Why Kumba II Council has been thriving on begging

The Mayor of the SDF-run Kumba II Council, Martin Forcha Ndobegang, has said the nature of his municipality has placed the Council in a complex situation where its leaders “must go down on their knees and beg to stimulate development.”

Ndobegang was speaking recently during a Commonwealth Business Forum that held at the Kumba II Council Chambers.

According to the Mayor, the municipality does not have elite, like other Councils, who can assist in enhancing its development potentials.

He cited the case of the Kumba City Council, which, he said, has not carried out any development project in Kumba II since he (Ndobegang) assumed office as Mayor.

He regretted that the City Council collects taxes from the population of the area, but does not care about their wellbeing.

To Mayor Ndobegang, the numerous development projects realised in his municipality are products of the Council’s begging and lobbying ability. This, he argued, is the only option left for the development of Kumba II to match up with other urban centres in Cameroon.

“People, the world over, are resorting to community engagement approaches to promote local development. The Local Economic Development, LED, approach of the Commonwealth needs the contribution of every community stakeholder.”

During the meeting that grouped together executive members of the different development zones of the Council area, quarter-heads and the business class, discussions centred on the putting in place of community-driven projects.

Participants at the meeting voted for the Council to submit a project on waste management and a cassava processing plant for sponsorship. The projects target an FCFA 17.5 million grant left for 2016 to be shared between Kumba II and Tombel Councils.