Poor PIB projects execution:

Lazy, corrupt Mayors have killed dev’t in K’ba 

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Paltry disbursements by the treasury and laxity by Mayors have been blamed for the low rate of execution of public investment projects in Meme division. This was the take home from a stormy session of the follow-up committee of PIB projects for Meme that ended in Kumba on 19 October 2017.

            To the Meme Delegate for the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, Godlove Buinda, the low project execution rate which stands at 41.68% is the result of laxity and bad fate of most Meme Mayors. He noted that 41.68% is disastrous especially considering that we have barely two months to the end of the financial year.

            Citing the example of the Konye municipality, Buinda observed that the Mayor, Musima George Lobe has done little or nothing to improve the roads in his municipality despite the PIB allocation for the purpose.

             “An inspection team was in Konye two weeks ago and the work was still at the same position,” Buinda said, adding that the Mayor also ignores the technical specifications that were prescribed for the road works.

            Discernibly angry, Buinda lashed out at what he described as Mayor Musima’s bad faith in executing road projects in his municipality.

             “FCFA 27 million is allocated yearly for road works. All of this money has been squandered in the past four years. Road works in Konye municipality have stagnated at barely 35% since 2015,” Buinda regetted, noting that the situation for other Mayors in the division is so bad that even projects to provide tables and chairs for school teachers are never done.

            He enjoined development stakeholders to embark on whistle blowing and to name and shame lazy and corrupt Mayors who because sheer greed cannot bring needed                  development to their communities.

            Buinda revealed that the rate of projects execution in Kumba I sub division stands at 3.83%; Kumba II at 16.52%; Kumba III at 54.14%; Konye at 6.11% and Mbonge at 64.22%.

            He revealed that all projects awarded within the divisional tender’s board have been executed at 100%, while those awarded by the internal tender’s boards of councils are all limping. 

            Buinda wondered what these “lazy and corrupt mayors” will tell their electorate to merit their votes again in 2018. 

            Reacting to the criticisms levied on them, the Mayor of Kumba II, Ndobegang Martin directed the blame instead to inadequate disbursements by the divisional treasury. He said each time he goes to the treasury the story is the same: “there is no money in the coffers”.

            An official at the Meme divisional Treasury noted that the Anglophone crisis is responsible for the lack of funds at the treasury. He explained that taxes and even school fees are not paid by the striking populations, and this imposes liquidity constraints at the treasury. 

            The Vice Chairperson of the Divisional Participatory Follow-up Committee for PIB projects for Meme, Makembe Paul, expressed worries about the rate of project execution in the division and said Mayors must change their mindset if Meme division must get needed development.

            He regretted that measures taken to bring recalcitrant mayors and contractors to book have borne no desired fruit.