A meeting to sensitise administrative authorities held in Bamenda recently.

The National Community Driven Development Program (PNDP), credited as a tool to accompany councils in the process of decentralisation is on record with financing agreements worth FCFA 2.857.429.215 to take development forward in 31 of the total 34 councils of the North West Region. It emerged from a meeting to sensitise administrative authorities and Mayors on PNDP achievements and challenges on May 15, 2012 that the money will help in the drawing up of council development plans, feasibility studies for micro projects, support partial charges of councils extended to sector ministries, support partial charges of council tenders boards and support salaries of council agents. The financing agreements cover phase two of PNDP activities from 2010-2013.

The Regional Coordinator of the PNDP, Syprene Sab told participants in the Bamenda meeting that council development plans, consultants carrying the vision or the dream of pilot councils for the next three years have been produced, approved and validated, feasibility studies of selected projects of the council investment plan carried out, validated and approved, while tender documents requested for financing and co-financing agreements for the projects are ready but yet to be published because councils' contributions are not yet ready. Syprene Sab requested said delays in council contributions have blocked the process. He further revealed that 17 of 24 councils with agreements signed in 2011 are at the level of feasibility studies and seven are still painfully trying to complete the planning phase.

The Regional Coordinator blamed speed brakes on the non residence of some Mayors which make decisions difficult, the non involvement of sector ministries, sequestration of information by Mayors, weak local support organisations etc. Syprene Sab appealed to the administration to follow up and accompany councils through sector ministries. Around to cheer the event, Governor Lele L'afrique Adolphe welcomed PNDP in setting up a decentralised mechanism for the transfer of resources at the base. Of the total FCFA 2,857,429,215 allocated for the North West, the Governor said FCFA 903,270,000 is already in councils' bank accounts.