MP clips wings of Fako Chiefs from hunting unruly contractors

Honourable Gladys Etombi Ikome, Chair of the Fako Divisional Follow Up Committee of Public Investment Projects, PIPs, says Chiefs have no right to stop contractors from executing any project, even if the project is shoddily done.

Many Chiefs and other beneficiary communities in Fako Division are unhappy with what they termed as substandard quality of PIPs carried out in their communities.

Principals of schools have also decried the low quality of classrooms recently constructed in their different schools.

But on May 11, Hon Etombi told the Chiefs and the beneficiary population of PIPs that no matter the state of disapproval with the quality of work done by Contractors, the stakeholders are not allowed to interfere.

“When you realise that the Contractor is not doing his/ her work satisfactorily, please report the Contractor to the Project Engineer or the Follow up Committee,” Etombi said.

The Honourable had invited Chiefs, Contractors, Mayors, Divisional Delegates, Project Engineers and the media for a one day training workshop on the effective monitoring of projects to ensure that all PIPs for the Division are realized at a hundred percent.

During the workshop, Chief Samuel Ekum asked if Chiefs cannot stop the work of some Contractors, whom he said, have become more concerned with making huge profit at the expense of delivering durable projects to the population.

The President of the Limbe Chiefs’ Conference, Chief Otto Molive Molungu also averred that it is difficult to follow up the execution of PIPs because most Contractors are alien in the area.

The Chair of the Fako Divisional Follow up Committee of PIPs, advised that contractors should always make it a duty to inform the Chiefs or heads of beneficiary communities of their projects.

The Vice Chair of the Committee, Christian Tanyi proposed that a “simplified Stakeholders’ Guide’ defining the monitoring role of each stakeholder should be produced and distributed so that everyone should become acquainted with his/her role and play it accordingly.

“A Public Investment Budget, PIB, is the State’s obligation to its citizens. It is therefore your right to enjoy what the State has provided for you,” Tanyi said.

Given that the PIPs are financed from the PIB which is the right of the citizens, Tanyi said it is incumbent on them to monitor the progress of these projects to ensure that what the Contractors deliver meet the technical specifications as prescribed by the government.

The Divisional Delegate of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Nadege Ndam gave a full picture of the current level of project execution in the Division.

Meantime, Ace Journalist, Jesse Konang presented on the role Journalists have to play in monitoring and reporting on PIPs. “The press should report responsibly and objectively,” he said.

A series of recommendations were adopted, which the Follow up Committee Chair, said if fully implemented, it will enhance the way PIB projects are followed up in Fako.

The participants were not happy with the fact that most of the Mayors and Contractors who have a greater stake in the execution of PIPs were absent. Hon Etombi thanked Tanyi whose NGO, LUKMEF, financed the organisation of the workshop.