Bamenda III Council/SEEPD MoU To Steer Hope For Persons With Disabilities

Mayor Fonguh Cletus, Bamenda III Council

Councilors of the Bamenda III Council have empowered Mayor Fonguh Cletus to sign a memorandum of understanding for collaboration in achieving comprehensive inclusive development. The MoU shall be signed between the Council and the Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Program (SEEPD) an outfit put in place by the CBC Health Services to cater for the welfare of persons with disabilities. The said collaboration is with emphasis on disability inclusive development in the Bamenda III Municipality.

This decision by Councilors that would steer hope for persons with disabilities was arrived at during the midyear assessment session that held on August 14 2015 in the presence of supervisory authority represented by the first Assistant SDO for Mezam Mr. Jean Pierre Ndoumbe Dika. The MoU is in line with a training Councilors had recently on Disability inclusive development in the decentralization process. In This session Councilors did asked the Mayor to drag Tubah Council to court over the illegal occupation of the old council premises supposed to belong to Bamenda III council. Other councilors were of the opinion that Bamenda III Council should not waste resources on a matter which already in the courts given that Tubah Council has stage a legal battle with the Mezam administration and further more the administrative court does not entertain land dispute without proper demarcation with pillars planted. This plea was overwhelmingly turned down in favour of heading straight to court with the matter in order to forcefully throw out Tubah from that premises and rents on that premises would be paid to Bamenda III in arrears.

According to the Fon of Nkwen HRM Fon Azehfor III, this decision is appropriate given that the Council is about to use administrative procedure to settle the matter. The said land in question at Tubah was given by his Father given the central position for villages that constituted the then Tubah Council with Nkwen inclusive. Today autonomous councils have sprung up and is only right that Nkwen fondom takes back what rightfully belongs to her.

Talking about evaluation of Council activities in the last six months, Mayor Fonguh Cletus intimated that though resources were so scarce, the Council was able to realize a good number of projects. In the sector of roads, a good number of roads were graded and new roads opened, in education, didactic materials were distributed. The Council received a huge consignment of equipment for the giant water project ongoing in the municipality. The percentage of realization on the projected budget stood at 29% which the Mayor said was not very good yet promised that by the end of the year the council must have attended above 80% of her budget. On the other hand most of the competences transferred to local councils are yet to be imputed in to council account thereby slowing down execution. On the way forward, the Mayor reiterated that his management would ensure that all recommendations made by the various committees are put in to effect.

By Ignatius Nji