The inefficiency of local council managers has been blamed on the ineffectiveness of decentralisation at council levels. The remark was made by experts in decentralisation during a public forum organised by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Douala La Reference in Bépanda, Douala on Thursday, April 12.
Held on the theme, “The contribution of the young entrepreneur in the execution of decentralisation in Cameroon,” it was an opportunity for the young people of JCI Douala La Reference to ask questions on how to be involved in the process of getting decentralisation on the rails in their respective localities.
The speakers were informed opinion leaders, politicians, mayors, journalists, consultants, former JCI World President and an expert from MINATD. The participants who were essentially young people, left satisfied of their place in the decentralisation process in the country.
The speakers were unanimous that although council managers need to go beyond their present mastery of community development, youths nevertheless have a great role to play. The Douala I Sub-divisional Council, for instance, was said to have constantly lost FCFA 74 million in annual taxes from PMUC a few years back. Yet PMUC kiosks continued to function in the council area. A situation an expert blamed on insufficient, creative managerial skills.
Other examples concern rising council budgets. In Douala for instance, the City Council budgeted at least FCFA 2,000 billion for 2012, saying it was in a bid to catch up with uncompleted projects whereas the problem lies with inability to set up creative, cost-effective projects for the municipality.
Very few of the projects are examined by professional project designers, reviewers, consultants and managers. As a result, donors refused funding them. Some councils initiate projects without consulting community people who are the beneficiaries. Not surprisingly, such projects do not fit in with their felt needs and are often exorbitant.
Calixte Yepseu Mbakop, current JCI Douala La Reference President, who set the tone for the discussion that was moderated by Rollin Foko, Business Plan specialist, urged the youths to overlook these hurdles and go into developing their communities.
