Councilors of the Bamenda City Council have indicted
Senators of the NW region and Mezam in particular for lack of accountability
since assumption of office. Speaking at the Bamenda City board meeting Tuesday
April 25, 2017 intended to discuss the management accounts of the Government
Delegate, the councilors wandered why the senators have not been on the field
to execute projects with the grants they collect from the assembly. According
to Councilor Kaba Charles, if the Senators do not consider being accountable to
the people, they should at least be to them (Councilors) who voted. He questioned
rhetorically what they are doing with the grants which he assumed to be double
that of Parliamentarians who rather seen more on the field. The government delegate in handling the issue
proposed that the Senators should be properly served invitation for sessions
even for Sub Divisional Council session. He added that the substantive and
their alternates should be served. Senator Achidi Achu, Senator Dr Fon Doh
Gayongha of Bali Nyonga, Alternate Senator Regina Mundi and one other are those
expected to answer the councilor’s worries.
Under the coordination of Councilor Achoba
Paul as Protem Chairman, the city board members gave a 100% approval of the
administrative and management accounts presented by the Government which
witnessed an achievement rate of about 65% with a carry forward of over FCFA
160M. With a budget of just slightly above FCFA2bn, Ndumu Vincent Nji notes
that in a city like Bamenda with over 800,000 people much still has to be done
in a bit to raise the revenue of the City Council.
One of the reasons advanced for low revenue
generation was the absence of tax drive at the close of last. The City board
members blamed this on the lack of a special authorization from the SDO. The
Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam who partially attended the meeting replied
that the Councilors do not need a special authorization to carry out a tax
drive. Songa Pierre Rene fired back at the councilor’s indictment stating that
they should not shift their blames to him but rather go and sensitize their people.
According to the Mezam administrative head, councilors must explain to their
people that no taxes means no development. This is not however go well with the
people’s representatives who argued that from past statistics forceful recovery
or tax drive has always being a tool for reminder despite sensitization. The
councilors who will praise City Council workers in services like those charged
with revenue collection from building permits and movables councilors for a job
well done as their sectors witnessed a significant increase noted that, tax
payment is a civic responsibility which Bamenda city business actors know but
added that just after the Labour Day the conservation will take place on how to
improve on the collection.
Ndumu Vincent Nji with the challenges however
celebrates the realization of some project like the triennial contract to over
FCFA400M, construction of culverts, box bridges and roads.
Tags
Politics