Fireworks between Gov’t Delegate and Bamenda Council City Board at Budgetary Session

Vincent Ndumu Nji

 By Fai Cassian Ndi

Grand councilors of the Bamenda City Council setting in a budgetary session on December 30, 2013 have rejected two deliberation submitted by the Government Delegate, Vincent Nji Ndumu. The deliberation for the construction of three markets as well as the construction of open market sheds in the central town were all rejected by the city board. This, The Eye gathered is part of the mighty storm that has been gathering to sweep the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council. The grand councilors argued that the construction of markets in Bamenda is not a priority reasons why the deliberations were rejected. Construction projects we learnt are a goldmine given the kickbacks. Yet a school of thought holds that few years down the line since Ndumu took over from Abel Ndeh, the city of Bamenda is gone into the doldrums. Indicators are rife at that Vincent Nji Ndumu has fallen short of glory of the Bamenda city dwellers. The city of Bamenda which used to be one of the cleanest in Cameroon is a shadow of its own self. Streets in the city are described by the number of potholes and heaps of unclear dirt. Yet, few years back, the Bamenda city council disbursed hundreds of millions to acquire heavy duty vehicles. The equipment pool is more of a liability than an asset as the population of Bamenda is questioning its usage. As one buyam sellam recently puts it, Bamenda City Council is more of a money making venture than a development catalyst. Of late, the buyam-sellam women at the Bamenda food market took their grievances to the street. The women expressed their frustration arguing that the present Government delegate’s visible activities are the collection of 100 FCFA at Commercial Avenue with the use of the parking meters and the construction of small lockup sheds along the same avenue.

It is alleged that some traders who paid money to the City council before Vincent Nji Ndumu took over from Abel Ndeh are threatening to go to the street by January 2014. According to the hint, the traders we gathered have vowed that if the city council cannot provide them with the sheds, they will stage an endless sit-down strike at the premises of the city council at Mulang. Yet uncertainty looms large as to whether Vincent Ndumu Nji will provide them with the shed or reimburse the money.

However, the Bamenda council city board after deliberating on the 2014 budget of the adopted a total sum of FCFA 3.4 billion in income and expenditure for the council. Mezam SDO, Nguele Nguele Philip was optimistic that the budget was quite realistic yet Vincent Ndumu Nji is still dangling on how he would realize the budget given that his plans to raise more revenue through advance payment of market sheds were aborted.

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