SDO declares Bamenda City Council bankrupt

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Mezam, Felix Nguele Nguele, observed that the dwindling of the Bamenda City Council revenue every year is becoming disturbing.

“I am very disturbed because the revenue of this Council is not improving as expected. This is in sharp contrast to the potentials of this Council. How can you keep voting a budget of less than FCFA 3 billion every year?” Nguele Nguele quipped.

The SDO said his fears are further compounded by the fact that the Council is heavily indebted. Though he did not state the amount in figures, the SDO, however, said all is not lost because, “this Council has a lot of untapped potentials in terms of revenue collection.”

The SDO was speaking at the Council premises during the Council session that held on March 6. The session was dedicated to the examination and adoption of the 2014 Administrative Accounts of the Council.

Nguele Nguele enjoined the Grand Councillors of Bamenda I, II, and III, to work in synergy with the Government Delegate to clear the mess in which the Council finds itself.

“Please, as grand Councillors, put aside your party lines and work for the development of the City Council. If you truly love this City, avoid bringing politics into development.”

Presenting the 2014 administrative accounts, the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, Vincent Ndumu Nji, said the account stands at FCFA 2.1 billion in revenue and FCFA 1.9 billion in expenditure, thus a positive carried forward of FCFA 231,342,301.

Ndumu pointed out that the achievements of the Bamenda City Council in 2014 were meager, due to lack of liquidity and “the indebtedness of the Council.”

However, he said the Council realised the following; regular garbage collection and payment of contractors, regular payment of staff emolument and salaries, payment of debts owed suppliers, taxes to social insurance, youths were employed, and regular payment of running expenses to the Subdivisional Councils.

After enumerating the achievements in 2014, Ndumu, said the drop in revenue is relative and promised to redouble efforts in Council revenue collection. “With the strategy, we are going to put in place and with your collaboration, I am very certain that we shall strike 75-80 percent revenue collection by the end of this year,” he said.

During deliberations, Councillors appealed to the SDO to use his powers as supervisory authority and call the Chairman of the Tenders’ Board, Bailiff Chief Pierre Nchinda to order.

The Councillors said Nchinda has contributed enormously in slowing down the realisation of certain projects. “He is never present at Council sessions, never available to sign documents to speed up work when expected,” they complained.

The Grand Councillors were disappointed that Nchinda, who was appointed by the Prime Minister to the position, is doing the contrary of what the PM expected of him.

Other burning issues like the waywardness of commercial bike riders, lack of water in most parts of the City, among other things that were raised, were not resolved at the end of the Council session.