Economy

To reconstruct Bamenda Main Market: Councilors empower City Mayor to engage over 6 billion FCFA FEICOM loan.

Mayor Paul Achobong: Bamenda City Mayor

The sum of over 6 billion FCFA has been approved for the reconstruction of the Bamenda Main Market which was partly ravaged recently by fire outbreak.
The amount is said to have been approved by senior councillors who form the decision-making arm of the Bamenda City Council.

This was during an Extraordinary Session of the Bamenda City Council, held Wednesday March 20.

At least 300 shops, it should be recalled, were razed to ashes in the market during the fire incident last February 22.

During the session, the senior councillors are said to have authorised the City Mayor to obtain a loan from the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM, for the reconstruction of the market.

According to the Bamenda City Mayor, Paul Achobong, the approved budget will be carefully used to reconstruct the market and ensure such a fire incident never occurs again.

"We called the council board to examine and approve the proposal which will comprise the building of a two-floor storey building, an access in and out from the four ends of the market, providing adequate support water system from a borehole, modern technologically assisted electricity systems and enough facilities to fight against a repetition of fire in that market," the City Mayor explained.

The municipal authority added that "it is on this note that the councillors have unanimously voted a 6.3 billion FCFA package".

Following the decision, the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh, has saluted the prompt move by the councilors of the Bamenda City Council.

The administrator encouraged council officials to remain duty conscious and respect all procedures “so as to give traders a more comfortable environment for their business activities”.

It should be noted that over 300 shops were razed when a fire incident broke out at the Bamenda Main Market late last month.

The incident, which resulted in material and financial damages, left traders of the market in frustration. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Several government officials, including the North West Governor, have been visiting the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot-assessment of the incident.

A committee, it should be said, had been put in place to do an assessment of the losses incurred by affected traders.

North West Region elite, powered by Minister Mbayu Felix, have raised more than sixty million francs CFA, to support victims of the Bamenda Main Market fire incident.