Councillors’ Salary by Decree is Tokenism, Late, Absurd …

 President Biya recently signed a decree attributing salaries to Government Delegates, Mayors and Deputies. This decision by President Biya has ignited alot of euphoria nationwide. Government delegates, Mayors and their deputies are planning a solidarity march in Yaounde to salute this act by the head of state. Yet Teche Nyamusa, (SDF Presidential Aspirant) who like Rev. Kisob sees nothing good in anything has a different reading of the act by the Head of State. 

Here below is critical judgement analysis by Teche Nyamusa (the self-proclaimed SDF Presidential Aspirant depending Primaries). 

Officially instituting salaries to local government legislators or councillors September 16, 2015 well over half a century since independence of Cameroon is millipede step in a journey already tackled by “Airplanes” in democracies.  Even this, like other laws in Cameroon comes by presidential decrees instead of being deliberated first by the people’s parliament.

            Fellow Cameroonians, with the reintroduction of multiparty politics in this country by the hard earned death-stricken launch of my party, the SDF in 1990, there has been development progress - municipalities as a consequence compete, with councilors owing allegiance to citizens’ demands to ensure their longevity in office. Locals now more than before question and/or aid their councilors for progress. However this is still very minimal compared to countries that really practice democracy where there is separation of powers (autonomous but complementing divisions of government – legislature, executive and judiciary).

This overdue decision to institute salaries to local development experts that councilors are should in democracies be deliberated on by people’s representatives in parliament (national assembly and senate). Thus in democratic states, councilors (including mayors who are first councilors before being elected by colleagues to lead them as mayors) make proposals as to what they think discharging their duties will suffice as salaries. Such proposals are then forwarded to parliament for discussions aimed at altering or maintaining them. But what we have in persistent limping Cameroon is regular governance by decrees – where one man - the president decides on what he wants and it is passed into law irrespective of the feelings and ideas of other citizens. This sole proprietorship rule of the nation by the president is what is largely responsible for Cameroon’s underdevelopment and trail of even countries that hitherto depended on her.   In tandem with my party SDF, I for very longtime now have been crusading for befitting wages for councilors who are grassroots growth conduits.

Duties of municipal councilors include deliberation on local issues that affect the daily lives of citizens of their various constituencies and their communities for example construction and/or maintenance of roads, bridges, schools, markets, slaughter houses etc. In fact where effective local government or decentralization of governance flourishes, law making by parliamentarians becomes easier and precise leading to positive growth – local councilllors who mingle more with the grass roots per their job description have the potential of telling legislators the true expectations of the people – hence effective local government will enhance development of the entire country.

Thus countries like France, US, Nigeria etc with effective local governments or decentralized governance progress more unlike the stagnation and waste in Cameroon where one party (CPDM) stifles the democratic governance process and rule for decades mostly by decrees!

As a concerned Cameroonian and SDF presidential candidate for the 2018 presidential race, I judge it pure stupidity to watch without effective sustainable action the CPDM so-called natural candidate, Paul Biya waste Cameroon social posterity!

Salaries for councilors, traditional leaders (decreed by president Biya about a year ago) and other public issues in multiparty Cameroon should not be at the instance of one man or one party (CPDM) – the decreed salaries are not from Biya’s pocket or from CPDM coffers – the money is from the country’s treasury and is each and every Cameroonian’s - so every decision on it should normally pass through people’s representatives of the legislature.

With the present dispensation and work and rationale for the public to scrutinize their local representatives on their job description including the contracts they engage for their localities and for effective job, councilors without duty posts, I suggest should be paid basic monthly salaries of circa 200 000FCFA (two hundred thousands) and their leaders mayors of course paid two or three times much more. This proposals adopted and effected, will push these elected officials to put in more and generate or cause the central government to generate more than enough wealth and sequel job opportunities for her citizenry. Meanwhile unelected officials like government delegates, divisional officers, and senior divisional officers should have their offices scrapped and prevent them from interfering and confusing the execution of the jobs meant for people elected councillors. Further, for regional governors to be hardworking and answerable to their constituents there most be elected as obtained in meaningful nations and not appointed as is the practice of Cameroon. Once these changes are effected, we will see Cameroon moving ahead like other emerging or emerged nations worldwide.

CPDM/president Biya cannot arrogate all powers to it/him as it is today and expect the country to still grow without the participation of other stake holders. Here people are tricked using money from the country’s treasury as bribes to vote at elections for the ruling CPDM under the guise that she (CPDM) is the provider of salaries and development projects. This nonsense has been over recycled and should be checked immediately as 2018 all important presidential election is at hand. The constitution of this land must be immediately revamped to ensure separation of powers – legislature, executive and judiciary. These done will enable leadership by decree to be but an exception not the rule. The present electoral laws tailored to maintain CPDM in power forever are anathema for the conduct of the 2018 presidential and future elections!

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