“Though I’m getting to a delegation where corruption has eaten deep into their folds, I believe if you don’t touch bitter leaves, your hands will not be bitter. Whatever type of corruption that is said to be there, we are going to put an end to it and make the ground level for everybody. Whoever wins a contract must handle it with efficiency and transparency.”
These were the words of the newly installed Southwest Regional Delegate of Public Contracts, Alfred Kati Njingti in the presence of Southwest Regional Governor, Bernard Okalia Regional.
Njingti was speaking in Buea on May 7, while officially taking over as Southwest Regional Delegate of Public Contracts from Tobias Mbuwir Banbong.
According to Njingti, every game has its rules, which, if followed, there is, bound to be a success.
He said he knows a daunting task awaits him as he is going to start afresh with the projects that were cancelled, but remained confident: “I don’t see any of those challenges that cannot be solved. And with my mastery of the rules of the game, I will succeed,” he assured.
Commissioning Njingti, the Southwest Regional Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, outlined his duties and told him that he is highly expected to right the numerous wrongs of his delegation, warning that sanctions await him if he falters.
“You will not be excused of any errors or shortcomings because your duties are sufficiently clear to you, especially as your delegation has been operating for the past one year on save principles and irregular actions,” the Governor remarked.
Okalia Bilai warned the Delegate against engaging in the unprofessional practices that are known to plague his delegation.
“Since the inauguration of your delegation in 2012, it has been transformed into a veritable laboratory for experiment of bad practices. It is now incumbent on you to set some measures to restore the prevalence of professional ethics, discipline and moral quality,” Okalia stated.
The new Delegate was also reminded of the urgent need to work towards stepping up the performance based budget programme in his Delegation, the strict supervision of the complete execution of projects earmarked within the public investment budget and those under the priority investment budget as a way of contributing modestly to Cameroon’s emergence.
Governor OkaliaBilaiequally said he must work hard to reassure the public and convince service users within the domain of public contracts of their competence.
“I make it a duty to closely monitor the activities of this delegation. The Southwest Region has the required administration and technical expertise to audit and monitor the award of public contracts in order to detect stumbling blocks and any resistance that could prevent people from the free access to public contracts,” Okalia observed.
Njingti was advised to work hard, upholding duty consciousness, patriotism, strong collaboration not only with his subordinates, but of all Regional officials and other stakeholders within his domain of competence as the key to accomplishment of his responsibilities.
