CI-NEWS

Andek Council wraps up 2020 budgetary session; donates to IDPs.

2019-11-19

No: 456

Andek Council wraps up 2020 budgetary session; donates to IDPs.

By Etoh Anzah George in Bamend.

Charged with the municipal obligation of ensuring a budget for their councils which is further termed the life and working wire of the council, councillors have begun taking on their round table to deliberate and draw up draft budgets upon which development driven goals and achievements will lean.

Andek Council is not left out. For security reasons, theis council held its own budgetary on 14 November in Mbengwi, chief town of Momo Division.

While addressing the councillors, Atianjoh Bridget, mayor of Andek, noted a downward trend in the collection of local revenue, drop in jangali tax collection due to dwindling number of cattle coupled with cattle thefts. She insisted no collections have been made due to the prevailing crisis. Going further, she added: "our council is in the bush and has been severely damaged with valuable property either taken away or burnt leaving Andek a shadow of itself.” She expressed regret that a handful of projects whose implementation would have brought a sigh of relief to the population remain undone.

Note therefore should be paid to the suspension of the council development plan which is the road map for development initiatives in Andek as drafted in 2017 administrative accounts sessions . Projects suspended as a result of insecurity include construction and equipping of 2 classrooms; provision of potable water and public latrine with 3 squatting holes; non-commencement of creation of a council guest house to generate income though counterpart funds have been paid all.

For the public investment budget of 2018, the opening of streets in Andek and the construction of 2 classrooms at GS Nkon never took off the ground.

For 2019 BIP the 100 million project for the tarring of the road linking the brigade and the Andek market, maintenance of council roads amongst others remain unhandled.

Despite the above hiccups recorded the year 2020 will further embody projections geared towards economic empowerment of the municipality. On this premise the construction and equipment of 2 classrooms at GS Angai, rehabilitation of Teze water scheme, construction of Ajei health center, construction of market hangars in Teze market, construction of market hangars in Ajei market, rehabilitation of council roads from Tonangai to Tinechung , assistance to vulnerable population in Ngie amongst others have been earmarked.

The mayor further regretted the vandalisation of the solar station and vandalisation of related equipments which aided and provided relief to the population. She insisted the perpetrators will come before the courts and for sure the courts will show no mercy.

Mayor Atianjoh said the only way out is for perpetrators to come to reason.She went further to lament "the clock of development in Ngie has been set 10 years back and I stand in tears as I weep for Ngie..."

Andek Council, she announced, just completed the signing of a partnership deal with WeGO (World Smart sustainable cities Organisation ) whose primordial aim is to develop partner cities dealing with waste management, sustainable cities, road maintenance amongst others.

“We will indulge in the payment of partner funds, and further submit our project proposals which after scrutiny funds for project elaboration will be provided and in a nutshell we shall move on from there”, she explained.

Sitting for the SDO for Momo, the head of service of local development urged the councillors to know a budget’s visibility and attainment is termed successful only if all actors and localities get on board and proper representation is reflected. He had further used the medium to urge councillors to preach peace, desertion of bushes and surrender of guns of whatever sort by separatist fighters.

Coming at a time when the council donated relief aid to about 170 internally displaced persons, Mayor Bridget told The Horizon: "The gesture is motivated by the sufferings and pains incurred by the people". Going further, she added: "throughout the distribution of government humanitarian aid I can assure you IDPs from Andek haven’t received ANYTHING. It was therefore our wish as a council to give out these gifts ranging from cubes of soap, rice and tins of cooking oil to assist them provide a meal for their homes".

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Andek Council wraps up 2020 budgetary session; donates to IDPs.