Limbe’s left bank maritime dev’t project kicks-off

By Sarah Nkongho Ojong in Limbe

The Limbe left bank maritime development project of the Limbe City Council (LCC) under the Government Delegate, Andrew Motanga has finally been launched officially following the signing of a convention between the city council and French corporations, L’Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF) of Paris and Montreal with Ariana Ardesi as representative and Nantes-based Les Anneaux des Memoire with its President, Chotard Yvon, at the council chambers, July 2014.
     As part of the project, the construction of a historical museum around the Mondoli island vicinity near the Man a War bay to explore Cameroon’s rich traditional heritage not leaving out the natural and touristic potentials which are typical of the Limbe municipality, is already ongoing.
    Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Government delegate Andrew Motanga expressed the need for the younger generation to know their heritage in order to better build their future, reason why the museum will be put in place so as to promote cultural development in which the values and ideals of the youths will be promoted. 
    Delegate Motanga also used the official launching program to liaise traditional rulers with the French associations – AIMF and Les Anneaux des Memoire, saying that traditional rulers have a major role to play in the history and cultural background of Cameroon and Limbe in particular, “they are keepers of our culture”, the delegate said. It should be noted that traditional rulers constituted a large part of personalities present during the signing of the partnership. Mayors of the three municipalities in Limbe, partners of the city council, MP of Fako East and Vice Chancellor University of Buea were also present.
    Also incorporated into the partnership is Cameroonian universities especially the University of Buea whose Vice Chancellor is a member of the steering committee. According to the Government Delegate, the above bodies included in the development project will benefit from the technical expertise brought in by AIMF and thus promote economic growth and development in Cameroon alongside training capability.
    On her part, AIMF representative Ariana Ardesi on behalf of the Mayor of Paris, France, Anne Hidalgo said the partnership built between the city council and France is possible today thanks to the government delegate’s assured motivation and cooperative work relationship shown to work with other international bodies.
    Worthy of note is the fact that the Limbe left bank maritime development project is financed by the LCC and co-financed by the AIMF. The new edifice for Limbe municipality has as supervisory body a steering committee of 18 members with a 2 year renewable mandate which is composed of representatives of all partners of the city council, civil society, the state and traditional authorities, with the Government delegate as President. As part of the committee is the tourism &leisure sector, ministry of secondary education, arts & culture, Fako SDO, CDC, SONARA and a host of others, meeting every 3months.
    As concerns the occupants of the left bank maritime region who can pose as obstacle to the realization of the new development project for the region, Andrew Motanga said that the inhabitants are aware that there will come a time when they will have to evacuate the area,s and that will be as soon as the project kicks off.