Bamenda: The Public Independent Conciliator (PIC) for the North West Region has released its 2024 annual activity report, which was initially submitted to the President of the Republic on February 7 and later shared with the state representative and the president of the North West Regional Executive Council. The report, made public during a press conference on February 28, examines the performance of regional and local council services, focusing on issues such as the free issuance of civil status documents, attacks on municipal authorities, and the performance of various councils.
According to Cameroon News Agency, the principal mission of the PIC is to amicably settle disputes between users of regional and council administrations, defend and protect rights and freedoms, combat discrimination against council service users, monitor public services, and investigate abuses, violence, and maladministration. The 2024 report highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the councils, including the illegal collection
of fees for civil status documents, despite efforts to promote citizen participation in local development.
The report surveyed the performance of the 35 councils in the North West Region, using 5,250 questionnaires to assess areas such as accessibility to mayors and council premises, public consultation, and citizen involvement in project identification. Findings reveal that 50% of respondents reported councils still collecting money for birth, marriage, and death certificates, prompting PIC Simon Tamfu Fai to urge citizens to resist such illegal practices. However, councils like Bamenda 1, Andek, Nkum, and Batibo were praised for reducing these unlawful collections.
The survey also highlighted a low perception of neighborhood and village committee effectiveness, with only 20.85% affirming their functionality, while 76.58% responded negatively. The PIC stressed the importance of these committees as catalysts for community development and sustainability.
The report condemned the attacks on municipal authori
ties, including the murders of Bamenda II’s Second Deputy Mayor Madam Joko Freda, Elak’s Second Deputy Mayor Bongnjioh Quinta, Babessi’s Second Deputy Mayor Nkwatoh Solomon, and Dr. Ngong Innocent of Belo. These incidents underscore the insecurity and challenges faced by council authorities.
Other significant issues identified include insecurity, delayed subvention disbursements, poor collaboration in complaint handling, and the absence of a local public service code to guide recruitment and worker management. These factors have been highlighted as major obstacles to the effective functioning of regional and local entities, as well as the PIC’s office.