MINEPAT and three councils on April 3, 2013 engaged to promote the HIMO approach in community development.

The Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) has engaged with the Kumba Urban Council in the South West, Banwa Council in the West and Ndom Council in the Littoral Regions to embrace the labour-intensive approach in carrying out some development projects in the concerned localities.

MINEPAT Secretary General, Gilbert Didier Edoa, yesterday April 3 signed a partnership agreement with the councils for the rehabilitation of the Banga waters in Kumba, rehabilitation of 10-km Moumée bridge-Banwa centre road in the Banwa Council and opening of a seven-km farm-to-market Hika-Makou road in Ndom Council. It is financed by the 2014-2015 public investment budget of the State.

The Secretary General said adopting the development approach will create a lot of employment in the councils concerned and inject much money into their respective economies.

For instance, about 350 direct jobs will be created in Banwa through which FCFA 150 million will be injected into the council area in form of salaries. Meanwhile, in Ndom some 150 direct jobs will be created and about FCFA 25 million bagged home as salaries.

According to the National Coordinator of HIMO, Kouatchou Médard, the labour-based approach used in constructing roads, schools and hospitals et al employs local resources to realise sustainable development projects at reduced cost. “It brings us to use a lot of local manpower and natural resources of our regions. It also permits us to economise a lot of money, create a lot of employment and realize so many infrastructural projects,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Government Delegate to the Kumba Urban Council, Victor Ngoh Nkele, said they are going to employ about 100 youths to work on the banks of the stream, clean it of dirts as well as put stone embankments at the river side to make it habitable for the population. Both mayors praised government for embracing the approach, setting out the conditions for its functioning (through a Prime Ministerial Decree) and involving them for its implementation.

Yesterday’s partnership with local councils was the second after that of October 2012 with the Edea, Kribi, Bangante, Mbouda and Sangmelima councils.