Decentralisation is a reality East Region – Minister Joseph Le

The Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Joseph Le, has expressed gratitude to President Paul Biya for making decentralisation “a reality” in the East Region of Cameroon.

Minister Le, who hails from the East Region, commended the president on Monday, May 6, during an event attended by his counterpart in Decentralisation and Local Development, Georges Olanga Obam.

The appreciation comes on the heels of the inauguration of six key infrastructure projects in the region, including town halls, municipal cities, shopping centres, and bus station complexes.

“Decentralisation and local development, are concrete and palpable realities in the Eastern Region. Six important infrastructures (town halls, municipal cities, shopping centres, and bus complexes) have just been inaugurated by my colleague G. Elanga Obam, MINDDEVEL,” Minister Le stated.

He further expressed gratitude on behalf of the Platform for Eastern Development, highlighting the significant investment of 12,078,699,996 FCFA by the government in modernising infrastructure in the region, which contributes to its overall development.

However, many observers have raised eyebrows at Minister Le’s expressions of gratitude, arguing that such infrastructure should have been in place long ago.

Despite decentralization being enshrined in the Cameroonian constitution in 1996, its implementation has remained largely on paper rather than a tangible reality on the ground.

The Anglophone Crisis prompted calls for further decentralisation and devolution of powers to local authorities.

Consequently, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation was split into two in 2018, leading to the birth of the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development.

However, power still remains heavily centralized in the capital, Yaoundé.

Critics have questioned the need for Minister Le to thank President Biya for fulfilling basic infrastructural needs that should have been addressed years ago.

Some social media users have criticized the Minister’s remarks, suggesting that it is the President’s duty, not a favor, to ensure the provision of such facilities, which are funded by taxpayers’ money.

“It’s his job. What is this business where the least thing is thanks to the Head of State? As if the money were coming out of his pockets. It’s the taxpayer’s money,” one user commented.

Another highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by Cameroonians, including unemployment, suggesting that celebrating basic infrastructure as decentralization is misleading.

However, some have acknowledged the importance of the initiative while calling for better conditions for the workers in these newly constructed facilities.

©Mimi Mefo Info