Executing engineering works

SW Mayors disagree with MATGENIE
A working session that brought together Mayors of the South West Region and authorities of state-run engineering company MATGENIE, on April 29 at the Buea Council hall, ended in a deadlock.
Christelle Telewou and Becline Nokwe in Buea
The Mayors of the SW Region have been given up to a week to either agree or disagree with the terms of a contract proposed to them by the National Engineering and Equipment corporation, MATGENIE.  It was in the presence of the Inspector General of the SW Region, Haman Dahirou and the 31 mayors of the South West Region that the Director General of MATGENIE, Niwa Long Othon, called on the local council executives to be steadfast in the execution of development projects by working in synergy with authorities of the Company so as to meet up with government’s expectations and upgrade projects realization.

    The idea was unanimously welcomed by representatives of the Ministries of Public Works and Territorial Administration, who pointed out that such strategy would ease the execution and maintenance of road projects via direct involvement.
    The Mayors were briefed on the benefits they could reap through the signing of a partnership agreement with MATGENIE, a company, which according to Niwa Long has proven its worth through the expertise portrayed at the level of realization of projects and the respect of deadlines.  
    The Mayors on their part seized the opportunity to raise an alarm on the expensive levy on the leasing of equipment. According to some Mayors, they prefer working with private contractors because MATGENIE and its services are too costly.
    It was therefore recommended that MATGENIE should take the financial predicaments of the councils into consideration if she wants to attract them towards herself.
    At the end of the discussions, MATGENIE and the 31 Mayors departed without reaching an agreement. The representatives of the local populations explained that they needed more time to cross-check and examine the clauses of the contract and determine its quintessence and its impact on the lives of the population.