By Bakah
Derick
It was a big
expression of joy in one meeting by Mayors, Government Delegates and their
deputies from across Cameroon Tuesday September 22 in the Yaounde Conference
Center where they assembled to thank President Paul Biya for his decree allocating
them salaries. The celebrants came from many parts of the nation and different
political parties.
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| President Biya and Front line opposition leader John Fru Ndi |
The celebration
involving both the ruling and opposition political parties in Cameroon has
brought to light the continuous romance between the two. In Parliament (Senate
and National Assembly) they agree on salaries and allowances and many others now
it is the salaries. The opposition leaders have however been saying that they receive the
salaries and allowances because they are from the government not the CPDM.
Prior to the
Yaounde meeting just like last week,
these municipal officials practically functioned on allowances whhich according
too many created the part way to syphoning of state funds.
The Pen of Mr President signing decree No.
2015/405 on the 16 of September fell like a bomb shell saying that government
delegates at the end of every month will back home 400000frs and their
assistants 250000frs. While Mayors will take home 250000frs their deputies will
have 150000frs.
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| President Paul Biya |
This sounds nice but the decree carefully classifies councils
into four categories. This is surely going to be a major source of interest.
While the decree spells out the various
allowances destined to these officials including electricity, telephone,
transport, mission, and benefits it might be rewarding to note that though no
one knows how soon this will go into effect not everyone will benefit the same
amount. It may still surprise you that some mayors whose councils are
unfortunately ranked in category 4 may still end up with 50000frs, 15000frs and
25000 as water, electricity and telephone allowances while his counterpart of category 1 will
still proudly take home 150000, 75000, and 10000 for the same allowances.
Same will
apply for councilors while those in the lowest class will share collectively 5m
to cover transport, those of category One will share 15m.
Just
listening to these figures one may start fooling his or her self that these
officials may not look at council resources with the intention of carrying away
some huge sums of money into private pockets.
Will they
now change their management account ts because such provision have been? Will
councils now not vote unrealistic budgets in search for salaries for the
executives and legislators? Many of these questions will arise certainly
because we are yet to be sure until it happens that a mayor will give up his
600000frs for electricity bills, or 500000frs for water bills, or 1million for
entertainment, 3milion for duty allowances, 7milion for other statutory
benefits for the executive officer and
so on. Are you sure someone with such allowances actually needed 200000frs as
salary? More so the budget is at his/her disposal be it in billions or millions.
Many have
questioned why the mayor's will receive what looks like a token when they put
in 24hours a day When senators and parliamentarians make away with huge sums
for little or no work done.