front SDF says he has been formally dismissed from the party; a move he is ready to respect to the latter. 

In an interview granted The Guardian Post Wednesday March 7, 2018, Tanjong Martin Mushongong explained that he went to the Council on the SDF ticket “few days after the SDF dismissed me from the party. Till today the dismissal is still on my head. I have done all I can as a man who love the SDF as a passion that was in my blood but the SDF has still thrown me out. I have to accept it; I have no other choice.”

Political parties he added “are like Christian Churches. A man can be Catholic today tomorrow he is Presbyterian. It is not a crime. So if the SDF throw me out of the party should I force myself into their njangi group? I cannot do it.  I have tried all I can to think that I remain in the SDF but it cannot go. If it cannot go I still like doing politics so I will go to where I will be accepted, where I will be recognized, where I will do my politics freely with transparency with equal opportunity.” He however refused to say where he will be going to. 

 

Tanjong Martin Mushongong Mayor of Tubah Council

Narrating what was considered his crime before the issuance of article 8.2 by the party signed by the first national vice Chair of the party Mayor Tanjong said “I think before the 90s that I joined Fru Ndi in his book shop at the commercial avenue, what I admired in him was that he declared an open platform for Cameroonians to be liberated and to be made free from tyranny as it was said that it is only the ballot box that can bring change not guns and that if you give guns to people to go to war after the war you will regret because you can never collect the guns and with the people killed you will rule stones. I admire that in him. All those put together I saw him a progressing leader; somebody who has an interest for his people and the country. Am the watchword was power to the people and equal opportunities. I was so embarrassed that the day my councilors voted me after I won my elections as list leader; as the head of the party in Tubah; won my elections and councilors overwhelmingly 26 against nine voted for my victory he asked me to give it to a man who had nine votes. That is my crime and if that is crime enough for me to be a criminal okay then I accept it if not I need to be told what I have done to be a criminal.” 

Maintaining that he did all to stay within the SDF, the man who boosted to have been at the foundation of the creation of the security wing of the party (The Vanguard) said despite the 8.2 from the party, he continued to pay his dues at every level; payments he indicated were all receipted.  

“Go to the field and ask militants if there is a militant I have ever shouted at him or her because of SDF or no SDF. I still remain very tight with my militants first of all they are my family. Whether SDF or no SDF, the people of Tubah that voted for me are the same people I will live with them till I die.” Mayor Tanjong said. 

According to Mayor Tanjong who has served at every basic organ of the party up till the province, another issue that put him at variance with the SDF was his refusal to replace an elected councilor living with a disability with another person on the request of SDF authorities. That incident and other moments of reconciliations he added at the residence of the SDF party chair ended up in a stalemate with his person (the Mayor) seriously injured and humiliated before his Councilors. The municipal head further indicated that despite the negative press publicity he got just after his elected, the inciting of his people to revolt against him and the humiliation, he chose the side of development with the hope that his people will see reason with him. “I think that has happened. I don’t have a problem with the people of Tubah but I have a problem with the SDF” he said. 

As to his future with the Tubah Council Tanjong declared “I am coming back to this council with or without the SDF. I brought up my people to vote development not voting colours of parties.”

With a rigorous approach in the fight against corruption in his council and several dismissed on account of being found guilty of indulging in corrupt practice plus a pacifying approach to revenue collection, Mayor Tanjong praises himself with the fact that his council has continued to move on despite the financial difficulties facing councils and the region in general. “I recruit people to come and accompany me to success and I am appreciating most of them because they have pushed me to success. The revenue of this council has grown wild because of the accountability in the collection and management of council money…. Last year, I should be the only council in Mezam that collected local taxes to the tune of 16.5million and I when to the field myself.” The people he added “pay their taxes for their development. Apart from the City Council, we are the only local council in the North West and even in Cameroon with a refuge collection van. With all this I think I make a difference mindful of the fact that vehicle does not give any income to the council though we fuel every day. We are working on waste containers and our streets are widely opened thus improving security. If you do this and explain to the people ill they not pay their taxes?” 

While admitting that some fellow party officials sympathize with him, Mayor Tanjong blamed them however for spoiling the party chairman. “My colleagues are helpless because they have helped to spoil the man because they don’t tell him to his face it’s not correct.”

Talking on the eve of the senatorial elections, the Mayor maintained his silence over who to vote for but agreed he will vote come March 25. 

 “I think that he (SDF Chairman) deserves to know State protocol that besides being his militant I am a Mayor of Tubah and in all fairness I deserve some respect as a state authority.” He concluded.