By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Decentralization and Local Development Minister, Georges Elanga Obam has announced that his ministry will organize in the second half of this January 2019 under the distinguished patronage of the Head of State a General Conference of Local Councils to evaluate and renovate council governance via the use of participatory approach.
Making the revelation last January 17, 2019 at the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development at the Nlongkak neighbourhood in Yaoundé while receiving his first New Year wishes from his pioneer staff, the Director General of FEICOM, Government Delegates to cities councils, mayors etc since his appointment in March 2018, the Minister explained that the forum will lead to crucial council governance reforms aimed at broadening the powers of municipalities.
He equally promised to continue this year with the deepening and fast-tracking decentralization approach that kicked off in 2018 with the creation of the ministry.
Talking to reporters, Minister Elanga Obam stressed that “our ministry intends to translate into concrete action, the President of the Republic’s high-level instruction stating that ‘measures will be taken as soon as possible to broaden the powers of local authorities in order to provide them with the means for greater autonomy.’ Our ambition is to give a new face to Cameroon’s councils, so that they become decisive local development hubs.”
The Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development will also lay emphasis on assistance to the 360 councils for the effective and efficient use of FCFA 100 million allocation in the State Budget for each of the councils making a total of FCFA 36 billion, the completion of the reform of Local Government Training Centre (CEFAM) in Buea which will become a National School of Local Administration to train personnel for councils and regions, finalization in 2019 of the draft decree to lay down special rules and regulations governing local elected representatives which enshrines a right to training and of the draft decree to set out the rules and regulations governing regional and local authorities personnel, further modernization of the civil status registration system etc.
Minister Georges Elanga Obam said that though 2018 was a pivotal year for the young ministry of Decentralization and Local Development, they used 10 months to lay a solid foundation through the structuring and organization of the new ministry to deepen and fast-track the decentralization process as prescribed by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, reorganizing FEICOM in October 2018, appointment of the SG, Inspector General, Technical Advisers, Inspectors, Directors, Division Heads and the Head of the Regional and Local Authorities Control Squad, finalization of the Local Development Index paper and updating of the National Decentralization Strategy which will cover the 2019-2023 period.
The newly created ministry ensured the effective regular payment of salaries of mayors and deputy mayors and the related database updated amounting to FCFA 2 098 261 040 for the 2018 Financial Year and ensured the creation of some 15 secondary civil status registration centres and the appointment of close to 68 civil status registrars etc.