The third divisional performance follow up committee meeting for the evaluation of physical and financial execution of the 2019 Public Investment Budget (PIB) projects in Momo division has been held with a call on mayors to seat up and award all contracts within their reach, those below 5 million. The firm call was made by Mr. Marceliout Djunang, Chief of Service for Economic and Financial Affairs at the Momo S.D.Os office, seating in for the new boss of the division Fouda Etaba Nicaise last Wednesday October 16th 2019 in the conference hall of the Momo divisional delegation of Labour and Social Security where the meeting took place, bringing together divisional service heads, technicians and various stakeholders involved in the committee.
Welcoming participants, the Momo Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) began by appreciating her collaborators like the principal of G.B.H.S Mbengwi, the deputy mayor of Widikum, the Council Development Officer of Mbengwi and some delegations that have consistently been furnishing her office with information and pictures to back up percentages of work done on the field. Such information she said help her to build up her own reports and forward to the regional level where according to the delegate, Momo is being appreciated for properly presenting her reports and on time.
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| Momo Divisional Finance Building in an Advanced Stage of Delapidation |
While examining the physical and financial execution of PIB projects in Momo division for the 2018/2019 financial year, the Batibo Council was found wanting as of recent, it's been boycotting follow up meetings. Even the just ended one had no single official from Batibo despite being informed. Andek Council has so far signed contracts for four of her projects for 2019 while jobbing orders are being prepared. The Mbengwi council on her part has already engaged all projects in her municipality with site installations already being done for some though followed by a timid take off. Njikwa has 5 projects below 5 million out of which 3 have been received and as for the Widikum council, two purchase orders have been engaged. The deputy mayor for the Widikum council said they've recorded instances of a contractor being kidnapped by restoration forces and hosted in their camp for two weeks only to return, looking like a corpse. Another, executing a contract in Widikum was also kidnapped in Acha-Tugi, shut on the head but fortunately he miraculously survived.
One hot potato the follow up committee members found it difficult to swallow was the obstacles posed by the electricity and water utility corporations, Eneo and Camwater in the execution of public contracts especially road projects. Quite often, councils run into problems with these corporations for destroying their pipes or poles when constructing or grading municipal roads. The mayor of the Mbengwi council for example lamented that if asked to come and displace their water pipes or electric poles, the bills usually landed on councils by the companies are often back breaking, at times even more than the contract budget.
To nail the coffin on the subject, it was finally resolved that the concerned, Eneo and Camwater should review the placement of their pipes and poles to meet up with changing times while contractors must consult the urban development and housing delegation and that of environment, sustainable development and nature protection before executing any public contract. The former will provide a town planner who has what is envisaged for the municipality so that a building won't be placed where a water pipe was expected to be buried or an electric pole planted while the latter will help in providing a technician to carry out environmental impact assessment studies on any project site to ascertain it's feasibility and sustainability after which the findings must be included in the tender document.
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| Momo Divisional Delegation of Commerce, Abandoned Project |
From the recommendations and resolutions of the previous divisional consultation meeting, the relevant technical services were tasked to ensure that site installation is done in the presence of all members before any project takes off meanwhile the ministers of finance and that of the economy will be served reminder letters on the poor state of the Momo Divisional finance building that's speedily delapidating, barely few years after it was constructed and put into use, a project estimated to cost over 20 millions.
While closing the session, the SDO's representative advised and encouraged all involved in the execution chain to be extra prudent when on the field in other not to fall victim in the hands of armed fighters considering the current tensed atmosphere. He will then insist that lazy ones shouldn't hide behind the pretext of insecurity to ruin the state because even with the current situation, there are contractors successfully executing public contracts in remote areas believed to be infested with fighters.
The absence of the president of the Momo divisional performance follow up committee meeting, Hon. Edna Enih Mbah was noticeable. Momo Division has 61 projects in the 2019 Public Investment Budget worth 1.052.822.000Frs in Appropriation Expenditure and 1.062.822.000Frs in Commitment Appreciation. Out of the 61 earmarked projects for the division, 36 haven't been started, 9 have been completed while 16 are ongoing giving a physical realisation rate of 21.55%
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