Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
NJIKWA COUNCIL, BALI COUNCIL, And NKOR COUNCIL Are At The Bottom Of The List Of Councils In Northwest Region, In The Ranking Of Councils On Their Performance In The Execution Of The Annual Public Investment Budget (PIB), As Of August 2026. How Some Unpatriotic Mayors In The Region Have, Been Taking Advantage Of The Crisis, To Embezzle Funds Meant For Development Projects.
The Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, has released the ranking of councils in the Northwest Region, based on their performance in the execution of this year’s regional Public Investment Budget, PIB, as of August 2026. That is, the execution rate of this year’s Public Investment Budget by the different municipal councils, as well as the Bamenda City Council, as from January – August 2026. The ranking show that the average execution rate of the annual PIB in the Northwest Region in the first eight months of the year is below 50 %, as only 12 of the over 30 councils scored from 50 % upwards, though the performance of 10 other councils is not too bad, as they scored between 50 – 40 %, and thus can be promoted “on trial” as used to happen in promotion exams in primary schools.
Funfuka Municipal Council in Boyo Division, Nkambe Municipal Council in Donga and Mantung Division, and Bamenda City Council in Mezam Division occupy the first three positions in the ranking, with excellent performance. These are the good boys. On the other hand, Nkor (Noni) Municipal Council In Bui Division, Bali Municipal Council In Mezam Division, and Njikwa Municipal Council in Momo Division, are at the bottom of the list with very poor performances . Nkor, Bali and Njikwa are the ‘Last Cocoas’ of the class (‘ Les Mauvias Eleves’). SHAME!
Office Of Northwest Public Independent Conciliator
Worth noting, that the regular assessment, or evaluation of the performance of the difference councils in the Northwest Region, is done by the Office of the Northwest Public Independent Conciliator. Besides staffs of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator that go to the field, the Office also has trained permanent representatives (Community Based Assistants) in all the different municipalities.
It should be noted that that regional meetings are also organized occasionally in the different regions of Cameroon, to assess the general performance of councils of the regions, in the execution of the Public Investment Budget. Public officials, resource persons, representatives of the different councils, senators and other participants, also discuss problems being encountered by the councils, and possible solutions. The West Region for example, held an evaluation meeting in Bafoussam a few days ago.
Mayors That Are Liabilities To Their Municipalities
It should as well be noted that when a Mayor or council executive fails to see to the execution of some projects, validated and earmarked for the municipality by the State or Government in the annual Public Investment Budget, at the end of the financial year the fund in principle is withdrawn by Government, and so the municipality is the loser. And that is why serous questions have to be asked, when some councils perform so poorly in the execution of Public Investment Budget. How can the Government validate a number of development projects in a locality in a year, and State fund is budgeted for the execution of those projects, and at the level of the municipality, the Mayor , or better still, the council, is unable to follow up to ensure the execution of the project! Of what use is such a mayor to the municipality”! A liability than an asset, indeed! And what about the Deputy Mayors and Councilors! Where are they?
Why The Low Performance By Some Councils
Meanwhile, there are a number of reasons why some councils, perform so poor in the execution of the Public Investment Budget. The mayors of the councils may be incompetent, and so have problems to handle, execute the Public Investment Budget in his municipality or sub –division. Some of the Mayors, Deputy Mayors, and council staffs, are just lazy. They don’t in reality care about the interest of the municipalities. Also, some the mayors are absentee landlords. The absentee mayors continue to take advantage of the Anglophone Crisis, to abandon their municipalities and live at Bamenda Up Station, or even in faraway cities like Yaounde and Douala. So they are not regular in their municipalities to ensure the execution of the Public Investment Budget, especially to follow up the execution of the projects.
Embezzlement Of Funds By Some Unscrupulous Mayors
One other major reason for the poor performance of a number of councils in the Northwest Region, in the execution of the Public Investment Budget, is selfish interest. Some unscrupulous mayors deliberately delay the award of contracts for some particular projects, because they place their selfish interest above that of their municipalities. When the administration officially launches PIB, a mayor who wants to steal will drag on with the award of contracts for some particular projects, because he does not want to follow the official process in the award of the public contracts.
Then towards the end of the financial year, when thing are being done in a rush, the mayor will try to look for a short cut to award the contracts to particular contractors with whom he has struck financial deals. He does not follow the offal process in the award of contracts, under the pretext that there is no time to go through the process. At times the plan succeeds, but at times the plan fails to go through at that last minute.
Money Fraudulently Collected For Contracts Not Awarded
There are also cases where some unscrupulous mayors select some projects that are earmarked for their municipalities in the annual Public Investment Budget, go to Yaounde and strike deals with some officials in the ministries concern, he gets the treasurers of their councils and some contractors involved in the deal. Documents are prepared for contracts that have been purportedly awarded, fake bills prepared that the contracts or projects have been well executed. The money is paid, and the mayor gives the shares of other members of his gang. Meanwhile the fake documents at the ministry in Yaounde, show that the projects have been executed, and the bills paid, whereas nothing has been done.
Interest Of Municipality, Sacrificed
The interest of the municipality, the interest of the population, is sacrificed, for selfish interest. You see that category of bandits passing around in the name of mayors throwing their weight around with big cars and mansions, spending big, talking big. They spray cash on women, and so on. People that enter the office of mayors with empty pockets become millionaires overnight, while the impoverished population is there suffocating in misery. There are no basic amenities in the localities, and the population is unaware that some funds from the State coffer (tax payer’s money), that were allocated for some development projects in their localities, were stolen by the so called mayors, and their accomplices.
27 Million FCFA For Annual Maintenance Of Municipal Roads
Talking about embezzlement of public funds by some unscrupulous mayors in the Northwest Region, after the February 9, 2020 municipal elections, the Government t decided to a making a special annual allocation of 27 million francs CFA, through the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, to assist municipal councils in the crisis –ridden Northwest Region, to maintain some of their municipal roads. Without consideration to the size of the population and landscape, each of the 34 municipal councils in the Northwest Region, from that year, 2020, received a special annual voucher of a little over 27 million francs CFA, as special allocation.
But while many mayors were using the funds for the purpose for which they were allocated, for the interest of their municipalities and populations that they so much at heart, a number of mayors were embezzling everything, taking advantage of the fact that the population did not know about the funds. Such a mayor would after receiving the document for the 27 million FCFA allocation for his council, get the council treasurer, and a contractor or two, and they prepare fake bills for fake work done on municipal roads, the mayor will then go to Yaounde, corrupt his way, and is paid the money. Terrible!
Bali Municipal Council – What A Shame!
Meanwhile, why the very poor performance of the CPDM -run Bali Municipal Council in Mezam Division, whose mayor is Wandum Ernest, a teacher by profession, in the execution of the 2026 Public Investment Budget, from January to August! Bali is an area where there has been much talk about the return to normalcy. The case of the Bali Council is really SCANDALOUS, SHAMEFUL, DISASTROUS, INADMISSIBLE, HUMILIATING. 8 % (EIGHT PERCENT) in the execution of the Public Investment Budget! How did Bali Nyonga get to this level! Who cursed Bali Sub – division! It should be noted that the Bali Council is likely even the last among the 34 municipal councils in the Northwest Region, in the ranking of councils based on the execution of the 2026 PIB as by August. This is because it would appear that the Nkor (Noni Council) got zero percent, because of the absence of reports on the execution of the 2026 PIB in the municipality.
Not The First Time For Bali Council
Worse still, this is not the first time that the Bali Council has been in the bad records of the Public Investment Budget. That is why The Mentor is really pissed up, or so disgusted with this very poor performance of the Bali Council. In fact for some three or four years, there were persistent complaints by the Office of the Northwest Public Independent Conciliator in Bamenda, that there were no reports on the execution of the Public Investment Budget in Bali Sub –division, by the Bali Municipal Council. Apparently the Mayor was nowhere to be found, even though Bali is less that 20 km from Bamenda, and more so, the road is tarred (Bamenda – Ekok Highway).
Without Bali Council’s reports or documents on the execution of the Public Investment Budget, it was not possible for the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator to carry out any assessment or evaluation in the field. And so during all those years, the Bali Council was being given ZERO PERCENT like the Nkor (Noni) Council has done in the ranking under review, and nobody, no Bali CPDM elite, seemed to care. Hum! It should also be noted that for a number of years, the almighty Bali Council Treasurer was living in Kumba, Meme Division in the Southwest Region, and receiving his salary.
Bali And Batibo Councils
Then looking again at the ranking of Northwest councils based on their performance in the execution of the Public Investment Budget from January – August 2026, let’s glance at the performance of Bali Council and the neighbouring Batibo Council. It is indisputable that Batibo Sub –division was much more affected by the crisis than Bali Sub –division. How can one explain the fact that in the ranking of councils based on their performance in the execution of the Public Investment Budget in the last eight months (January –August 2026), the Batibo Council recorded 57.05 % ( a pass), while the Bali Council recorded a miserable and humiliating 8 %. Monsieur le Maire Wandum ! Hum! Where are the Deputy Mayors and Councilors? Where are the Bali CPDM elites?
The Official Ranking
Meanwhile, below is the official “ranking of councils based on their performance in the execution of Regional PIB as of August 2026”:
1) FONFUKA COUNCIL – 100 %. 2) NKAMBE COUNCIL – 87.29 % . 3) BAENDA CITY COUNCIL – 76.95 %. 4) MISAJE COUNCIL – 76.40 % . 5) NJINIKOM COUNCIL – 72.37 %. 6) NWA COUNCIL – 68. 60 %. 7) FUNDONG COUNCIL – 67. 87 %. 8) ZHOA COUNCIL – 63.04 %. 9) MBENGWI COUNCIL – 57. 92 %. 10) NDU COUNCIL – 57. 12 %. 11) BATIBO COUNCIL – 57. 05 %. 12) ELAK (OKU) COUNCIL – 52. 16 %. 13). BAMENDA i COUNCIL – 49.50 %. 14) BENAKUMA COUNCIL – 49. 46 %. 15) BABESSI COUNCIL – 48.58 %. 16) FURA AWA COUNCIL – 47. 03 %. 17) BAMENDA III COUNCIL – 46.98 % . 18) TUBAH COUNCIL – 42.52 %. 19) WIDIKUM COUNCIL – 42. 46 %. 20) WUM COUNCIL – 41. 71 %. 21) AKO COUNCIL – 41.40 %. 22) NDOP COUNCIL – 38.92 % . 23) BAMENDA II COUNCIL – 38.19 %. 24) MBIAME COUNCIL – 31. 29 %. 25) BELO COUNCIL – 31. 15 %. 26) NKUM COUNCIL – 30. 13 %. 27) SANTA COUNCIL – 28.85 %. 28 ) ANDEX COUNCIL – 27.91 %. 29) JAKIRI COUNCIL – 23.22 %. 30) BAFUT COUNCIL – 20.08 %. 31) KUMBO COUNCIL – 20. 75 %. 32) NJIKWA COUNCIL – 20. 58 %. 33) BALI COUNCIL – 8 %. 34) NKOR COUNCIL – 00 %.
Bali Kumbat Council
Meanwhile, there are a total of 35 Councils in the Northwest Region, comprised of 34 municipal councils and 1 city council. Bali Kumbat Municipal Council in Ngohketungia Division, is, missing from the above list of Northwest Councils, ranked according to their performance in the execution of the 2026 Public Investment Budget, during the first eight of the 12 months of the year. However, in an attachment to the list of councils above, it is indicated that the Bamenda III Council which scored 46.98 %, is No. 18, and not No. 17. But the council that is No. 17 is not mentioned. However, the assumption of The Mentor is that the Bali Kumbat Council is No. 17, considering that it is the only council which is missing from the list above.
