The First Deputy Mayor of Kumba II Council, Promise Chia Ful, has warned members of the various Development Committees in that Council to guard against the misuse of an FCFA 27 million Government donation from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

The municipal authority sounded the note of warning at the Council’s Chambers, on Tuesday, November 25, while chairing a ceremony to hand over some equipment to the Local Development Committees, setup by the Council.

The equipment comprised of, 130 trucks, 130 wheel barrows, scores of trash cans, rain boats and other sanitation paraphernalia.

According to Chia, anybody or group of persons found misusing the equipment will face the arm of the law.

Chia challenged the Development Committee members to avoid the repeat of an ugly incident that transpired a few years back, when equipment donated for the development of the community were transformed into private properties by some unscrupulous individuals.

Quizzed on what would happen to the trucks if the Committees market them out to truck pushers, given that the business is thriving in Kumba, the Mayor disclosed that, there are checks and balances on every Committee.

He explained that, every three months, the committees are assessed by the Council, besides a monthly routine check that will supplement other corrective measures.

He reiterated that, the equipment has been placed under the control of the ZonalDevelopment Committee Chairpersons to ensure and revive the spirit of community approach to development. He sustained that, community members are free to go and sign the equipment for use, when ever the need arises.

While recognising Government’s support to his Council,Chiamaintained that, the donation is the product of lobbying machinery put in place by the Council to accelerate development.

Revisiting the context of the donation from MINDHU, the First Assistant Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme Veckline Epulewane Epse Mbua, who handed over the gifts,disclosed that, in 2013, the concerned Ministry carried out a study on the amelioration of access to basic services in Kumba II.

Epulewane averred that, in line with such studies, the Government has decided to carry out social projects to improve on the livelihood of the Kumba II population.

The administrator lamented that, the challenge with such projects is maintenance, which she said, rarely comes as expected by the population and Councils.

She advised the population to desist from mishandling projects and other utility of public interest as a means of sustaining development.