Bali Mayor Wandum Ernest Presents Six-Year Development Record, Calls for Unity, Greater Community Collaboration

By Martial Gnoukapasir 

Mayor of Bali Council Wandum Ernest Bunga Speaking at Press and Information sharing conference

The Mayor of Bali Council, Wandum Ernest Bunga, has called for stronger collaboration among municipal authorities, traditional rulers, elites, the diaspora and the local population to accelerate the development process of the municipality.

The mayor made the appeal during a press and information-sharing conference that took place at the Bali Council premises on October 23, 2026, where he presented a compendium of projects and achievements recorded by the council since he and his team assumed office in 2020

The Presser also brought together councillors, quarter heads, traditional and religious authorities, and other development stakeholders, and provided an opportunity for the mayor to explain certain council operations, public investment procedures, budgeting and the processes involved in implementing council projects.

A cross section of Media men, quarter heads and traditional authorities

Mayor Wandum acknowledged the contributions of Bali elites and members of the diaspora, noting that their support has largely helped the council to realise several development initiatives despite the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.

“ My mandate has moved people to think about the development of this community, and jumped onboard the development wagon” he said, emphasizing the importance of collective responsibility in advancing the development agenda of Bali Sub Division.

In the mandate report presented, the provision of Water  supply has been one of the major areas of intervention under the council’s development programme.

Mayor Wandum and his team cited for example, the rehabilitation and reconstruction works on the Koplap water-by-gravity scheme, improvements to the Kutadnsti water supply system, interventions at the Bangu and Bakali water points, and efforts to restore the Bawock water-by-gravity scheme.

Other interventions include the Ngwandikang water network and pipeline extension towards Njenka and the administrative area at Gwan. 

Some Water Schemes realised

There is also the rehabilitation of the Naka-Sang water project in 2024 and ongoing rehabilitation works at the Ngwandikang and Koplab water catchments under the 2026 Public Investment Budget.

To the mayor, these are projects executed which have largely   improve access to potable water and strengthen the reliability of supply to beneficiary communities.

In terms of road infrastructure, he talked about the rehabilitation of the T-Junction–Bamombo–Ngehgab farm-to-market road, the Mbufung road, the Naka–Silver Spring–Radio House road and the CPC–Ngwandikang road.

The council under his mandate, also completed the Ngwantkan Bridge project in phases, with the road subsequently put into use. Other interventions include the construction of culverts and the rehabilitation of sections of the Bossa road.

Roads

In the energy sector, mayor Wandum Ernest Bunga highlighted electrification projects in Naka, including Ngwatkan and Sang quarters, as well as the extension of electricity to Gwenjang in 2026 to name but these.

A good number of projects he said, have been carried out under the health sector in infrastructure and equipment.

Among them, the construction of the Wosin Integrated Health Centre, the supply of medical equipment to integrated health centres in Wosin, Mantum, Naka, Gungong and Bossa, and the construction of a VIP toilet at Gungong Integrated Health Centre.

The construction of a second-phase fence at Bali Urban Integrated Health Centre is another key project he indicated hav been executed by the council.

Naka Electricity extension

Wosin Health Center Project

Under education, the  council, mayor Ernest said, have been able to support rehabilitation works at the Japanese School Complex in Bali, including a project valued at fcfa 20 million under the 2025 Public Investment Budget

Then there's the  ongoing construction of classrooms at GS Mbatmandet. The rehabilitation of four classroom blocks at GS Bali, under the 2022 investment programme.

Beyond infrastructure, the mayor indicated that the council has  supported back-to-school activities over the years. He cited the case of 2025 were book donation was valued at more than 10 million francs, aimed at encouraging school attendance and facilitating learning among pupils.

Rehabilitation of GNS Bali Town

Agriculture was also under the spotlight on the council’s development strategy, particularly through support to farmers and initiatives intended to improve livelihoods.

Quarter heads and other stakeholders in the hall confirmed the support of farm inputs and minor equipment to more than 500 farmers in Bali in 2021. An exercise the mayor said was accompanied by training on the safe and environmentally responsible use of fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides, treated seedlings and other agricultural materials.

The council also supported market gardening and youth employment initiatives, and the supply of agricultural inputs to municipal farmers under the 2022 and 2024 investment budgets

Some economic infrastructure projects highlighted by mayor Wandum Ernest included, the construction of the Bali Youth Centre complex, support for the Bali Community Centre, the supply of a fish-feed extruder to the Bali Fish Farmer Simplified Cooperative Society, and the construction of the Bawock Market Shed.

In 2026, the council embarked on the renovation of the Bali Main Market, a project valued at 41 million, with execution rate at 85% so far.

These interventions according mayor Wandum, form part of efforts to improve local economic activity, create opportunities for inhabitants and strengthen the municipality’s productive sectors.

In the cultural domain, he said financial support was made towards the rehabilitation of Bossa and Bawock palaces, as well as assistance for the equipment of the Bali Nyonga Palace Museum.

Responding to questions to press men and woman at the conference, the mayor said great strides hav been made in the social sector. He said the council reached out to youths living with disabilities in 2021, providing basic food items, hygiene and sanitary materials, alongside financial assistance.

The council also supported persons living with disabilities through a project valued at fcfa 1.5 million under the 2022 Public Investment Budget.

support to persons with disabilities

Initiatives that complement the council’s infrastructure projects by addressing social welfare, cultural preservation and the needs of vulnerable members of the community.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the mayor highlighted the importance of accessible municipal services

According to figures presented at the conference, the council has established more than 3,000 birth certificates and officiated over 300 marriages since the beginning of the current mandate.

The council’s return to the Bali municipality in 2026 following the construction of its new administrative premises at GRA Gwan, near the Divisional Officer’s office was also saluted at the October, 23 outing of the council. A return that followed years of operating from temporary premises after the former council hall was destroyed.

Mayor Wandum Ernest also spoke about the staff welfare, including the review of staff advancement records and the settlement of outstanding salary and mission allowances inherited from the previous administration despite the meager resources of the council.

While presenting the achievements, mayor Wandum acknowledged that insecurity and the wider anglophone crisis had continued to affect council revenue collection, project execution and service delivery.

However, he maintained that collaboration among the council, government services, community stakeholders, elites and the diaspora had helped sustain development initiatives.

He called on inhabitants of the municipality and other stakeholders to approach the council whenever they require clarification on projects, their financing or implementation in their respective communities.

The mayor reiterated that the council remained open to engagement and urged the population to place the collective interest of Bali ahead of personal ambitions.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to the municipality, insisting that Bali deserved better and would continue to stand strong despite the challenges.

The mayor during field visits to some project sites

The conference ended with field visits to selected project sites, allowing participants and members of the press to observe some of the project initiatives presented in the mandate report.

The meeting was intended not only to showcase the council’s achievements since 2020, but also to encourage greater public understanding, accountability and participation in the municipality’s development process.