Buea Municipal Council Adopts 1 Billion FCFA Budget

By Stephen Njumbe Sako

The thirty-six Councillors of the Buea Municipal Council have adopted, after heated debates, the council's budget for the 2012 financial year, which stands at 1 billion francs CFA. The second ordinary session of the Council took place on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 and was presided over by the Senior Divisional Officer of Fako Mr Bona Ebengue Francois. In attendance were top ranking officials in Buea municipality and traditional rulers. Welcoming the participants at the session, the Mayor of Buea Municipality, Mr Charles Mbella Moki used the solemn ceremony to thank the Councillors for their relentless effort over the years in shaping developmental projects within Buea.

While calling on everyone to join the Head of State in making Cameroon in general and Buea in particular a vast construction site for 2012, Charles Mbella Moki, used the occasion to highlight some of the achievements of the council.

These include the 3.5 billion FCFA three-star Hotel, an initiative which he said is the brainchild of President Paul Biya. Other projects include, the construction of a shopping mall at the old Bus Station in Buea Town with a capacity of 28 stores, the construction of the new council building estimated to cost some 500 million FCFA on its completion, the construction of 50 stores at Mile 17 motor park, the construction of bridges in some parts of the municipality to ease accessibility such as in Great Soppo and Bokwoango and the provision of water and electricity to some localities in Buea.

According to Charles Mbella Moki, all these achievements and projects fall within the framework of the Head of State's policy to foster development in the country and make it a vast construction site beginning January 2012.

Speaking at the occasion, the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako Division, Mr Bona Ebengue Francois, said the moment has come for Councillors to come together and work for the progress of their municipality.

"Time has come for councillors to put an end to any misunderstanding among themselves and work together as a team.I expect the budget to be realistic, not a huge budget that will end up not being realised," the SDO reiterated.

According to the SDO, "the draft budget should mirror a planning session to integrate the dynamics of government policy and to ensure local development , improved hygiene and standard of living of the local population."

In his closing remarks, the SDO lauded the Mayor and his Councillors for their timely intervention following the outbreak of the cholera epidemic and urged them to be vigilant as it is their responsibility in ensuring that the inhabitants of Buea, estimated to be over 200,000, live in the most conducive and humane environment.

It should be recalled that the Buea municipality is one of the eight cities chosen by the Head of State to benefit from the rehabilitation of water projects estimated to cost some 14 billion FCFA.

The second ordinary session of the Buea Council for 2011 ended with the reading of a motion of support by Councillor John Lyonga to President Paul Biya, in which they expressed satisfaction for the developmental projects that have been earmarked for the municipality of Buea as from January 2012.

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