You have been Mayor now for a reasonable length of time. What problems did you inherit and how far have you gone in solving these problems?
Actually the kind of house I met wasn't appetizing because I inherited debts worth about 97 million FCFA. Besides that, the structure under which the council was placed was on rent at about 400.000 FCFA a month. So when I came, I realised that the council would not be able to run as envisaged and that workers will always have problems with their salaries and other related things. As such I had to go back down to the archives of the City Council to know when the City Council and the Sub Divisional Councils were created and how property was distributed to the Sub Councils including the City Council. I discovered that presently where I am is the Kumba I Council and that this building was then occupied by the Divisional Delegate of Town Planning and Housing. I wrote to the Seniour Divisional Officer for Meme informing him that I needed my house and that I didn't want to pay rents again. He accepted and informed the Delegate as such. That's why I am here and as I speak now, everything is set for me to start my own building. I am just doing the last paper work and by next month, things will go on.
What do you think are the major problems plaguing Kumba I that you head?
Actually, the major problem I have is that of road infrastructure. Our networks are very good but the roads are bad. The roads are earth roads and are in a very bad state with a lot of pot holes and standing water. This Sub Division which was created just about eight years ago hasn't got machines. The City Council is supposed to help, back and prepare us to work our streets but they too don't have machines. We have struggled to get to Matgenie; a government institution in order to get machines from them but presently we cannot do it because the climate situation of the world is changing. This is November and we still have very heavy rains as if we were in August and so we cannot go to the road to work. When the rains stop then we will start something.
How can you explain the fact that there is persistent light failure in Kumba and the quasi absence of good drinking water?
Light failures I believe is not a problem peculiar to Kumba. The Government is trying to build up dams probably to increase the strength of electricity in the country. This I believe will help to push the country forward. We also had a problem with water but now we have portable water and the council is trying to build some catchment areas to make sure that those who don't have pipe borne water should be able to have good drinking water.
At this point in time in your political career, you certainly have a message for your electorate; those who voted you into office...
Yes I promised my people so many things and some of those things are already coming to fruition. I promise that I will give them a market at Kake II. That one is already in the pipeline. We've gone to site where the market will be located and funds are already available. I promise to build a befitting Council Chambers. May be by December or January. I promised my people that I was going to give them portable water which we have done and by February or March, the public taps will be flowing. Those are the things we promised our people and we know that we will be able to give them before the end of our mandate.
How is the nature of the relationship between the City Council and the three other Councils that make up the Kumba City Council area?
Actually the collaboration is very cordial but when it comes to revenue collection, it is different. You know money is something that you cannot joke with. Money can bring problems just like it can make peace. However, we are very OK with the City Council and all the Mayors are okay with themselves and that's why you see Kumba progressing.
Many people think that with the present reorganization of the basic organs of the ruling CPDM party, a major offset is going to be noticed on the Kumba political landscape...
If CPDM doesn't play a good game, then they will never see the light again in Kumba. We of the SDF in Kumba have come to stay. We didn't come to play for a mandate and leave. We will stay here until we are tired.
It has been noticed that the degree of patriotism and civic awareness of the average Cameroonian has been dropping. What do you think should be done about this?
Actually this is true and many people have been giving advise from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Secondary and Basic Education in that line. I think the environment plays a great role in our lives. The environment in which we live will dictate the kind of character that you have. The next thing is the parents on whom much depends and the elderly people. We will be able to do our own part but the major part of it must be done at home or the immediate environment of the individual. .
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