Bamenda I Councillors Vote, adopt 2023 administrative, management accounts

By Martial Gnoukapasi

A grided image of Mayor Mbigha Felix presenting his memorandum and Mezam SDO blessing Newly acquired grader

Councillors of the Bamenda 1 council have given a pass mark to the mayor and his staff for the job done within the municipality last year and for judiciously putting to use, what the council was able to generate as income to the benefit of those within the sub division.

The Councillors who gathered yesterday at the council hall to evaluate the administrative and management account for 2023, ended up voting and adopting it at a 100%.

Reports from the various committee including the social welfare, transport and other purpose, works and finance committees painted a picture of the various projects realized with funds either decentralized to the council or coming from the council coffers.

Where they were lapses, the called the mayors attention to improve on this year.

Councillors and invitees at administrative account session

The various committees also urged the council to take advantage of rising Infrastructural development that was taking place within municipality to raise revenue for the council.

Bamenda 1 under Mayor Mbigha Felix Njah budgeted over 1billion 130million as for 2023 but succeeded in raising just over 500million which which however witnessed a significant increase of over 24 million Francs as compared to what they council succeeded in raising in 2022.

The mayor indicated thanks to the increase in revenue collection and the yearly support from the ministry of decentralization, they were able to carry out projects like opening and grading of roads within the community, extension of electricity to some quarters, support vulnerable persons, schools, construction of market sheds and more.

One major landmark achievement of the council last year was the acquisition of a grader, which together with the front end loader caterpillar already in the equipment pool according to the mayor, was very instrumental in the realization of road works.

Mayor and deputy face the Press

" I will say I'm a proud mayor today because of my population. I appreciate the councillors, collaborators and staff, including the councillors who are the grassroot leaders for last year's work. We had an increase in revenue of about 24 million into our accounts last year thanks to them. our priority projects of last year was roads because where a road passes development follows and the grader we purchased greatly help us in that and the evidence are in our municipality". he said

He thank the minister of decentralization for making it happen and also the councilors for the realization of the equipment pool.

The quarter heads who showed up at the session plus the Fon of Bamendakwe and the senior divisional officer for Mezam Simon Mooh Emile received the equipment.

The management account session also provided an opportunity for the mayor to announced that all civil status documents such as birth certificates, death and marriage certificates are now being established for free at the council.

The council will also pioneer another face of the Safety Net Program to be sponsored by the world bank this time around around, where small and medium businesses could benefit up to 7million francs.

The Councillors also voted and adopted seven deliberations empowering the mayor to amongst others incorporate the balance of a positive 24million francs income of last year into the 2024 budget, acquire land for the construction of low cost houses in the municipality

The Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam attending as a supervisory authority, remarked that Bamenda I was fast becoming the new town in the city of Bamenda.

He confirmed that projects of constructing low cost houses are underway in the sub division.

Mezam SDO Mooh Emile

While appreciating the council for an increase in revenue collection last year as compared to 2022, he urge the mayor and his team to make good use of the equipment pool, using it to generate income for the council.