Local dev’t minister inaugurates FEICOM-funded Bafia Town Hall.

The member of government cut the ribbon, officially putting to use the state-of-the-art edifice constructed with funds from the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM, Tuesday. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Elanga Obam described the new two-storey building and other facilities realised to the tuned of 945 million FCFA as one of the pressing needs of Bafia Council. 

He said the structure and other facilities have come to make life easy for users. The minister said the Bafia Town Hall is an indication that decentralisation is a reality in the administrative unit. 

The minister used the ceremony to laud the enthusiasm with which the pioneer Mayor of Bafia, who is of blessed memory, embraced the accelerated decentralisation process of the Head of State, President Paul Biya. 

Enter FEICOM boss

Speaking at the ceremony, the Director General of FEICOM, Phillippe Camille Akoa, disclosed that between 2006 and 2024, the Bafia Council signed and collected 16 funding packages amounting to 1,848,683,815 FCFA for the town hall project. 

He said this was aside the normal subvention councils receive from FEICOM. He added that between 2008 and 2024, Bafia Council received 2,917,045,716 FCFA as subventions. 

He said the Bafia Town Hall project is among 728 of similar projects being executed at a total cost of 80,418,595,687 FCFA. He said Centre Region to which Bafia belongs benefits 16.75% of projects being executed in councils and decentralized collectivities all over the country. 

Specificities of the building 

The Bafia Town Hall is a two-storey building sitting on a surface area of 6,500 square meters. The ground floor is made up the main entrance of sliding glass doors protected from the exterior by intricate iron works. This floor also has a reception hall, 12 offices, one archives room, eight toilettes and two stair cases. 

The second floor is made up of the mayor's office. It is divided into a sumptuous section for the council chief executive, an internal toilet, a waiting room and an annex for the mayor's secretary. 

The second floor also has a meeting hall for the workers and councillors, 16 offices, nine toilets, two staircases, a control room and a veranda. 

The building is further secured with a solid fence surrounding it, with two iron gates, one behind and another in front of the building. 

The FEICOM DG appreciated what he said was the zeal and commitment of Mayor Martine Felicite who was bent on seeing the project completed as scheduled. 

Akoa also appreciated the cooperation he continues to receive from Minister Elanga Obam. The boss of FEICOM pleaded with the Minister to convey the readiness of FEICOM, under his leadership to make the decentralization process by transforming councils into places where Cameroonians can be proud to live in. 

Enter Bafia Mayor 

The Mayor of Bafia, Martine Felicite, use the ceremony to pay tribute to her predecessor who passed away without seeing the dream of the new town hall come to reality. 

The mayor said the project is among strides to give Bafia a new facelift and will greatly contribute to output. 

Traditional rulers of the municipality raised Minister Elanga Obam to the status of a notable of their community and dressed him in the regalia that is appropriate to the rank.

Elite of the Mbam and Inoubou Division including the Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, supporters of the ruling CPDM party, among others lived the ceremony. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3219 of Wednesday September 04, 2024