Bertoua: City Mayor banned from public contract related activities.

The supposed sanction was placed on the former teacher-turned local administrator, by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Public Contracts, Ibrahim Talba Malla. 

This is per a Ministerial Order signed by the Public Contracts boss Monday, July 24. 

According to the Ministerial Order, which The Guardian Post has not been able to independently verify, 56-year-old Dimbele, got the sanction after engaging in a series of irregularities and possible corrupt actions while handling a contract for the installation of some 27 solar- street light facilities in Bertoua.

“In application of the provisions of Article 194, of the Public Contracts Code, Mr Jean Marie, the Mayor of Bertoua City Council, is from the date of the signing of this order, prohibited from intervening in the activity of awarding and monitoring the execution of public contracts, for a period of twenty-four (24) months,” a section of the order read.

“This is for the violation of the provisions of Articles 103(1) and 178. For the signing of a decision…awarding the contract relating to the request for quotation…of March 22, 2022, for the supply and installation of 27 stand-alone solar candelabra powered by photovoltaic energy for the lighting of the surroundings of certain public places in the City of Bertoua,” the minister continued. 

Minister Talba Malla, in the order, also detailed that the Bertoua City Council Mayor equally failed to follow the rules of the Public Procurement Authority in the course of the execution of the project.

“On the margin of the Commission's award proposal, and for failure to comply with the agency's regulations, as well as failure to take into account Decision No. 000559/D/PR/ACMP/SG/DAJ of November 03, 2022, of the Public Procurement Authority; in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned article, the aforementioned may not, in any form whatsoever, during the period highlighted, award contracts, or monitor their execution,” the minister concluded. 

The sanction, as stated by the Ministerial Order, will be followed up and executed by the Directorate General of the Public Contracts Regulatory Agency. 

Negative publicity for much-acclaimed City Mayor 

Jean Marie Dimbele Sodea became the Mayor of the Bertoua City Council in March 2020. The recent ban is expected to be a hugely negative publicity for the top local administrator of the East Region, who, over the years, has reportedly won the hearts of his population as a development-oriented leader.

Since he came to power, the administrator has been applauded for either executing or launching major developmental projects in Bertoua.

He has amongst other things, launched the project for the construction of an ultra-modern town hall and the installation of streetlights via projects financed by the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM.

The former Secondary School teacher has also been overseeing projects for the construction of a modern market in Bertoua and other facilities with support from the French Development Agency and other partners. 

He has also launched similar projects in the domains of health, education, and several other key areas of interest for the population of the East Region and Bertoua in particular. 

The recent sanction is expected to lead to the population of the East Region developing doubts about the credibility of the administrator.

Besides the possible damages the ministerial ban is expected to have on the Bertoua City Council, there are also worries about the future of the multiple contracts already initiated by the administrator. 

The minister’s intervention has also led to questions about the country’s much-talked-about decentralisation drive.