Cameroon: Buea Mayor accuses political adversaries of sponsoring smear campaign against him on social media

Even though from all indications the elected municipal head of the Buea Council, Mayor Ekema Patrick Esunge seems to be upholding to his electoral promise, his political adversaries and challengers have vowed not to relent their efforts in damaging his reputation and putting the people of Buea and Cameroon at large against him.

Recently, a group of irate citizens have taken to the social media, creating fake Facebook accounts using his name and photograph to make nasty comments about blazing issues and the current political atmosphere in the country all geared at making him seem as a traitor to English Speaking Cameroonians.

“Equally, with the “Breaking news” syndrome that has taken the social media like a wild fire in a forest, political opponents of the Mayor whose records of socio-economic development are crystal clear for anyone to judge have decided to sit in their rooms and cook fake messages, using photo shopped images and pre-edited audio clips to tannish his image calling him a traitor to the Anglophones.” An admirer of the young yet development prone Mayor told this reporter.

     
It is against this backdrop that Mayor Ekema who is primarily targeted by a group of political henchmen who brandish themselves as the “godfathers” of politics in Fako in a press conference granted to announced the special New Year eve gala organised on the 31st of December 2016 decided to take some time out to talk on the social media injustice against his personality.

Addressing pressmen, the Mayor announced that when he first hatch  the plan for a gala night which was a platform to commune with denizens of Buea after a hectic year and to celebrate and give thanks to God, some people took to the social media describing his action as politically motivated stating that he wanted to used it as a rally to campaign for 2018.

Equally, 24hours before the program news went rife on the social media that the main guest artist Petite Pay had turned down the Mayors invitation to perform at the gala night organised at the independent square in Buea. The Mayor refuted this claims and indeed on the gala night the Douala-based ace artist together with his entire crew were all present body and soul.

While taking out time to explain that social media news can indeed be verified, the Mayor called on the educated population of Buea to make used of their android devices and verify the authencitity of a picture or a post before taking it for the gospel truth and sharing it. He further warned that all those levelling threats against his life using the social media have been reported to the administrative and legal department.

One of Mayor Ekema’s close aide who spoke to this reporter noted that one hour before the gala night started some paid hoodlums of his political adversaries who have paid some media organs to constantly seek the bad part in everything down by the Mayor came and snapped the chairs as they were been arranged and put on social media deceiving people that the event had being boycotted.

The collaborator noted that the program started a little late due to the fact that many church services were scheduled for that evening. While re-echoing that investigations had being opened to bring the perpetuators to book, social media users have been advised to take any information with a pinch of salt.