Limbe Council's West Bank project takes-off

During a press conference that took place at the close of the 2013 fiscal year, the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Motanga Andrew Mojimba told journalists that the council’s West Bank Maritime Development Project at Down Beach will soon be realised.

As one who always backs his words with action, Motanga Andrew, who was recently voted Best Government Delegate in the country by Camer Awards, said the project has taken-off.

The Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council was speaking to the press last Tuesday, July 15 after the signing of a partnership agreement between the International Association of Francophone Mayors based in France (AIMF), the Shackles of History and the Limbe City Council for the construction of an international museum.

According to the Government Delegate, the Limbe West Bank Maritime Project has amongst other components, the construction of a historical museum. “Hence with the signing of this agreement, we can rightly say the Limbe West Bank Maritime Project has taken- off”, he said. Motanga added that the two partner-associations based in France of which the Limbe City Council is a member are accompanying the City Council in the construction of the Museum.

Promise kept Motanga had earlier said “The project is a huge one which cannot be realized in a twinkle of an eye, it needs deep feasibility studies, memorandums of understandings with partners in the project and the consent of the government because you cannot forget that the City Council is an arm of government and that no matter the independence that we have, we need the consent of the government.”

According to the Government Delegate, “the council had carried out some steps in the project realisation and was waiting for a decision to be signed by the Minister of Land Tenure and State Property to declare the area for public utility and that once that decision is signed, it would open up the advancement of this project since they have partners who have shown interest both at home and abroad’.

These partners were in Limbe last July 15 to concretise their involvement in the project by launching the first phase which is the construction of the ultra modern historical museum at Down Beach.

The Museum, it should be noted is a follow up of the decision of the International Shackles of Memory Association to link history and the sea.

Steering Committee formed To ensure the effective take-off of the construction of the museum, an 18-member steering committee was put in place with the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Motanga Andrew Monjimba as president, the SDO for Fako as vice, the Director of technical services at the Limbe City Council, as secretary. Other members include, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, the representatives of the International Association of Francophone Mayors, representatives of the Shackles of Memory, SONARA, CDC, concerned Divisional Delegates, the Secretary General and Municipal Treasurer and Translator of the Limbe City Council and a representative of the civil society who is an economic operator and business magnate, Ayuk Iyok. The committee shall sit after every three months and has a mandate of two years renewable.

On the financing of the project, the award-winning Government Delegate explained that the AIMF will co-finance the project with the Limbe City Council. Motanga went further to state that the role of the traditional authorities in Limbe in the project has been clearly spelt out. “You cannot talk about a historic museum without thinking about the chiefs as the keeper of our culture”

Shackles of Memory flash back In his intervention, the president of the Shackles of Memory recounted that five years ago they were sitting in the same venue to hold the General Assembly of their association which marked its official international launching.

According to him, the construction of the museum will give Limbe a place in the international arts and culture market as it would expose it to the rest of the world through tourism. He went on to say it is going to be a very strong bond between the City of Limbe and other cities that are members of their Association. AIMF a veritable partner Meanwhile, the representative of AIMF declared that their association is a veritable partner to the Limbe City Council, hence will make sure that they support the City Council and the Government Delegate in the realisation of the project.

Though Limbe is an English speaking zone, the representative of AIMF said the Government Delegate kept on pushing till they saw reason to collaborate with Limbe as a member of their association.

Limbe, being close to the University of Buea, which hosts other higher institutes of learning, the representative of AIMF said the idea of a historic museum for Limbe was ideal.

She added that Limbe has a lot of potentials as well as a strong and deeply-rooted culture and history; another reason why it was difficult for them to refuse to partner with the City of Limbe for the realisation of such a giant project which will benefit the community to a larger extent and tourists who will make use of the materials and objects placed in the museum.

The West Bank Project It should be noted that the West Bank Maritime Development Project is part of the objectives of the 2012 master plan which is the outcome of retained diagnostic analysis and strategic orientations within the framework of sustainable development and good governance.

The project intends to make Limbe more attractive, more welcoming and pleasant for living, better organised and more balanced as well as more accessible. The tourism development project in Down Beach will focus on putting up amenities such as a congress hall with a sitting capacity of 1,000 places, including variously-sized halls for conferences and meetings. This three-storey edifice, with a total surface area of 4,100m will have a business centre that will provide services of international standards to congress participants.

Other facilities will include a three-storey shopping mall to host a supermarket, shops and restaurants, high class hotels and a nautical and leisure centre on more than 3.6 hectares. Financial and time wise, the project will go operational within a period of 5to 10 years and will consume an investment of close to FCFA 20 Billion.