He confirms Cameroon’s determination to further concretise the decentralisation process.

Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD), René Emmanuel Sadi has confirmed government’s determination to constantly give a real and concrete meaning to decentralization and local governance. Minister Sadi spoke in the capital city, Yaounde on August 10, 2012, while presiding at manifestations marking the maiden edition of the African Day of Decentralisation and Local Governance.

On Decentralisation and Local Governance Day

Minister René Emmanuel Sadi said it “came as a result of the will of the African governments to lay down conditions for a real and sustainable development of our countries, by involving more, alongside the State, local authorities and grassroots population, in the process of designing and carrying out development projects, which they are the main beneficiaries and ensuring their better participation, accountability and proximity.” The Day that has been endorsed by the African Union was institutionalised in Maputo, Mozambique, during the ordinary session of the All Africa Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation and Local Development (AMCOD) on August 8 to 10, 2011.

On Balance Sheet of Decentralisation in Cameroon

The Minister of Territorial Administration and Decnetralisation said as for the road covered, “I would like to point out that thanks to the constant commitment and determination of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, Cameroon has made remarkable progress on decentralisation and local governance.” He singled out, “the development of an adequate legal framework; the effective transfer of powers and resources to Councils and City Councils; the setting up of institutions and organs to support and follow up decentralisation; and the constant capacity-building for stakeholders.” Despite the promising balance sheet, the Minister said, “much still remains to be done to make decentralisation a strategic lever of national and local development.”

On inspiration from the theme

The MINATD boss stated that, “by drawing inspiration from the core theme of the celebration dubbed ‘financing decentralisation, service delivery and local development’, we intend, during this celebration to raise more awareness on the stakes of decentralisation, as a relevant, though long and expensive process which, beyond policy commitments, requires a strong political will, to involve the people and local authorities, as major stakeholders and full-fledged partners in national development.”

On Cameroon’s Commitment

The Minister said, “The government of the Republic confirms its determination to constantly give a real and concrete meaning to decentralisation and local governance in our country, with support from its partners whose multifaceted contributions to the implementation of the National Decentralisation Programme, I would like to kindly acknowledge.”