Greater accomplishments:

Buea mayor inaugurates giant projects in Boana and Wotutu

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea

Newly constructed Wotutu market warehouse

The welcome reserved for the mayor of Buea and the high-powered delegation that he led to the rural communities of Wotutu and Boana in the Buea municipality on Wednesday 23 March could only be likened to Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

                Patrick Ekema Esunge and his delegation had come to inaugurate completed landmark projects in the two typically rural communities. The mayor had promised the projects to the populations of these communities during a socio-economic tour he made to all the rural communities in the municipality.

                Making the first stop at Wotutu village, the mayor inaugurated an ultra-modern warehouse at the site that has also been earmarked to host a market for the entire Bojongo court area. The warehouse will serve for storage and preservation of perishables by farmers and traders of the area. The farmers before now have had to be selling their produce on the roadsides or were forced to carry their produce to far away markets in either Limbe or Buea, thereby incurring financial loses in transportation cost and damage of their goods in transit.

                “With the construction of the warehouse produce can be kept and preserved even on non market days,” the mayor said.

                Apart from the warehouse the mayor has announced plans for the construction in the weeks ahead of 36 sheds in three separate blocks to be used by traders especially during harsh weather conditions. He said calls for tenders to select qualified contractors for the project are already ready and would be published sooner than later.

                Meanwhile, mayor Ekema also announced that a manager would be appointed in the days ahead to administer the market under the supervision of the Wotutu chief.

                Thanking the mayor for the wonderful gift, the Wotutu Chief, HRW Elate Netongo John, expressed the hope that the market goes fully operational soon, so that the phenomenon of roadside trading can stop.

                The crowds chanted songs of joy as the mayor and his delegation boarded their vehicles to move over to their next port of call, Boana, situated about a kilometer from Wotutu.

                Arriving at the gateway into Boana, the delegation was greeted by a riotous crowd that had gathered to welcome them. Amid songs and drum beats, the delegation was led to the ceremonial ground where not even the light drizzle of the rain could remove the colour from the ceremony.

                Here the mayor inaugurated an ultra-modern community hall, which he said would facilitate participation by the community in the council’s development vision. Mayor Ekema said the hall would serve to host ceremonies and meetings.

                He explained that the community hall project was conceived after he and his close collaborators made a tour of the rural communities within the municipality to commune with the populations and listen to their problems.

                “It was during the framework of the visit that Boana community like the other communities expressed the need for a community hall,” Mayor Ekema said, noting that the demands of the villages were grouped into short term, medium term and long term projects. He said the council would realize the projects progressively.

                “You can see the enthusiasm and the joy demonstrated by the people of Boana; it demonstrates the dire need they had for this edifice,” noted the mayor, who could not conceal the satisfaction of the council for bringing joy to communities in need.

                The mayor made it clear that the hall was not for the CPDM party alone but the entire community.

                The multi-purpose hall has rooms, toilets and offices. There is also water and electricity.

                The chief of Boana, Matute Elias, thanked the Buea Council for the project and promised to ensure cleanliness around the hall. He announced that the village traditional council has pledged to provide chairs, musical equipment and tables for the hall.

                For his part, the director of the company that realized the project, Samson Tanyi, disclosed that the hall project costed FCFA 34 million including taxes. He urged the population to preserve the giant structure jealously.

                Dance groups and CPDM militants graced the occasion with songs.