NW mayors harass gov’t
Mayors of the 34 councils in the North West
region who constitute the North West bureau of the United Councils and Cities
of Cameroon have expressed worries over feet dragging by some government
ministries as regards the effective implementation of the decentralization
process.
This
was during the 9th ordinary general assembly meeting of the organization in
Fundong, Boyo Division on May 30th 2017.
The
Mayors frowned at Ministry of Public Contracts for failing to ensure the
functioning of tender’s boards in councils despite a Prime Ministerial decree
that ordered that Tender Boards be created in Councils and the non-payment of
contracts with credits from the 2016 decentralisation fund.
“You
can’t imagine mayors were told to go ahead and execute the projects and at
moment, creditors are on our necks whereas this money hasn’t been paid till
date. These are things that are slowing down the decentralisation process and
putting us the mayors in very difficult situations” bemoaned Mayor Khan Elroy
Moses of Santa and President of UCCC North West.
He
noted that although some Councils have created these tenders boards, their
members are yet to be appointed. He wondered why the Minister Public Contract
is not taking the necessary measures to salvage the situation.
Moreover,
the UCCC president revealed that for two months running, the Mayors have not
received their salaries, questioning whether the government always wants
citizens to go on strike before they listen or react.
Despite
these challenges, the elected municipal authorities singled out the Ministry of
public works for praise in its greater strive to ensure the implementation of
decentralisation through the yearly allocation of funds to councils for road
maintenance and rehabilitation.
North
West regional delegate of Public works Denis AwohNdang in a presentation
outlined government strategy in road development in the region for 2017,
stating that his ministry has allocated funds for some major roads in all
divisions. While presenting the state of executed road projects in the council
areas for 2016, the public works delegate called on the mayors to double
efforts.
On
his part, Fonyuy Fidelis Regional tax controller for the North West who doubles
as Mayor of Mbiami drilled the mayors on tax policies of councils. He insisted
that tax rates adopted by councils in their budgetary sessions must not be
above what is prescribed by the Ministry of Finance.
He
said in the collection of taxes, councils must collaborate with the taxation
services in their localities so that they don’t act out of what the law
prescribes stressing further that councils will be in a very difficult position
if they fail to pay their own taxes.
The
deliberations were chaired by the Secretary General at the North West
Governor’s office Harry Larnyuy who in his speech told the mayors that being at
the centre of development in their municipalities; they have to collaborate
with state technicians in various domains if they must succeed to realize
water, roads, and health and electricity projects to benefit the local
population.
Harry
Larnyuy warned that the current crisis in the region with the destruction and
burning of properties is having an untold consequence on the regions’
development. He said there is no reason why the councils should construct
schools and vandals go out and burn them. He tasked the mayors to educate their
population on the need to stop such barbaric acts which only help to destroy.
The general assembly closed with the Bui divisional bureau of UCCC backing home
a 100 000 cash prize for being the most transparent and best managed of the
seven bureaus in the North West for 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment