Councilors frown at delays to implement 24-year-old decentralization plan

There is a growing sense of disappointment of what will become of the process of decentralization in Cameroon after February 9th 2020 elections.

In a presentation during the first ordinary session of national decentralization council Tuesday January 21, 2020 in Yaounde, Cameroon’s minister of decentralization and local development announced that 15% grants earlier announced for local councils will not be implemented from this year 2020.

To Georges Elanga Obam,the bill on decentralization was only adopted last December without proper financial arrangements for its implementation.

Reacting to this decision, Bar. Njenje Valentine expresses no regrets saying “…lies telling and deceit is in the DNA of the government of president Paul Biya”.

A councilor of the Social Democratic Front, SDF at Tiko council in the South West region lamented that Georges Elanga Obam was appointed minister of decentralization in 2018 and in 2020 should not be behaving as a novice in the ministry.

To another councilor who prefers not to be named, government enjoys the centralization of power in Yaounde reason why it is pretty difficult to get rid of the old habits that have been benefiting a few persons in Yaounde.

He questions how government intend to stop the war for the restoration of independence in the North West and South West region of Cameroon when power cannot not be taken closer to the people.

Last week,US under secretary in charge of African affairs speaking on RFI stated that effective decentralization in the North West and South West regions was needed to restore peace in the Anglophone regions. To Tibor Nagy, anything less than that will not appease the people of the north west and South “…who wants to manage their own affairs”.

As Cameroonians go to the polls on the 9th of February 2020 to elect parliamentarians and councilors, some analysts say the pronouncements of the minister of decentralization and local developments gives credit to political parties and individuals calling for a boycott of the polls this year.

Pic: Archives