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Monday, November 30, 2015

How Abacha's N65Billion Loot Was Spent-Former Finance Minister Reveals

 The immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has revealed how the massive loot of the late Nigerian Military Head of state, General Sani Abacha was spent.

late Head of State, General Sani Abacha
 
The former Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the World Bank that about $500 million (N65bn) recovered from the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha in Switzerland was spent in the 2004 and 2005 budgets on roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
 This was contained in the documents the World Bank sent to Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, following enquiries made by SERAP on how the money, tagged Abacha loot was spent.
 A statement issued on Sunday, November 29, by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the organization has “received several documents from the World Bank totalling over 700 pages on information on the spending of recovered assets stolen by the late General Abacha, with some of the documents suggesting that the Abacha loot was spent on roads, electricity, education, health and water.”
 The organisation said: “SERAP can confirm that last week we received several documents from Ann May of the Access to Information Team of the World Bank following our Access to Information Request to the Bank. We also received a letter dated 24 November 2015 from Mr Rachid Benmessaoud, Director of the World Bank in Africa.”
 “In total, SERAP has received over 700 pages of documents, which we are now closely studying and scrutinising with a view to discovering whether the documents contain details that Nigerians would like to see and whether the information correspond to the facts on the ground. After this analysis, we will respond to the Bank and consider our options, including filing an appeal before the Bank’s Access to Information Appeals Board and taking other appropriate legal actions nationally and internationally to discover what exactly happened to Abacha recovered loot,” the organisation said.
 The organisation said that “In the meantime our preliminary review of some of the documents and the letter from Mr Rachid Benmessaoud have revealed certain facts which raise more questions about what exactly happened to Abacha loot: First, that Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Minister of Finance in a letter dated 9 January 2005 explained to the Bank that around $500m (N65bn) of Abacha loot received from Switzerland was programmed into and spent in the 2004 and 2005 budgets on roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria.”
 “Second, Mrs Iweala explained to the Bank that N18.60bn was spent on roads; N10.83bn spent on health; N7bn spent on education; N6.20bn spent on water; and N21.70bn spent on electricity. She also said that part of the funds were spent on new and ongoing investment projects. Mrs Iweala said that relevant federal ministries have the full details on the spending of repatriated Abacha loot. The Bank noted that there was no funds monitoring and tracking mechanism in place to trace the spending of Abacha loot,” the organisation also disclosed.
“Third, Mr Rachid Benmessaoud confirmed that the World Bank played a monitoring role in a return of assets by Switzerland but that the Bank is not currently involved in the monitoring of spending of Abacha loot that have been returned to Nigeria in recent years. He said that the Bank would be prepared to set up a mechanism to monitor the use of Abacha loot if the Nigerian government request the Bank’s assistance in this respect.”
"SERAP then argued that “given Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s involvement in the spending of Abacha loot, President Muhammadu Buhari should urgently probe the role of the Ministry of Finance and relevant federal ministries at the time in the spending of Abacha loot particularly given the strong allegations of mismanagement that characterised the use of the funds 
The group said: “Although Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said that Abacha loot was spent in the 2004 and 2005 budgets on roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria, there is no evidence of such projects as millions of Nigerians continue to travel on dead roads, while they continue to lack access to adequate electricity supply, water, health and quality education. Therefore, President Buhari can no longer continue to remain silent on this issue of public interest if Nigerians are to continue to trust him in his fight against corruption.”
It will be recalled that in a letter dated 15 October 2015 and signed by Ann May of the Access to Information Team, the Bank said that “In response to your request under AI3982, we would like to inform you that we are still considering your request and need additional time to provide you with a more comprehensive response.”
The letter reads in part “In most cases, we will be able to respond within twenty (20) working days from receipt of a request for information. However, we may need additional time in special circumstances, for example, if the request is complex or voluminous or if it requires further review by or consultation with internal World Bank units, external parties, the Access to Information Committee, or the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors.”


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Politicians Are Full of Lies - Former President Jonathan Says

 The immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan has said politicians are full of sugar-coated lies.

 The former President, who was speaking ahead of the December 5 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, has warned youths to stay away from sweet-talking politicians or get carried away by their lies.
 Jonathan urged them to assess what those aspiring for elective offices have done in the past.
 The former President stressed that most politicians today are men of many words, who tell many lies to woo voters and deceive the public in order to get to their respective offices, saying that politicians are full of lies
 He stated this on Sunday, November 29 during the presentation of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag to Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at a grand finale of Dickson campaign in Yenagoa, the state capital.
 Present at the ceremony were Jonathan, Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus and Governor Dickson.
 Others are Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, State Chairman, PDP, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah, among others.
 Jonathan, who urged the youth to vote for a person that would develop the state and not by propaganda, said Dickson deserved reelection considering his developmental initiatives in the state.
 He said a vote for Dickson in next Saturday’s poll was a vote for liberation, development, security and peace, stressing that PDP remained the party for the people.
 His words: “So, for Bayelsa young people, do not be carried away by politicians. They are people of many words; they go to so many places, talking to so many people, telling so many lies.
 “So, do not listen to what people say, but assess what people have done over the period. Most of the candidates are well known to you, so it is the choice of Bayelsa young people to vote for development of this state or to vote for the retrogression of this state. It is the choice of Bayelsa young people to vote for education of our youths or to vote for the retrogression of our young people.
 “The choice is ours and I think you will think beyond yourselves. At our age, we are looking down, not looking up, whether you like it or not. So, think about your children and your grandchildren, think about building a state for your children and grandchildren, do not think about what you will swallow in the morning and I believe that the steps so far taken by Dickson have shown me that he wants development of this state, he has encouraged development in this state.



When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Paris COP21: Hon. Awudu Mbaya Presents Africa’s Position to the Press

 By Tukuruh Rashid at the National Assembly

« One Africa, One Voice and One Position » is the slogan carried by the 38 member countries of the Pan
Hon. Awudu Mbaya
African Parliamentarians Network On Climate Change (PAPNCC) aimed at bringing to light Africa’s opinion on climate change at the Paris COP21 Summit scheduled for December 2015.
Honourable AWUDU MBAYA Cyprian, PAPNCC Executive President in a Press Conference at the National Assembly has reiterated the fact that every individual, home, ethnic group and Nation must join the struggle to mitigate fight climate change. According to Hon. Awudu Mbaya, planting a tree nowadays is the most precious gift one can give to humanity. Planting trees around water catchment areas he added can contribute enormously in saving lives. He called on each and everyone to join given that they (parliamentarians) are politicians and not scientist but have joint the crusade.                      
Climate change has a negative impact on national poverty eradication and sustainable developement, besides has contributed a lot to global warming. Africa is a victim who suffers the effect more as 75% of 350,000 people die annually as a result of climate change related illnesses. Though climate change is an opposition to economic prosperity, the Paris United Nations Frame Work Convention is battling to reach a global agreement, which will replace the failed Kyoto protocol.     
Hon. Awudu revealed to the Press that Africa is going to the summit in one spirit and with resolutions arrived at the Nairobi summit under the theme « Towards a common position on climate justice and equity in the new world agreement on climate change ».
The Nairobi Summit he added called on the developed countries compensate Africa on the damage they have caused them through various means such as ; the Paris Agreement should ensure urgent cuts in green house emission, and that an increase in the global average temperature at all times should stand at 1.5°C above pre - industrial levels. Also, in a bit to support the Green Climate Fund, developed countries should indiscriminately contribute1.5% of their Gross Domestic Products (GDP) as estimated by the World Bank. They should as well contribute the necessary technology and finance to be able to compensate and transform Africa. But the question remains how much money can be dispose that will be able to repair the damage already done?
            However, Hon. Awudu Mbaya concluded that PAPNC amongst other crusaders like the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the West African Economic and Monetary  Union (IPC-ECOWAS), are the eyes of Africa in Paris looking deep to ensure that the declarations arrived at in Nairobi is not made a death letter.




When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

That Landmark Speech Delivered by "Ta Nformi Cameroon" Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh in Germany


In the past two decades, many African countries transitioned from autocratic or military rule to democratic forms of government, and the continent has witnessed progress in development and governance trends in many areas. Unfortunately, as the continent seemed set to consolidate these gains, growing security threats have emerged that could undermine peace and prosperity, especially if governance structures do not become more effective in meeting citizens’ needs.

Security
Surely Africa has experienced liberation wars, civil wars and other sorts of conflict and violence in the past, but the particularities of insecurity in today’s Africa stem from the changing nature of current security threats and vulnerabilities. Unlike in previous eras, the proliferation of non-state actors is forcing African militaries and security services to engage in asymmetric warfare for which they may not have been prepared. In Sub Saharan Africa, conventional warfare or interstate conflict has been on the decline, whereas intrastate conflicts have been on the rise. Between 2002 and 2005, the number of state based conflicts in Sub Saharan Africa dropped by 60 percent. However, in 2005, more than 50 percent of the world’s intrastate conflicts occurred in Africa, even as that represented a sharp decline in the number of wars since the 1990s.1 Whether in Somalia, South Sudan, North Eastern Nigeria, Darfur, Central African Republic, Northern Mali, or Eastern Congo, insecurity in today’s Africa emerges within national borders, even if in some instances exacerbated by non-state actors moving across what we all know to be very porous national borders. Not too surprisingly, the triggers of insecurity tend to blur the lines, as one frequently finds that behind these acts of violence are a mix of characters with multiple agendas ranging from the mildly political to the criminal and the religious. In most cases, there is a confluence of elements that identify with grievances in all three sectors, hence further complicating the resolution of conflict once it breaks out.    
There is a growing and disturbing convergence and connection among networks of organized crime, drug trafficking, illicit activities, money laundering, kidnapping, and terrorism. For example, failing economic development, high youth unemployment, the lack of industries and job opportunities, limited education, and low access to participation in governance provide the breeding ground (or swamps) in which extremist groups thrive. Collectively, as African countries fight these groups, we must also focus on draining the swamps infested with elements that facilitate recruitment of future extremists and hence exacerbate human insecurity.
In the last decade, deep insecurity has been thrust upon African countries by transnational terrorist groups or jihadists that seek to use hitherto ungoverned spaces in some countries, notably in the Sahel and the Horn, as launch pads for attacks against domestic and international targets. As we saw in last Friday’s attack in Bamako, Mali, or with Boko Haram in North Eastern Nigeria (which now calls itself the Islamic State of West Africa), extremist organizations operating in Africa are eager to build alliances with similar organizations in other parts of the world, notably Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In many ways, the terrorism threat in Sub Saharan Africa that has flared up in recent years is fuelled by the global spread of extremist ideologies that exploit social media and its easily accessible information sharing environment. The Sahel region, as well as the Horn of Africa is paying a price for a jihadism that has trickled over from the Middle East, and is now fuelled exponentially by the proliferation of light weapons across the continent, and the aftershocks of the Libyan crisis and the chaotic demise of the Muammar Gaddafi regime. It is common knowledge that AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) was launched initially by elements that fought to overthrow the Algerian government in the early 1990s, but in recent years, have consolidated their activities across the Sahel region, particularly in northern Mali. Similarly, Boko Haram with its origins in North Eastern Nigeria is now having a devastating impact on the neighbouring countries of Niger Republic, Chad and my own country Cameroon. In the same manner, the activities of AlShabaab in Somalia are having a destabilizing effect on the security and economic prospects of Kenya and other countries in East Africa and the Horn.
I would like to briefly discuss a few of the most prominent sources of insecurity in Sub Saharan Africa at the moment.

 Boko Haram in Nigeria:
According to the Global Terrorism Index report, Boko Haram 2 is the deadliest terrorist group in the world (ahead of ISIS, the Taliban and AlShabab), having murdered close to 7000 people in terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic. In 2014, 23 percent of all terrorism related deaths worldwide occurred in northern Nigeria. Although we do not have complete figures for how many people Boko Haram has killed in 2015, the terrorist group has dramatically increased its cross border attacks into Chad, Cameroon and Niger, with a spate of suicide bombings earlier this year killing at least 53 people in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital.

AlShabaab in Somalia:
Another Sub Saharan African country, Somalia, continues to struggle to combat Islamic terrorism as AlShabaab seeks to undermine various incarnations of the Somali government since 2009. Despite suffering major setbacks in 2014 and being pushed out of all the major cities of the country, AlShabaab killed more people in terrorist attacks this past year than ever before at least 800 people in more than 400 attacks.  AlShabaab has also attempted to strike outside of Somalia, killing people in attacks in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya.

Northern Mali:
Despite the push back from Malians backed by other African forces and French military that routed out Islamist militant forces (Operation Serval) in 2013, Northern Mali, remains a hotbed for Islamic terrorist activity. As 4 the recent attack on the Hotel Radisson Blu in Bamako last Friday showed, terrorist groups in Mali, notably Ansar Dine and Al Mourabitoun (which has claimed responsibility for the attack)5, have begun to attack “soft targets” such as hotels, cafes, and supermarkets.

Development
In the past two decades, gross national income (GNI) per capita has almost doubled in many countries across Africa. According to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other international financial institutions, many African countries have taken steps to improve the environment for doing business, as a result of which the costs and time required to start a business have declined substantially. Five African countries, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Senegal, and Togo, even rank in the top 10 countries worldwide for enacting reforms that make it easier to do business. Surely, the continent’s abundance of natural resources is driving some economic gains. Africa remains a viable trading partner with a multiplicity of untapped mineral resources. For example, Guinea, with a population of 12 million people, is the world's second largest producer of bauxite and has rich deposits of diamonds and gold. Guinea comes after Australia in bauxite production, but at the same time, maintains the highest bauxite reserves in the world, far ahead of Australia. Ghana and South Africa figure prominently among the top ten gold producing countries in the world. Five African countries Cote d'lvoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Togo are among the top 10 world producers of cocoa. Five others Ethiopia, Cote d'lvoire, Uganda, Cameroon and Togo are among the top ten world producers of coffee. Gulf of Guinea countries that include Nigeria, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea and Angola, account for close to 20 percent of oil imports into the United States; and new technology in oil exploration and production is contributing to new oil discoveries in countries such as Mauritania, Chad, Ghana, Cote d'lvoire, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and even Niger. Take a look at the mineral map of the DRC: cobalt, coal, natural gas, nickel, diamonds, gemstones, gold, water resources for hydroelectric purposes, to name a few. Today’s era of globalization has witnessed a boom of new technologies. Financial flows, together with innovation, create markets that foster growth; and one of the biggest growing sectors on the continent is the information and communications technology sector (ICT). Several reports indicate that in 2014, globally, investments in the ICT sector only increased in Africa. Countries such as Kenya,
Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria have made huge investments in ICT infrastructure, working in partnership with international agencies, ICT vendors and researchers. This is no surprise, as Africa is also home to 200 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24, a number that could double by 2045 according to the African Development Bank. This age group is the biggest consumer of technological goods, and as they grow in numbers, so does the demand in this sector. The demographics, if properly managed, are a real asset for Africa. The grievance that many Africans carry, and rightly so, is that these rosy stories of macroeconomic trends and economic potential on the African continent do not translate necessarily into improvements in the wellbeing of ordinary citizens. Too many Africans still live below the poverty line, youth unemployment is extremely high, corruption and economic crimes are high, and investment in the social sectors of health, education, and public welfare are very low. The bottom line is that Africa is not a poor continent. Indeed, it is a rich and wealthy continent both in terms of human capital and natural resources; but it is the poor management of these resources that causes extreme poverty on the continent, and an ever expanding gap between the rich and the poor.
Uneven distribution of economic gains contributes to insecurity as disaffected citizens living in poverty may turn against the government status quo. It is this excessive poverty, not just in economic terms but also in access to political space, freedom, and the civil liberties that most of the world takes for granted, that pushes young Africans to seek greener pastures in other lands, sometimes through the hazards of illegal migration and human trafficking, or that makes young people vulnerable to the recruiter incentives of extremist movements. In this regard, the youth population bulge I described earlier as an asset could become a liability: while having a larger working age population should increase public revenues that can be used to support societal needs, in Africa high levels of unemployment translates into increases in the number of disaffected young people that could be instrumental to movements turned against the state. Speaking at the last conference on migration held in Malta a few weeks ago, the President of Niger Republic Mahamadou Issoufou stated that “over 100,000 illegal migrants from Sub Saharan Africa cross Niger and the Sahara desert every year in search of better livelihoods in Europe.” He listed the causes of such illicit activity as linked to poverty, inequalities, and the deficits of democracy, and then urged Europe and Africa to work together to create conditions for people to feel they could lead decent lives in their home countries.

Governance and Democracy
Political stability that is founded on institution driven effective governance creates an enabling environment for sustainable economic development and eliminating the conditions that serve as breeding grounds for extremism. In authoritarian environments, investors must worry that the rules on commercial transactions and other engagements could always be changed overnight at the whims of one man or of a tiny circle of oligarchs. Invariably, a government with questionable legitimacy is less likely to build the national consensus needed to deliver effective social services to citizens and generate or sustain long term economic growth and development. On the contrary, such a government devotes public resources to sustaining a system of patronage, prebendalism and corruption, without which its stay in power becomes tenuous. The development of strong democratic institutions and good governance practices therefore contributes substantially to growth and development. With the third wave of democratization that began after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, Africa saw the independence of Namibia in 1989/1990, the end of apartheid and release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 1991, and the fall of many military and autocratic regimes. In fact, in 1990, Freedom House, which ranks freedoms around the world, rated only four African countries Senegal,
Botswana, Mauritius, and the Gambia as partially free or democratic. Today, Freedom House rates about 11 African countries as totally free and another 19 as partially free, for a total of about 30. Indeed, many African countries have made considerable progress in the past two decades in renewing political leadership, conducting credible and transparent elections, providing space for vibrant political parties and civil society organizations, and creating new institutions that espouse the rule of law, democracy and good governance. For example, the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (2007), and sub-regional entities such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have protocols that promote free trade and allow for free movement of persons and goods, hence promoting more open markets. In today's Africa, unlike two decades ago, civil society is vibrant and seeks to play an advocacy role; human rights organizations exist and regularly denounce the gross violations of human rights by the dozen or so remaining autocratic regimes; and independent media (that includes community based radio stations and print media) provide opportunities for diverse viewpoints and dissenting voices to be heard.
For example, through the first quarter of 2012, Senegal’s democracy was tested by controversy over the candidacy of then incumbent President Wade, viewed by many Senegalese as contrary to the term limits enshrined in the country’s constitution. Thanks in large measure to effective grassroots mobilization by Senegalese civil society, the media, youth movements and political parties, the electoral process was safeguarded and the country experienced a credible transition of power. Similarly, in Burkina Faso in October 2014, when military strongman and long serving Blaise Compaore tried to amend the country’s constitution to extend his 27 years rule, he was chased out of office by a citizen led revolt that was largely peaceful. Not surprisingly, in September this year when remnants of Compaore’s supporters in the presidential guard staged a coup against the transition process, citizens took to the streets and with support from civil society, independent media, and the armed forces of the country, foiled the coup attempt. The Senegal and Burkina Faso examples are significant because they demonstrate that other tenets of democracy are taking root across Africa, and when properly mobilized can serve as a firewall to democratic backsliding.
It is against the backdrop of these significant political changes in Africa that many Africans and friends of the continent lament and condemn the backsliding observed in countries such as Burundi, Congo Brazzaville and Rwanda, where leaders are undermining constitutional rule by manipulating the rule of law to perpetuate themselves in office. By so doing, these leaders shrink or close political space and open the doors to violence and gross violations of human rights as citizens suffocate under their heavy handedness and feel obliged to seek alternativemeans of making their voices heard and their votes count.

Synthesis
In this 21st century, security, development, and governance are deeply intertwined. In today’s very competitive globalizing world, only African countries that are able to tackle all three challenges simultaneously will do well; the nonperformers will invariably face backsliding and rejection. Some countries on the continent are still plagued by issues of corruption, shrinking political space and lack of credible political transitions, and marginalization of its poorest communities. Without effective political leadership and the appropriate delivery of public services to citizens, the prerequisites for development would never be met, and the Millennium Development Goals would remain a distant illusion. To have sustained economic growth, Africa needs inclusive economic institutions and viable political systems capable of creating an enabling environment for private sector investments and exercising proper oversight. In short, today’s debate is not just about having a nation state in name; it is, and should be, more importantly, about how the state is governed. In looking at the way forward, we must recognize that Africa is a fast growing continent in which approximately 40 percent of the population is below 15 years old. In countries such as Mali and Uganda, close to 50 percent of the population is below 15 years old compared to only 20 percent in the USA and approximately 13 percent for Germany. Africa is therefore a youthful continent. There is no doubt in my mind that the youthful population of Africa is an asset to the continent and the world if the continent’s political leaders can create opportunities for these youth to find gainful employment and lead meaningful lives. Africa calls for visionary leadership, and the world has a vested interest in accompanying the continent in this search. Friends of Africa and the continent’s population of approximately one billion people continue to aspire to a better future one in which the three challenges of security, development and good governance are guaranteed. For these aspirations to come to fruition, the continent’s leaders must commit to prioritizing these three areas and conducting themselves as true servants of their people. They must also demonstrate the ability to project Africa on the global stage such that this beautiful continent can make its contribution to the world as part of the global community of our very humanity. Thank you very much for your time and attention.




When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Friday, November 27, 2015

Budgetary Session: FCFA 700 Million to Convoy Ndu Council Area to Emergence



Bunyui Emmanuel Nyugap
The total of FCFA 700.000.000 was adopted yesterday, November 25, 2015 by councilors of the Ndu during a budgetary session that lasted for more than five hours. This budget which derives it priorities from the Ndu Council annual investment and triennial investment plan is expected to take into consideration the aspiration of the people. Addressing councilors and stakeholders, Bunyui Emmanuel Nyugap, the Mayor of Ndu council said the development challenges of the municipality is an uphill task that cannot be carried out by one person locked off in some back yard office. This could explain why the Ndu Council budgetary session was exceptional given the presence of all stakeholders (fons, sub chiefs, clergies, leaders of development associations, youth groups, women groups etc). “The draft budget for Ndu council for the financial year 2016 stands at FCFA 7.000.000 which is balanced in revenue and expenditure”, Bunyui Emmanuel announced. What is however very interesting is the pragmatism with which the draft budget was produced given that it witnessed a drop of FCFA 18.000.000. To Bunyui Emmanuel, this slight drop is due to “the lessons drawn from the mid-term evaluation as well as sign posts of the 2014 administrative and management accounts. He revealed that the 2016 recurrent expenditure amounts to FCFA 418.650.000 while investment expenditure is FCFA 218.350.000 representing 40.19%. On his part, the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung lauded the councilors for their sense of maturity and the fact that they have adopted a realistic budget for 2016. He also called on the councilors to work in close collaboration with council staff to increase revenue so as to meet up with development challenges given that he who much is given, much is also expected.
In its budget, the Ndu council included projects and programmes in the areas of basic social amenities, poverty reduction, youth employment, road infrastructure, income generation and human development.
Top Priority
Improving Access to Potable Water: The construction and rehabilitation of water catchments as well as expansion of water to villages, quarters is the priority of priorities.
Farms to Market Road:  The council also intends to open roads to all major production basins in the municipality as well as construct and rehabilitate roads in the municipality to kick start a disenclavement programme.
Improvement Marketing Outlets: The construction of markets and more market sheds will also consume a considerable part of the budget. This is intended to ensure that farmers market their produce as well. Through this, the council will also increase revenue collection though the mayor decried that there are still some leakages.
Combating Child Labour/Trafficking: The Ndu council intends to double its efforts in protecting children and protecting the rights of the child. This is so given the number of cases that have been recorded.
Fighting Abject Poverty: The council also intends to increase its efforts in developing the trenches in promoting income generation and fighting miseries in rural areas among the poorest of the poor.
The Economic and Cultural Forum (ECCUFORUM) 2015:
One of the key points was on this year’s ECCUFORUM which shall run from Friday December 11, 2015 to Saturday December 19, 2015.
The Ndu Council will take a giant step with the organization of a Trade Fair during this period involving economic operators, the formal and informal sectors of the area and beyond. Expected to animate and promote their goods and services will be those from various sectors like Telecommunications; Construction; textile; Food processing firms; gastronomical institutions; tradi-practitioners; Educational Institutions both at the Secondary and Higher Education levels; Brewery companies as well as whisky companies ( with products from ADIC Company etc)
There will be games of chance; raffle draws and lots and lots of entertainment from artists and musicians from Ndu, Donga Mantung, Bui and other areas of Cameroon. There will be musical concerts and film shows on giant screens.
The Ndu Council is thus inviting business operators to come and register at the Council office in Ndu or go to the Vanguard Documentation office, City Chemist round about, Bamenda and register there. Thereafter, they will identify the appropriate site at the Old market to erect their stand for their exhibitions, sales or displays.
It should be noted that the commercial activities at the Old Market adjacent the Council Hall will be very hot, and thick and traders will be busy throughout the week, selling and buying.
In order not to regret that others have come from elsewhere to occupy the best stands, those in Ndu and its environs are advised to rush to the office and register before the 7th of December 2015.
Here is the detailed program of the ECCUFORUM/ Trade fair Ndu Council 2015 Dec. 11-19
Day/Date
Activities
Concerned
Venue
Time
Friday Mruh Dec. 11, 2015
General juju Displays
Socio-cultural Committee
Ndu and other palaces
12 noon -6p.m
Saturday Ndvung Dec. 12, 2015
Agro-Pastoral Show
MINADER/ MINEPIA/ Ndu Council/ SDO
New market
8 a.m.- 12 noon
Saturday, Ndvung Dec. 12, 2015
Official Launch of Renaissance Community Radio Programs
SDO D/M; Div. Dele. MINCOM D/M; Ndu Council
Renaissance Radio Premises
1p.m- 3p.m.
Sunday, Ngang Dec. 13, 2015
Prayers in Churches for the Municipality
Rev. Fathers; Pastors; Citizens
Various Churches in the Municipality
7a.m-11 a.m.
Sunday Ngang Dec. 13, 2015
Assembly of citizens and dignitaries
Population; Ndu Council; Invitees; Groups; Traditional rulers
Ndu Municipal Grand stand;
11 a.m- 6p.m.
Sunday Ngang Dec. 13, 2015
Display of services, goods and arts products
Traders, artists, economic operators etc/
Various stands at Old market Square
8 a.m- 6 p.m.
Sunday Ngang, Dec. 13, 2015
Speeches; Manifestations, Exhibitions/ Reading Competitions
Ndu Council; Socio-Cultural Committee; Groups; Leaders/ Knowledge for Children
Municipal Grand stand/ Ndu Council Hall
12 noon – 5 p.m.
Monday Ntala Dec. 14, 2015
Trade fair cont./
Musical and artistic displays
Ndu Council; Economic Operators etc/ Artists
Old market Square/
Municipal Grand stand
7 a.m- 11 p.m. ( night)
Tuesday Seng Dec. 15, 2015
Trade fair cont./ Usual Trading
Economic Operators
New market and Old market
6 a.m.-7 p.m.
Dec. 16-18, 2015
Trade fair cont./
Economic Operators
Old market
6 a.m.-7 p.m.
Dec. Mru’ Sat. 19, 2015
End of Trade fair
Forum Discussions
Ndu Council/
Ndu Council Hall
10 a.m- 3p.m.
N/B. This program is subject to modifications and alterations.

Councilors

cross section of traditional rulers present










When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)