BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM
Bamenda II Local government chairman promised employability to separatist militias commonly called Ambazonians. It was during the first council meeting March 26 after acceding the municipality. It took place at Mezam Divisional Delegation of Agriculture premises.
“The guys have been calling me and I asked them to come and meet me because we cannot discuss on phone. The council is there to provide jobs. Let them come and lay their arms down and we would give them jobs. We are looking for a means so that they come and be integrated in the community and be recruited in the council. They are our brothers and sisters and what is important is dialogue” Mayor Chenui Felix said while granting a gang interview to journalists at the close of the council session. He was responding to a question on when the council would resume functions at it’s office in Mbingfibieh.
The Bamenda II Council Office in Mbingfibieh has for some time been without its occupants owing to threats from separatists battling for power. “We must go back to the council. Not long from now, we would go back to our main building. We are here because we cannot keep the population to suffer. There are certain documents that must be signed and while administration continues, we must make sure we assist the population” he told pressmen.
Present among other stakeholders at the session were the Divisional Officer of Bamenda two and the second deputy mayor. Committees to manage council affairs were put in place including the finance committee, works and transport committee, social welfare and other purpose committee. Counsellors also analysed the management and administrative account of the outgoing council regime.
Mayor Chenui made public the council’s priority projects including plans to provide potable water, manage hygiene and sanitation and assist local economic operators with a tax holiday offer among others.
“The budget put in place is about 215 million francs that we must be able to make the local community to feel the impact of this budget that has been assigned for a purpose and we want to thank God and thank the head of states for putting us in place and giving us this budget to execute so all the accounts are very important. We want the community to feel the impact of the council. That is decentralisation” the mayor said
Bamenda two Sub Divisional Council spans across the villages of Chomba, Nsogwa, Mbatu and Mankon.
It is being run by CPDM affiliates who recently took over from the SDF after twenty four years of the opponent’s government.