National Contest:

Limbe Poised to Claim Cleanest City Prize

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

Limbe 1 Mayor, city mayor and MINHDU delegate

The City Mayor of Limbe Andrew Motanga Monjimba has exhorted the population of Limbe to exercise best practices of hygiene and sanitation so that the city can back the sum of 2.5 million FCFA amongst other things in the upcoming national competition for the cleanest city in Cameroon built for the month of August this year.

                He made the called during a press conference organized by the Limbe City Council on Tuesday June 2, 2020 at the Limbe City Conference hall. The press conference was aimed at sharing necessary measures that needs to be adopted by the population of Limbe so as to stand out during the national competition as well as prove to the world that the Limbe remains the most beautiful and cleanest city in Cameroon. The press conference was attended by the sub divisional mayors of Limbe, media practitioners, Senior councils of LCC, Divisional Delegates, chiefs and quarter heads. He therefore call on all the collective synergy of all the various stakeholders involved.

                Andrew Motanga disclosed that during a video conference organized by the minister of Housing and Urban Development with local mayors, Clestine Ketcha Courtes revealed that only three cities were shortlisted for the competition which is Limbe Yaoundé and Douala and priority was given to cities earmarked to host the 2020 African Nations Championship.  The competition shall be launched on the 3rd of August to culminate on October 5. He equally announced that Cameroon shall for the second time join nations around the globe to commemorate this year’s 34th edition World Habitat day organized by UN Habitat to be observed in Douala-Cameroon on October 5.

                The city council boss said it is line with this global event that Cameroon shall organize a national competition for the cleanest city whose global objective is to contribute to the amelioration of hygiene and sanitation in cities. According to the City Mayor, the first stage will involve all quarters in Limbe competing amongst each other to know which is the cleanest. The second stage of the competition shall oppose the quarters that emerged cleanest in each of three subdivisions. The last but not the least stage will involve the overall victorious quarter shall represent Limbe during the final phase of the competition.

                “Once again we are calling on our friends of the media who have been very instrumental in the successes of major events such as the Limbe FESTAC, to use that same prowess of mobilization and sensitization to make this present campaign an overwhelming success” the city boss appealed.  Most of the focus of the journalists was on the contract of the city council with Hysacam because they seem not to be doing enough as concern refuse collection in the city, they equally concern on what will be done to abandon vehicles, dirty garages amongst others.  The city mayor explained that the contract signed between the state, LCC and HYSACAM was 6 years ago and it did not take into consideration increase in population, so they are working on drafting a new contract. The sated that HYSACAM are doing more than enough and they have promised to do more in days ahead.

                The city mayor equally emphasized that the various questioned asked will be solved by the population themselves if they change their behavior as concern hygiene.

“The city council is the quest to change the behavior of the people has no other alternative but to sensitize the population and they will do so using local radio station to pass vital information,” he added.

                He expects everybody to be engage in the competition because the competition is not for the city council but for the population. The city council is just the coordinator but the stakeholders are from the quarter, villages and what have you. He said their role is to bring all stakeholders together.

                 The Divisional Delegate for urban housing and development explained the meaning of world Habitat day and joined her voice to that of the city mayor to call on the population to uphold the cleanliness of their city.

                Contributions were equally made by stakeholders present. Chief Epupa Samuel of Dikolo village suggested that they council should write to the government to maintain the garden to what it was in yesteryears.  Others brought up issues like the need of a stand tap, nuisance of people rearing animals in their homes which the mayors announced they will be sending a team out to check the condition of the piggeries and others, abandoned plots, amongst others.