Konye Council Consults Population On Priority Development Projects

The population of Konye has been consulted to suggest priority projects for the development of municipality which will be carried out by the Konye Council in the 2025 financial year.

This was during a Citizens Consultation Debate ( Town Hall Meeting) on Friday, November 29, 2024, which brought together officials of Konye Council and representatives of the newly created Neighbourhood Committees of the 37 villages of Konye Subdivision.

The consultation between the council and population is a new approach instituted by government of Cameroon to fast track the policy of decentralisation, local governance and development.
It falls within the framework of Section 374(2) of Law No. 2019/024 of 24th December, 2019, to institute the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities, which calls for the participation of citizens in the actions of councils.

The debate chaired by the Mayor of Konye, Dr. Barrister Musima George Lobe , in the presence of the Divisional Officer of Konye Subdivision (Konye DO), Attah Moses Ndep, who represented the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme division (Meme SDO), Chamberlin Ntou’ou Ndong, supervisory authority of councils in the division, was attended by its statutory members.

In his address during the meeting, Mayor Musima Lobe noted that the Citizens Consultation Debate is not a mere formality, but a fundamental pillar for democracy as propagated by the Head of State, President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya.
He said the Town Hall Meeting required for the executive of Konye Council to consult with stakeholders so as to come out with the budget.

To Mayor Musima, Konye Council has been striving to surmount its development challenges with the provision of basic infrastructures being its priority concern, with major projects already realised.
However, he regretted the council is limited in financial resources as far as its internal revenue is concern and as such, relies mostly on devolved resources from the government ministries in Yaounde for the execution of projects in the municipality.
He was happy for the setting up of a project development bank in the municipality from which projects will be selected in the next 3 years for execution in the various communities.

It was on the strength of the knowledge acquired from the briefing given by the mayor that the population came up with some priority projects in the various communities from which the Councillors of Konye Council are expected to deliberate and adopt in the upcoming council session for its budget for the 2025 financial year.

These projects include the construction of a community hall at Kombone; construction of an integrated health centre at Wone; construction of a slaughter house at Koba market; rehabilitation and equipping of Konye Council Business Centre; acquisition of land for the construction of Konye Council Projects (phase 1); construction of pylon and equipment to Konye Council Community Radio; construction and equipment to a fish pond in Konye; construction of Konye Council chamber; completion of woks on Konye Council Guest house; rehabilitation of Koba-Mambaba farm to market road, and; rehabilitation of Illeh-Lobongi farm to market road.

Speaking later, the representative of Meme SDO reiterated the importance of the policy of decentralisation, stating that it has come to stay and right at the door steps of the population.
He called on the population of Konye Subdivision to collaborate effectively with the council as well as contractors for the selected projects to be realised throughout the subdivision.

The various projects after adoption are expected to be financed with the internal funds of Konye Council, Public Investment Budget (PIB), Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM) as well as funds for local governance and resilient communities projects known in its french language acronym as Prolog.
These projects will add to some already completed and others in progress in a bid to transform the municipality towards emergence.

The Citizens Consultation Debate was an opportunity for the stakeholders to make meaningful recommendations which were shaped to tie up with the financial power of the council and its partners.

With many attractive projects already selected and awaiting budgetary approval, Konye Council Mayor Dr. Barrister Musima George Lobe is optimistic that the population of Konye will greatly benefit when the projects are realized.