Fear grips NW residents as rabies, measles hit Batibo

An outbreak of rabies and measles has been reported in Batibo Subdivision. Rabies is rife in Ambo and Nyenmuwah villages and measles in Gurutu and Ewai villages, all at the outskirts of Batibo.

These and many other concerns featured in the speech of the Mayor of Batibo, Fridrick Tanjoh Tetuh, during the examination of the administrative and management accounts of the Council that took place on April 1 at the new Council Hall.

After sending samples from animals, dogs in particular, and human beings to Centre Pasteur in Yaounde for screening, the results have confirmed that these two deadly diseases are spreading in Batibo.

Mayor Tanjoh said he was working with all technical services to ascertain how to curb these pandemics. Thanking the District Medical Officer for Batibo and his team for working relentlessly to stop the spread of the diseases, Tanjoh, nevertheless, called on his councillors to sensitise the population, especially owners of dogs, to quarantine them.

Observing that the Batibo Municipality has been witnessing water crisis, Tanjoh said there is a solution in sight because the Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with a French company, CAMAAY, represented by Mathilde, a Chemical Engineer, who is expected to conduct a baseline survey on the sustainable management of the existing community water supply schemes, with emphasis on the quality and treatment of water and protection of catchments. The Mayor read out a schedule the technical team will follow in the nine villages identified.

As a pivot of development in Batibo, the Mayor presented a long list of projects realised; construction of classrooms, roads, assistance to health centres, construction of grandstand, construction of water schemes, markets, construction of nine VIP toilets in Fons’ palaces, amongst other projects.

The Mayor said, despite all efforts to transform Batibo, there are some Councillors who take delight in backstabbing, blackmailing and petition writing on a daily basis. He said even Council staff who thought that, “we came into the Council to take food from their mouths, have also joined the blackmailers. Others have prepared requiem masses for both the Council and the executive.”

About ongoing projects, Mayor Tanjoh announced the tarring of Guzang Road this year by the African Development Bank, ADB; the construction of Batibo old park, Kwenji-Upper Bessi, by the FondsRoutier; the building of the Ambo

Three-corners-Newtown, Ashung Road, Ewoh-Kuruku Road, and Ewoh-Njifong Road and Bridge. He said, within three months, the Nenn-Kushighe-GS Kuzam Road will be built.

Some social projects the Batibo Council realised, he said, include; recruitment of 100 youths during holidays to keep Batibo clean, the training of over 40 fish farmers, organisation of the Mayor’s cup competition, donation of prizes ranging from gold, silver to bronze, including cash to the best GCE ‘A’ and ‘O’Level students.

The administrative and management accounts presented have as income FCFA 321 million with excess revenue over expenditure of FCFA 8.2 million. Momo Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Justin Dieudonne Ngong, appreciated the achievements recorded by the Council.

“Your accounts are up-to-date; continue in that spirit,” he said, adding that he has taken note of the difficulties faced by the Council and those within his competence will be handled immediately.

He tasked the Mayor to provide a means for the DO of Batibo to intensify tax recovery and appealed that the accounts must be registered daily.

The SDO advised that, in future, deliberations should not be presented on the floor during Council sessions, but done earlier and distributed to Councillors to study and master. He also requested for training of Councillors, as a matter of urgency, to avoid conflicts.