Visiting Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, George Elanga Obam communed with North West Mayors in Bamenda on October 20, 2020Temporal structures to accommodate the services of the imminent Regional Council and Regional House of Chiefs featured prominently during the maiden outing of the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, George Elanga Obam in Bamenda on October 20,2020.
On-the-spot, the Minister sized up available office spaces at the Regional Delegation of Tourism, Secondary Education, Public Works and some private structures at the Upstation neighbourhood of Bamenda.
The Minister later settled for separate working sessions with Administrative authorities and some Mayors.It was a rare moment for North West Mayors to hail the government for the Code on Decentralisation.
The Bamenda City Mayor, Achobang Paul told the Minister that the population is anxiously waiting for the effective take off of the Code on Decentralisation which covers the recent Special Status granted the North West and South West regions.
Minister George Elanga Obam came face-to-face with metropolitan Bamenda that has not been at ease with itself ; with the socio-political and social crisis to blame. He was told about the resilience of the population in the face of challenges that have slowed development, economic and social life.
It was against this backdrop that the North West chapter of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon (UCCC) led by the Mayor of Fundong Council, Awoh Ndang Denis featured a memo, appealing for more means of movement to help Defense and Security Forces in circulation to some corridors of their municipalities.
The crisis has not helped matters for the collection of local revenues and the Mayors solicit the advocacy of the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development for government’s grants or aid to initiate labour intensive projects that offer employment opportunities and contribute to de-radicalize idle youths who are often tempted to move into the bushes for evil.
It also featured from the memo that the absence of new credit allocations to execute some uncompleted 2017, 2018 and 2019 projects is a setback for the development of rural communities.
The Mayors also want their staff trained at the newly created National School for Local Administration (NASLA).
