By Ndefru Melanie in Bamenda
Mayor Ngwakongoh Lawrence has appealed to authorities, that Bafut Councillors and development association presidents be involved with the project follow up committee to ensure that projects awarded to contractors be completed.
This follows the request made by Bafut councillors who observed that most contractors who take up projects in Bafut, do an unfinished job most of the time.
Councillor Ngwa Clarence is one of the few councilors who reside in the village. He explained with dismay that most contractors will sign, take up projects and leave them uncompleted. This has prompted the Mayor of the Bafut Council to keep an open eye on such projects.
The 2022 administrative/ management account session of the Bafut Council held on March 11, 2023 at the Bafut Council hall, in the presence of the administration, traditional authorities, heads of services and councillors of the Bafut council.
The initial budget for 2022 was balanced in revenue and expenditure at the sum of FCFA 1,049,690,702 with actual realization standing at FCFA 556,108,845. The amount spent was FCFA 556,077,874 giving an excess revenue of FCFA 30,971 which shall be adopted alongside other deliberations and incorporated in the 2023 budget.
Bafut councilors deliberated that truck drivers extracting sand from Bafut should pay a toll gate fee of FCFA 5000 instead of FCFA 3000. The Mayor thinks that the idea is laudable as it will increase the revenue of the council while bringing development to the Bafut Community.
“The Bafut council is considering that if the roads are opened there should be an augmentation in the price of sand per truck. Councillors have voted that the normal price that used to be FCFA 3000 would increase to FCFA 5000 when the SDO endorses the deliberation. It is important to have truck drivers understand that Bafut has one of the best sand in the Northwest region, it is important to enhance the growth of the Bafut Community by paying the tarrif, to maintain the roads going to the sandpit”.
“The only challenge is that the sand is there but there are less buyers. We are encouraging those constructing and who need high quality sand, to come down to Bafut and get a truck of sand. The quality of sand has been approved by experts and engineers concerned in that domain”, the Mayor of Bafut, averred to the press after the council session.
Councilors also requested for a training on finances to be able to understand council figures. They complained about being served financial statistics on the day of the session to study and recommended that documents concerning figures or activities of the council be served early for them to study before the council session.
The Member of Parliament, Hon Agho Oliver submitted that it is important for councillors to take refresher courses to be abreast with financial issues.
The D.O of Bafut sub-division, Didacus Elumba urged the councillors to continue being ambassadors of peace and play a key role in the development of the Bafut municipality.
“The supervisory authority has instructed me to tell you that the ball is in your court because the administration is doing its best to restore peace and order in Bafut, the elements of forces of law and order are doing their best. Gradual return to normalcy is being observed on the field but we are not relenting our efforts to continue sensitizing on the need for peace”, said the Divisional Officer of Bafut at the Council session.
The mayor offered maize seeds to encourage all farmers to cultivate their farms during this farming season, encouraging agriculture. This gesture will go a long way to boost harvest, to meet the demands of the growing population of Bafut.
The victories and successes of the Bafut Council contribute to the development of the municipality. As concerns the senatorial elections, the councilors were cautioned to cast their votes for the best list, for the development of Bafut.