NW's FCFA 80m contribution to Boko Haram war missing?

Rumours are rife that the FCFA 80 million that was raised by politicians of the ruling and opposition political parties, business barons and elite of the Northwest Region, as their quota to the contributions to combat Boko Haram is missing.

The money which was raised on March 22, 2015 at the occasion held at the Bamenda Congress Hall chaired by the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang.

Following a press release issued last April 6 by the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, detailing the amounts contributed by administrative units of Cameroon, the FCFA 80 million raised by the population of the Northwest Region on March 22 did not feature, thus heightening fears that the money is missing.

In the release, Tchiroma said that following the instructions of President Paul Biya, the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey has created account No 450 4137 in the public treasury bearing the name: “People’s Contribution, Fight Against Boko Haram.” And that funds raised by the various strata of the population in support of the defence and security forces combating Boko Haram will be lodged in the said account.

Issa Tchiroma noted that so far, the Ministry of Defence has received FCFA 22, 750,000 from a delegation of traditional rulers of the Bamboutos Division.

The said amount was channelled directly to the Regional Committee in charge of the management of donations that was set up by the Governor of the Far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakary.

The FCFA 20 million that the Defence Ministry also received from a delegation of the political elite of the Ocean Division in the South Region was also forwarded to the above committee.

“In total, FCFA 42,750,000 has been transferred or directly received at the Far North Regional Committee. This sum has been deposited in a bank account opened to that effect by the Governor of the Far North,” the release partly read.

Meanwhile, the FCFA 1,005,000 received from the Mezam-Tubah CPDM Section, is still at the level of the management committee set up at the Ministry of Defence and presided over by the Army Chief of Staff.

On April 2, 2015, the Defence Ministry also received 301 palettes of mineral water with a capacity of one litre per bottle offered by the students of 6ème B of the College de la Retraite in Yaounde.

Regarding the donations in kind, the Minister said 364.46 tonnes of donations have been received at the level of the management committee set up by the Minister of Defence, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o and presided over by the Army Chief of Staff.

According to Tchiroma, the said materials donated have been forwarded to the Far North Regional Committee. “These donations have been made under the diligence of the Ministry of Trade or directly by the GULFIN Company and the ‘Association des Femmes Rurales de la Boucle Boulou’ from Bengbis. In addition, other donations in kind worth FCFA 50 million have been offered by the political elite of the Far North Region, and directly received at the level of the Far North Regional Committee,” the release stated.

It was also disclosed that the North Regional Committee presided over by the Governor of that Region, received donations in kind to the tune of FCFA 60 million.

On the other hand, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, did announced donations in cash collected at the regional levels and deposited into the public coffers.

According to the press release, the amounts were: FCFA 7,775,550 from the Adamawa; FCFA 2,453,000 from the East and FCFA 4,830,000 from the North.

FCFA 39,027,255 came in from the West Region (that is FCFA 29,027,255 in cash and FCFA 10 million in traveller’s cheques); FCFA 1,472,500 from the Northwest and FCFA 44,107,900 from the Southwest.

As of April 2, 2015, the total contributions received by the Ministry of Trade stood at FCFA 99,666,205 (that is FCFA 89,666,205 in cash & FCFA 10 million in traveller’s cheques).

Contributions made at the administrative units would be deposited at Subdivisional Treasuries, Divisional Treasuries and Regional General Treasuries.

The collected funds will then be centralised at the Paymaster General of the Yaounde Treasury. The official authorised to withdraw funds from the account following the approval of the President of the Republic is the Minister of Defence.

“It should be noted, on the one hand, that the foregoing accounts only for the donations effectively received, excluding donation promises that have not been followed by an effective payment.

On the other hand, the distribution of these donations to the concerned military personnel will only occur when all the amounts promised have been collected,” Tchiroma stated in his press statement.