As mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema permanently stayed on the news headlines for the good, the bad and ugly reasons. Controversy is his stock in trade. But the indefatigable municipal officer left Yaounde a happy man. As he got set to go back home, thevoicenews.net asked what his take home message would be:
Hear him: “I am extreme delighted and full of excitement with the outcome of these discussions. I am more comfortable with the head of states decision to release persons who were incarcerated in the course of this crisis; and to proof that the head of state is in for peace and has a fatherly touch to the nation…one of the recommendations had to do with a plea to release person who had been incarcerated in this process. The head of state acted even before they could perform. It is a good sign, it gives us hope and assurance that in the days ahead once the resolutions are summited, the head of state is going to act, to restore peace and bring reconciliation among Cameroonians. Let us live as we have been living before and even improve on our human relationship. Am living here with a message of peace, I heard the cardinal’s interview yesterday, he talked of peace, he talked about reconciliation, he talked about forgiveness that is what is embedded in my mine.”
One of the commissions has already proposed special status for the people of the North West and south west regions, this must be a welcome development for you, I guess?
Ekema Patrick: Well it cannot be new to me. I was a Rapporteur in one of that committee so we crafted the documents and so I know the content and I know what is going to benefit the people of the North west and south west regions. It is of two facets: firstly, they want to rebuild the poor or the deplorable economic situation of this council. Remember for more than 3 years these councils have not been able to collect taxes so they need to revamp the economic activities of these councils and in the course of the 2020 budget, special funds will be allocated to councils in the two regions. And in the form of consideration just like that of the Douala city council and Yaoundé city council as enshrined in article 62 of our constitution.
And in the spirit of your commission, when you talk of elected officials in these areas does that include for example governors?
Ekema Patrick: Oh No! you got it all wrong. We are demanding that the states should decentralize or devolve competencies to local authorities; the states cannot inject money in local authorities without putting an eye on how the money is used. So, we need some state officials to ensure that the money sent is used judiciously as the state will want. Because elected officials will not be answerable directly to state authorities, they have a responsibility with the electorates, while the states representative has the responsibility to report to hierarchy in the center government.
But their powers will be very much curtailed this time around?
A lot more, you know decentralization; if you look at the 2004 law on decentralization, there are certain aspects – education, you have health, you have sports, you have hygiene and sanitation, you have economic activities which are direct competence of councils. But as of today, they have not been implemented. We are sure that they are going to accelerate the process and councils will be what we want them to be.