Bafut Mayor wins Africa’s Local Gov’t Crown

The Mayor of Bafut in the Northwest Region has been elected Chair of the Regional Committee of Local Governments in Africa.

Mayor Abel Langsi was recently elected in Seoul, South Korea, during the 2015 world congress of Local Governments for sustainability, formerly known as the International Councils for Local Environmental Initiative, ICLEI.

The congress, which brought together Mayors from all over the world, is aimed at seeking sustainable solutions for an Urban Future as well as fight climate change.

The organisation is made up of 1,200 municipalities all over the world. Each Continent forms a Region and at the level of every continent, there is a Regional Executive as well as the Global level where there is the highest structure.

Talking to The Post after his election, Mayor Langsi said his focus is to ensure that Councils in Africa are engaged in fighting climate change by planting more environment-friendly trees, protection of water catchments through sensitisation and the holding of seminars and workshops on how Africans can keep this earth safe from destruction.

“My major task is to coordinate all member Councils in Africa and to lobby for more members to join the organisation, and for our municipalities to see the importance of adapting local solutions to combat climate change.

I will be coming out with the calendar of activities for the Northwest Region so that, as we go over to represent Africa at the Global meeting, we should start counting our blessings.

Let me inform you that all the activities we are carrying out here will be reported to the Carbon Registry,” Langsi averred.

The Mayor of Boliwayo, Moyo, is Vice Chairman, Director of the Regional Secretariat is Lady Brand Kobie, other executive members are; Mayor James Nxumalo of Ethekwini, Duban, South Africa; Mayor Parks Tau of Johannesburg, and Mayor of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, was represented.

Three Councils from Cameroon attended the conference; Kumba II, Allo and Bafut.