UCCC unveils programme to digitise councils.

The programme was presented in Yaounde Wednesday by the President of the National Bureau of UCCC, Augustine Tamba.

This was during a session grouping members of the UCCC national and ten regional bureaus.

In his opening remarks, Augustine Tamba, who doubles as Mayor of Yaounde VII said the programme was prompted by the fact that most councils in the country have very little online presence or aren’t totally on the digital space.

According to the UCCC president, very few councils can boast of functional websites. He said the absence of councils on the digital space means they cannot make the best out of the numerous available opportunities which can help drive development in their municipalities.

“We are in a digital era and we can’t afford not to have our councils without any information about them online. Through this programme, we intend to market out councils and municipalities worldwide. We’re going to have monthly meetings-video conference to follow up how councils are working in this light,” Tamba told reporters.

Through this programme, a UCCC Digital Centre has been constructed in Nkolbison-Yaounde where information from the councils will be put online and accessed by all.

Tamba said information relating to civil status-birth, marriage and death certificates, budgets, projects, Council Development Plan, CDP among many others at the level of various councils have to be put online.

According to the UCCC boss, councils play a key role in local development and the population have to be aware of what is being done by these local collectivities to improve their wellbeing.  

Mayor Tamba said the programme is benefitting support from the Presidency of the Republic, Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM, as well as the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development, MINDEVEL.

With the programme now launched, the UCCC regional presidents will have to organise sessions at the level of the 10 regions where mayors will discuss on the importance of being present in the digital space to be able to sell their potentials and attract investors.

Kombo Abedimo, Fundong mayors salute initiative

The mayors of Kombo Abedimo in the South West Region and Fundong in the North West Region who double as regional bureau presidents of the UCCC have lauded the programme.

Mayor Akobo Patrick of Kombo Abedimo in Ndian Division whose council hasn’t had any online presence since creation, said he was delighted with such an initiative.

“I want to say I’m extremely elated to have such a programme which will help the councils. Most councils, including ours, have been functioning without any recognised platforms and with this, it’s going to sell the image of our council if we should go digital. And with the promise of the UCCC national bureau to follow up our councils, I’m very sure better things will come as far as decentralisation is concerned,” Mayor Akobo said

As to the potentials that the Kombo Abedimo will be selling through this platform, the municipal authority said: “We are lucky to have both maritime and mainland. Through this digitalisation, we can sell the touristic sites in our municipality. We also have mangrove which is rare to find in most part of the world today”.

On his part, the UCCC North West regional bureau president, Mayor Denis Awoh Ndang, detailed that most councils have tried their hands on digitalisation but faced challenges, adding that with this programme.

“The initiative is a laudable one, most councils have tried their hands in digitising but have fallen short and this idea of putting in place a structure that will make sure that we don’t abandon this tool to sell our councils is very important,” Ndang said.

He mentioned that the programme is an additional which already has a functional website, Facebook page among other social media platforms

Modern UCCC head office in gestation, JEICOM 2023

Apart from the digital programme, the UCCC national president also disclosed that the institution has acquired a 2000m2 piece of land at the Administrative Quarter in Etouddi, Yaounde I, to construct a modern edifice to host their services.

He said studies for the 4 billion FCFA-worth project have already been carried out and documents presented to government.

Meanwhile, the UCCC has also announced plans to hold the 3rd edition Councils International Economic Forum dubbed JEICOM to hold in June 2025.

The forum like the first two editions in 2021 and 2023 will provide an opportunity for councils to links up with investors, sign partnership deals and also source for funding to finance various projects in their municipalities. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3234 of Thursday September 19, 2024