Where is balanced development?

Oku deprives other Bui subdivisions of PIB projects

-PM Philemon Yang accused of not doing distributive justice

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

PM Philemon Yang

The adage goes that “when your brother is up the mango tree you can be sure to eat the best fruits.” This holds true for Bui division of the North West region where of the sum of FCFA 1.566.190.0000 allocated as the public investment budget for 2018, Oku subdivision alone has appropriated a whopping FCFA over one billion (1,017.650.000) while the other six sub divisions in Bui have to share a paltry  FCFA500 million. 

                Oku sub division is the birth place of the Prime Minister, Philemon Yunji Yang.  

                Kumbo central sub division which is the seat of Bui division was allocated a paltry FCFA 150 million; Jakiri FCFA 86 million; Mbven FCFA 133 million; Noni FCFA 102 million and Nkum bagging FCFA 66 million.

                Observers say the allocation of PIB projects in Bui division only speaks to the favoritism, nepotism and disrespect for distributive justice that prevails in the country.

                Conspiracy theorists have attributed this uneven distribution of PIB projects to the politics of winner takes it all that the CPDM regime is practicing.

                According to the 2018 Projects Logbook which The Median published on Monday 15 January, in the area of Basic education, of the 41 Government Nursery and Primary schools in Bui division that are supposed to benefit either from the construction of classrooms, or equipping of existing classrooms and offices, 30 of these schools are in Oku sub division alone. 11 of the remaining schools are found in the rest of the seven subdivisions.

                As if that is not enough, in the area of secondary education, of the 19 schools that are supposed to benefit from either the construction of classrooms and workshops or equipping of existing classrooms and workshops, Oku alone has 9 of these schools while the rest 10 are shared unevenly amongst the other seven subdivisions.

                Some mayors of Bui Division who spoke to The Median on condition of anonymity regretted that for the past four years, Oku sub division has always received the highest number of projects at the detriment of other sub divisions.

                “It is regrettable that one particular subdivision will sweep about 30 projects in basic education when other subdivisions cannot even boast of one. If it happened once, then somebody can understand. But this is something which has been happening for over four years now,” fumed one of the Mayors.

                Public investment Projects in Bui Division have always been a subject of controversy. It is either there are complains of unequal distribution or some of the projects allocated for the division disappear along the line.

                In 2016, some projects that were earmarked for the division disappeared into thin air without explanation from hierarchy. These include the over 2 billion FCFA allocated for the tarring of the Kumbo-Elak Oku Road and several millions meant for irrigation of the Mii plains in Noni Sub-division.