By Walter Wilson Nana
The Mayors of Tiko and Buea municipalities, Richard Tita Fombon and Charles Mbella Moki, respectively, have expressed satisfaction with ongoing projects sponsored by the National Community Driven Development Programme, PNDP, in their communities.
Both men made known their feedback to the Chair of the National Orientation and Steering Committee of PNDP, Paul Tasong, in Tiko recently, who came to inspect an FCFA 33-million primary school project.
Charles Mbella Moki, Buea Mayor answering questions from the press on PNDP activities in his municipality
The newly constructed primary school is composed of two classrooms, a pit toilet and a 60-meter deep borehole that has come to fruition thanks to PNDP funding and Tiko Council as project coordinator.
Fombon said they will remain “blessed and ever thankful to PNDP.”
He added that the Tiko Municipality was privileged to have been the first to “sign the financial commitment with PNDP; first to have the World Bank (major sponsor of PNDP projects) visit them; first to actually realise a PNDP-sponsored project and they are the first for the Steering Committee to visit a project in their Municipality.”
As for Mbella Moki, he said, “We, who are laying the foundation works of the PNDP projects, will have to put in place a development plan which will not just be for the moment but it will be on-going.”
Mbella explained that their drive was to ensure continuity even if the political currents of the day happen to toss them out of office tomorrow, their successors should continue for the benefit of the people.
“You know we are going in for elections next year. It is not certain that all of us are going to remain there. So we are bringing all development actors to participate in elaborating that plan so that even if they are those to replace us tomorrow, they will have an obligation to implement that plan,” Mbella said.
Paul Tasong, Secretary General MINEPAT (in black suit) listens to Dr David Nkem, Southwest Regional Coordonator, PNDP explain how they function in the Region
The PNDP National Coordinator, Marie Magdalene Nga, cautioned the Mayors, saying the second phase of the PNDP partnership with the Councils will move from planning to execution.
“The Mayors have to exercise a lot of prudence in the way they handle the projects,” she noted.
The Head Teacher of the newly constructed primary school, Christine Amboh Fokum, who with her pupils bade farewell to a dilapidated structure, said; “The face of the school has changed. The pupils will be happy; the people around the school are happier.”
She said, with a pupil population of 250, they have a decent and conducive atmosphere for studies though they scored 100 percent in the 2012 First School Leaving Certificate examination in their initial rickety structure.
Yves Mbollo Ndedi, the Chief of Misselele Village where the new Government Primary School, Mungo New Layout is located, will add, “I am very privileged that the school PNDP has built in my village is up to standards and has other amenities like toilets and a borehole. We are very grateful.”
Magdalene Marie Nga, PNDP National Coordinator
Earlier, at the opening session of the workshop at Semme Beach Hotel at Bakingili, West Coast, Tasong, stated that the meeting was to enable them have a “thorough review of the state of progress of activities of the Programme since their last Steering Committee meeting that held some months back.”
