Special Status:
North West Mayors Schooled On Public Independent Conciliator’s Roles

Mayors in the conflict-hit North West region of the Republic of Cameroon have been edified on the role of the Public Independent Conciliator.

This was the core of a two-day meeting the municipal authorities had with the Public Independent Conciliator of the region. Simon Tamfu Fai.

During the training, the mayors expressed concerns over their limited financial resources. This, they said, hinders them from regularly paying salaries of council workers and clearing contractors’ bills in their municipalities.

The mayor of the Tubah Council, Martin Tanjong, during the meeting requested that the Public Independent Conciliator tables their concerns to the competent state authorities.

“The same dispositions respected in other regions should also be respected here”, mayor Tanjong said.
The Public Independent Conciliator on his part clarified that the issues raised are not within his competence.

The post of Public Independent

Conciliator charged with exclusively handling disputes between decentralized structures saw the light of day after the Major National Dialogue of 2019 to seek solutions to the Anglophone crisis. The office was introduced withing the context of the Special Status granted the two troubled English-speaking regions.

Since the Special Status Provision was granted, many in the two restive regions have continued to describe the provision as void of anything that can enhance local development.