By David Akumany
The first session of the Northwest Regional Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development, PPRD, sat in Bamenda on July 14.
Northwest Governor, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique Tchoffo Deben, Chairperson of the Committee, told development stakeholders that projects suggested to the PPRD should represent the needs of the local population.
He challenged stakeholders, among them the Regional Assembly, Northwest Development Authority, MIDENO, state institutions, ministries, administrative, political, and religious authorities, the civil society, development organisations, among others, that make up the committee, to work for the realisation of the plan.
Some of the projects realised, so far, include: the construction and equipping of four women empowerment centers; issuance of over 400 lost documents; rehabilitation and reconstruction of 30 schools, six health centres, eight solar powered water points, youth start-ups, poultry farming, cooperatives, farm rehabilitation, women in catering supported and more.
The National Coordinator, Motuba Tamajong Obase, and the regional lead of the implementing partner being the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, have pointed at the COVID-19 pandemic, overwhelming needs, security, access and poor collaboration from some local administrators like Mayors as challenges being faced.
They outlined several projects realised in the areas of social cohesion restoration, infrastructure reconstruction and livelihood revitalisation across the Northwest.
This year, the PPRD will be spending over FCFA 29 billion with the government of Cameroon expected to contribute over FCFA 18 billion, UNDP FCFA 236 million, FCFA 750 million from the private sector and over FCFA 1.3 billion from the government of Japan. The National Coordinator, Motuba Tamajong Obase, has disclosed that FCFA 3.3 billion shall be used for social cohesion, over FCFA 14 billion for infrastructure rehabilitation and FCFA 6 billion for local economic revitalisation.
The Mayor of Nkambe, Musa Shey Nfor, whose community has benefited from the plan, was satisfactied with the implementation noted that it has inspired peaceful co-existence in his Council area.
Concerns have been raised concerning the even distribution of the project with one of the Mayors of Momo Division indicating that his Council area and the Division has not benefited like others. Mayor Ubango was emphatic that a few projects may come to his area only this year.
The Regional Follow-up Committee is a creation of the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, to ensure the effective realisation of the PPRD.