The Bamenda III, Banyo Councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at promoting development and collaboration between the two municipalities. The event took place in the Banyo Council hall on Thursday 1 August 2024 according to the Mayors both of both Councis, Mayor Fongu Cletus Tanwe and Mayor El Hadj Garba Soule marked the beginning of a relationship expected to serve the interest of the people.
Speaking to the event, both mayors presented their municipalities highlighting their potentials and best practices. Mayor El Hadj Garba Soule expressed his optimism about the partnership, stating that "this MoU will enable us to share best practices and better serve our people and communities."
Mayor Fongu Cletus Tanwe emphasized the readiness of Bamenda III to share small, medium, and large opportunities.
"We are here to collaborate for the interest of our people. We believe that by working together, we can achieve more." hed said
Following these presentations, the Secretary General of the Bamenda III Council, Mankaa Quinta, and the Secretary General of Banyo Council, Saliou Garba, read the MoU aloud in English and French, respectively.
The MoU outlines a collaborative relationship to support, improve, and promote development actions. It also includes commitments to promote development projects, intercity visits, and tourism, share best practices for socio-economic development, and engage in intercultural exchanges in fields such as economy, education, health, sport, and technology.
Additionally, it establishes a framework for exchanging relevant information and documents, with designated focal points in each council to facilitate communication and implementation.
The agreement is set for five years, renewable upon mutual agreement.
The Senior Divisional Officer for Mayo Banyo, Gall Charles, who attended the ceremony praised the councils for their initiative. He emphasized that the MoU falls within the government's laws on decentralization, and urged the councils to continue working for the betterment of their populations. He stressed the importance of peace for development, nothing that "no development can take place during a conflict. As politicians, you must work hard to earn the trust of the people to continue bringing development to your municipalities."
Despite being managed by officials from different political parties; Bamenda III by the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and Banyo by the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) both councils have shown a commitment to transcending political lines for the benefit of their people.
In a press briefing after the event, both mayors emphasized that the MoU between two local councils within Cameroon would allow them to share best practices and enhance the development and well-being of their populations. This moves away from the general notion that local councils show only twin with councils in well to do countries.