Skip to main content

BENAKUMA COUNCIL: STAKEHOLDERS AGREE ON PEACE ENABLING FOR PROJECT REALISATION

BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM

Within a social climate of tough security challenges, stakeholders of the Benakuma Municipality have agreed to be peace crusaders  in the struggle to achieve development projects. This commitment was taken during an extraordinary Benakuma council session under the leadership of Ihimbru Solomon Kudi, Mayor of Benakuma Council. 

Also present at the event were the First Deputy Mayor for Benakuma- Ayissi Ewah Stella, the Second Deputy Mayor- Ofeh David Kudi, the Council Secretary General - Mbuwe Ignatius the Senior Divisionsl Officer for Menchum Abdoullahi Aliou and other dignitaries.

The extraordinary council session that held June 25, 2020 was anchored mainly on a two point agenda: to update the Annual Investment plan AIP and the
Council Development Plan CDP.



Left to right: mayor, 1st deputy, 2nd deputy

Based on this, councillors brainstormed and deliberated on projects considered useful and achievable. They resolved among other things; provision of an oil palm mill at Befang, supply of benches to G.S Benakuma Group 1, training of village leaders, stepping down and supply of electricity at Ebiatie, rehabilitation of Benakuma giant water project, construction of a culvert to link Beba, Batomo and Okomanjang, opening of farm to market roads in the areas of Bokunu, Otengue Benabinge, Ezeme -Benagudi  and rehabilitation of roads in Befang among others. The funds for these are provided by home and local donors.

Besides the listed developmental activities that would be focused  on, the Benakuma council also cited other resources viable to expand its potentials. These include a game reserve site and a lake of touristic attraction all possessed by the municipality.

Noting that people in some areas in the municipality are resistant to social and economic construction proposed by the council and the government, the councilors said they are going back to talk peace and reconciliation to "brothers and sisters" still not convinced.

Stakeholders brainstorming


While addressing councillors on the subject of peace, Mayor Ihimbru Solomon said "we should be peace crusaders to our various council areas, municipality, division and at the level of the region. We cannot remain perpetually in violence. We are clamouring for benefits and we must give peace a chance. We should rethink strategies of communicating with our brothers and sisters in the bushes" he beckoned


The SDO for Menchum made a similar appeal "All the projects we have discussed would not
take place without peace. As councillors, you are key actors of peace in your various

villages, quarters and families. It's a matter of sensitization. So make efforts to bring peace in your municipality for all the development to take place" he said

Speaking to Info Trends after the session, Councillor Ongum Rudolf Bache pledged his readiness to work "we just need to have a cooperate spirit and we are going to succeed by God's grace. I'm going to see that I firmly implement what we have agreed together with my collaborators"

Benakuma Municipality is one of the four municipal councils in Menchum Division, Northwest Region Cameroon.  The council is conterminous with Menchum Valley Sub Division of the region.

The council has borders to the north with Wum Central Subdivision, to the east with Bafut Subdivision, to the south-west with Akwaya Subdivision in the South West region of Cameroon, to the south with Njikwa Council (Momo Division Northwest region Cameroon) and to the west with the Republic of Nigeria.

Comments

Editor's Picks

UBa opens doors for a Hate free Institution   By Mbuh Stella Hate Speech is a potential source of conflict, contributing to thousands of lives lost around the globe, experts have warned. In Cameroon, Hate speech is practiced both online and offline. The phenomenon is a call for concern. It is against this back drop that Defyhatenow  a Non Governmental Organization is working towards raising awareness and combating Hate speech. Recently, a team from the organization led by Laure Nganlay Nadege, Communication Associate at Defyhatenow visited the University of Bamenda, UBa to initiate a program which will in the days ahead engage students  in the fight against Hate speech and other forms of information manipulation. During the discussion, delegation member, Derick Kinnang, who is also Research and Administrative Officer at Defyhatenow said 'hate speech is a can of worms that should not be allowed to take roots in the communities" Defyhatenow Delegation presented their missio...
CATHOLIC PRIEST CAUTIONS FELLOW PRIESTS TO PRIORITIZE PRIESTLY DUTIES  Compiled by Cameroon Infotrend                Rev Fr Joseph A. Jum In today's world where those in the ministerial priesthood are into multitasking, with many other priests being versatile like a jack of all and others being ubiquitous, a fellow priest in an insightful write up recalls the intrinsic functions of the priest. Reverend Father Joseph Awoh Jum is a Roman Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Buea, currently Vice Chancellor in the Catholic University of Cameroon CATUC Bamenda. In a lengthy but thought provoking write up, the pastor seems to be drawing his fellow brother priests who have become increasingly busy such that the zest for other duties sometimes outweigh the zeal for pastoral issues. Read the article below culled from his Facebook page; the author captions it THE "CORE WORK" OF THE CATHOLIC PRIEST Catholic Christians who work closely with priests know tha...
WOMEN'S DAY OF BOMBING AND RAVAGING FIRE IN BAMENDA  BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM Though hard to comprehend,  the malicious act was conspicuous. Women who turned out to observe the 35th international women's day edition at the Bamenda grandstand on March 8th came under attack. This happened with the explosion of an alleged locally made bomb some thirty metres away from the ceremonial  ground leaving eight people injured. The bomb would later  aggravate to consuming flames. Among victims were four military men, three policemen and one civilian. The injured were immediately rushed to a medical facility. Minutes after, the bombing casualty graduated to a fire outbreak just at the site of the explosion which caught a block of buildings along the Bamenda commercial avenue reducing about nine shops to rubbles. The door of the vehicle of the army rescue unit was also damaged. It took about three hours for elements of the army rescue unit to put out the fire that was spread...