Mayors elected on the ticket of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, (CPDM), party in the North West region have been reminded of their role as principal election stakeholders on the ground – a role they should fully play in the build up to the 2025 elections in the country.
The reminder was given to the municipal authorities by the head of the CPDM Central Committee Permanent Regional Delegation to the North region, former Prime Minister, Philemon Yang. This is was during a working session the CPDM official and top political elite of the region had with the mayors in Yaounde on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
In his opening speech, the PM Emeritus situated the pivotal position of the mayors in the present disposition of the decentralization drive as wished by the Head of State, Paul Biya, also National President of the party.
He appealed to the mayors to champion development at the local level – a campaign ingredient for the elections. He also reminded mayors that they were endorsed by the CPDM and must remain loyal and support the party at all times.
Emeritus PM Yang underscored the role of mayors in the ongoing voter registration process, which he said must target the militants and sympathizers of the CPDM.
PIC explains report findings
Aimed at discussing how the party is faring in the region and also to drill the local elected officials on what is expected of them before, during and after the upcoming elections, the meeting came just over a month after the Public Independent Conciliator,(PIC), for the North West region indicted several mayors for corruption and other forms of malpractices.
The PIC, Tamfu Simon Fai was the special guest of the gathering of the CPDM Mayors and political elite. Accompanied by three Research Officers, Tamfu Simon was called to again edify the mayors and the top bras of the party on the findings contained in the report that indicted the local elected officials.
It is perhaps because of the corruption indictment that Rose Mbah Acha, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of the Supreme State Audit Office, (CONSUPE), was charged to educate the mayors on Public Finance Management. In her presentation, the chief watchwoman of the management of the country’s public funds told the mayors that they need to lead by example and leave a legacy that will project them into admiration of their population.
The PIC survey also revealed that besides corruption, some councils in the region were not respecting the law, especially relating to the issuance of civil status registration documents.
It is ostensibly for this reason that, Fai Yengo Francis, another CPDM baron and Board Chairman of the National Civil Status Registration Office, (BUNEC), took time to educate the local municipal authorities on the handling of Civil Status Registration Documents.
PIC report on Biya’s table
Prof Tan Paul on his part trained the mayors on the working relation between the municipal officials, the administration, party hierarchy, other elected officials, elite, and the population.
During the one-day engaging session, mayors asked questions and received answers from their party hierarchy. They also engaged with the PIC who gave clarifications to their worries regarding the perception survey which is now on President Paul Biya’s table.
At the end of the session, the NW CPDM elite and the local elected officials made proposals to the government and party hierarchy.
Mayors say PIC report biased
The report by the PIC on citizens’ perception of the functioning of councils in the North West region exposed several malpractices by some mayors and could potentially affect the outcome of future elections, according to observers.
But mayors of the region disagree, saying the report is not based on facts.
“The PIC report was based on perception which did not really give the picture of the place,” said Denis Awoh Ndang, Mayor of the Fundong Council. “… Nevertheless, we got the advice and ways to improve on the management of our councils vis-à-vis our population and I think every mayor must adjust in other that good governance should reign in all the councils,” Mayor Awoh Ndang added.
Nkanya Nkwai, Mayor of the Ako Council is categorical: “I do not think the PIC report will be a hindrance to our reelection,” he said adding that the said report is biased. “I am not here to contend to challenge the report by the PIC because it was based on statistics they got from the field. But we don’t know the source. So I don’t dispute what they got, but I dispute who gave them what they got”.
Ubango Helley, Mayor of the Andek Council agrees that the report will not affect theme in upcoming elections. “I don’t want to think the PIC report will affect us in the upcoming elections because the issues raised therein are not facts,” said Mayor Ubango. He furthered that during the meeting with top CPDM elite of the region, “most mayors challenged the genuineness of the issues raised in that [PIC] report”.
