Meme SDO rejects funeral rites assistance to former mayors

Former mayors of the Kumba I Council have missed the opportunity to be given a befitting burial by the Kumba I Council.

The SDO for Meme, Koulbout Aman David has opposed that such a ‘good gesture’ is uncalled for and maintained that “once you are out, you are out”.

Councillors of the Kumba I Council during the last ordinary budgetary session to examine, deliberate and adopt the 2015 budget in all their various committees recommended that all “immediate ex-mayors” of the council be provided financial assistance and given befitting funeral rites if they give up the ghost.

The councillors had proposed that the funeral rites for the immediate ex-mayors should stand at FCFA 1,000,000, while for immediate former councillors, they recommended that the mayor should show a human face in considering the magnitude of the assistance.

The proposal, that was regarded by the councillors as welcoming, received stiff resistance from the Supervisory Authority, the SDO for Meme, who immediately admonished them to go to another Supervisory Authority with such a recommendation as he will never approve such.

The SDO reminded the councillors of what is happening in the country, and that no such thing has ever occurred and that it will be strange to hear such development from the Kumba I Council.

Meanwhile, the SDO, hailed the council headed by Mayor Ebako Abel Ndoh, for realizing much barely a year in office. The SDO noted with satisfaction the numerous projects already carried out which have affected positively the lives of the populace within the municipality despite the meager resources.

Hear him ”my office is particularly impressed by the ongoing construction of the various business centres carried out by your council within the municipality”.

He said that the days ahead look prosperous for the council following the recent moves taken by the government to make the council comfortable especially as decentralisation is a reality and has come to stay.

The SDO, warned that as the council is struggling in her transformation drive, revenue collectors should work diligently void of corruption and misappropriation of revenue collected for his office shall not tolerate any allegation of misappropriation when hinted by the council authorities.

93% drop in budget

The 2015 budget which is balanced in income and expenditure, stands at FCFA 653,800,000 representing a 93 percent drop from the 2014 budget which stood at FCFA 701.900.000.

The budgetary revenue the mayor hinted is envisaged to come from local collection, additional council taxes from FEICOM, subvention from the City Council and government.

According to the statistics of what the council authorities consider as a realistic and pragmatic budget, operating revenue stands at FCFA 453,800,000 representing 69.4% of the budgeted revenue.

The budgetary expenditure of FCFA 658,800,000 is shared amongst operating costs, goods and services consumed, transportation charges, other services consumed, staff costs taxes and dues financial costs, grants paid transfers paid and investment costs.

Recurrent expenditure it filtered amounts to FCFA 378,800,000 and constitutes 57 percent of the total estimated budget. To better affect the lives of the population and contribute to poverty alleviation, the Mayor observed that, FCFA 281,000,000 has been allocated for investment and capital expenditure and constitutes 43 percent of the total investment expenses.

While calling on the councilors to bury personal interest for the benefit of collective interest and service to the inhabitants of Kumba I municipality, the mayor remained hopeful that the council will continue to grade roads, streets, construct classrooms, bridges, culverts improve on hygiene and sanitation, provide scholarships to deserving students, assist the vulnerable and physically challenged and above all continue to animate the city with the Kumba I Council Inter quarter Football competition.