PNDP Drills West Council Officials

A four-day regional seminar on better management and capacity building for council officials organised by National Community-Driven Development Programme (PNDP) recently ended in Bana, Upper Nkam Division in the West Region.

An appeal was made to participants to use skills gathered for maximum impact on the welfare of the people.

This appeal was made on August 3 by the Senior Divisional Officer for Upper Nkam Division, Haman Dahirou, at the close of the four-day seminar that brought together Divisional Delegates of MINEPAT, Mayors and staff from 22 councils in the region. The SDO thanked the management of PNDP for bringing together council officials to acquire knowledge that will help promote development in their council areas.

Haman Dahirou said with the coming of decentralisation, councils have become the real engines of growth and development and must deploy more human and financial resources to meet the aspirations of their various populations. He expressed optimism that the bilateral relations between councils and PNDP on project implementation in the region will bring maximum socio-economic benefits.

On his part, the West Regional Coordinator of PNDP, Boniface Megouo, said the seminar was coming up when PNDP had earmarked some 127 development projects in the 22 council areas. He said the four-day seminar was to help the council officials acquire expert knowledge on how to set up management committees in their council areas that will allow for economies of scale, improve their level of specialisation, increase council competitiveness; all which will help reduce production and transaction costs, for sustainable development.

For four days, resource persons led by the PNDP Regional Chief in charge of training, Elisabeth Cheguem, drilled the seminar participants on how to initiate and draw up projects, the various management strategies to ensure long-term sustainability of council resources and better revenue expenses at the level of the management committee. They were also enlightened on the maintenance of social amenities in council areas for the benefit of the public and consideration for environmental degradation.