Ahead of its budget session, the council turns to public debate to rebuild trust, explain past spending and align 2025 priorities with community needs.
As councils across the country face growing demands for openness and results, the mayor Fongu cletus Tanwe of the Bamenda III Council has chosen public engagement as the starting point. This Thursday, 19 December 2025, the council has held a Public Budget Orientation Debate, a key step ahead of its budget session and a clear signal of intent to place citizens at the centre of local decision making.
The problem confronting many local councils is familiar. Budgets are often prepared and adopted with limited public understanding, leading to mistrust, weak ownership of projects and persistent questions about how public funds are used. In some cases, communities only learn about projects when implementation begins or fails to begin at all.
Hilltopvoices understands that the Bamenda III Council is using the orientation session to confront this challenge directly. By opening its records to public scrutiny, the council aims to promote transparency, strengthen accountability and ensure that spending reflects real community priorities rather than assumptions.
During the session, council officials presented the level of execution of projects for the 2025 financial year, offering citizens a clear picture of what has been achieved, what is ongoing and what has stalled. The Administrative Account for 2024 was also laid out, allowing residents and stakeholders to assess how funds approved in the previous year were managed.
Equally important is the discussion around projects earmarked for 2026. Rather than unveiling plans after decisions have already been taken, the orientation debate provides space for dialogue, feedback and clarification before the budget is voted. This approach gives citizens the opportunity to question allocations, highlight urgent needs and understand the constraints facing the council.
The solution, as framed by the council, is simple but significant. An informed public is more likely to support development initiatives, monitor implementation and hold elected officials to account. Public budget orientation bridges the gap between technical financial planning and everyday community concerns such as roads, markets, sanitation and social services.
The potential impact goes beyond a single budget year. Regular and meaningful engagement can build trust between the council and the population, reduce suspicion around public spending and improve the quality of projects delivered. It also strengthens local democracy by making citizens active participants rather than passive observers of governance.
As the Bamenda III Council moves towards its budget session, the orientation debate sets the tone. It suggests that effective local governance is not only about figures on paper, but about conversation, clarity and collective responsibility for development outcomes.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Online
Tel; +237 694 71 85 77
.jpg)
