Cross section of the population at the public debate
Residents, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders in Bamenda II subdivision have met with the council officials to discuss the way forward in project appropriation and execution.
The public meeting that held on Friday 28th January 2022 targeted key aspects of development in all sectors within the municipality.
The public inquired how projects are chosen and funded by the council. It was raised that some villages are not adequately represented in the execution exercise.
In response, the Mayor of Bamenda II Council, Chenwi Peter told the attendees that the council executes projects found in the council Development plan. These projects were carefully designed with the aid of quarter heads and the four Fondoms that make up Bamenda II.
Participants asking key questions to the council executive
Participants at the workshop called on the council to envisage the transformation of waste within the municipality into biogas, manure and even tiles like its done in other municipalities.
In response, the Mayor saluted the proposal though he however noted that waste management and disposal is under the auspices of the Bamenda City Council. Nonetheless, he has promised to look deeper in this sector especially as waste is accumulated by the waste disposal company, HYSACAM.
This delay in the collection of waste has led to burning of the waste on tar, while some people have resulted in throwing waste into streams.
Mayor Chenwi and his first Deputy
The first Deputy Mayor of Bamenda II, Prince Tse Louis Angwafo reminded the population that waste management and disposal is a collective effort as biodegradable waste, good for the farms, should not be thrown in thrash cans around town.
He also frowned at those disturbing aquatic live to desist from disposing garbage in streams.
As concerns public disorder, the bike riders syndicate cried foul to the several harassments suffered in the hands of police officers for non-acquisition of driver's licenses. Their plea was for the council to assist them acquire these precious document.
A plea Mayor Chenwi says is timely though the fundamental issue, he cited, is the fact that most bike riders don't have birth certificates. This he says makes it difficult to acquire licenses without ID Cards.
The Mayor announced a mass production of birth certificates to meet this need in the days ahead.
The public meeting to educate the masses on the functions of the council, projects executed and projects envisaged was organised by the Interfaith Vision Foundation Cameroon, IVFCam through the project 'Strengthening Accountability Mechanism in sub-National Governments in Cameroon.'
It's goal is to increase the effectiveness of civil society to effectively collaborate and communicate with the public and local authorities for the advancement of accountability and CSO-, Government partnership in Cameroon.
Public meetings are always known to orientate the council budget and projects towards community need. The meeting, coming a month after the budget of the council has been adopted appeared worrisome to some people.
Catherine Antona, working with IVFCam noted that the timing gives the civil society the ample space to follow-up projects being executed and will help the council in the next budgetary exercise for 2023.
While civil society organisations requested for a better working relationship with the council, the Bamenda II Council will function with a budget of 1.8 billion francs in 2022.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
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