To boost employment at the grassroots: MINEPAT shares 1.853 billion FCFA to seven councils.

The councils that benefited are Ngomedzap in Centre Region; Mayo-Darle in Adamawa; Banka Council in West Region; Nkongsamba I Council in Littoral; Garoua-Boulai in the East Region; Belo in North West Region and Poli in North Region. The minister said the councils will execute projects that will lead to creating not less than 1,475 jobs for young men and women residing in the rural areas. 

Ngomedzap council will embark on the construction of 12 social housing units for inhabitants of the area. 
Mayo-Darle council, Nkongsamba and Garoua-Boulai will use their money to provide modern drainage systems and upgrade infrastructure in their council headquarters, using local labour to carry out the works.

Meanwhile, Banka and Poli councils will use their own share to pave urban roads in their council headquarters; while Belo council will use its own to construct a bridge and rehabilitate some roads in the council area.
Minister Alamine reminded the recipients of the government programme of using intensive labour known in the French language as, approaches a Haut Intensite´ de Main d´oeuvre, HIMO, in the realisation of public investment projects.

He announced that this is the first stage of a progressive project that will keep incorporating more and more councils, with the aim to ensure that all councils in the country have the capacity to tackle the problem of youth unemployment, problem of growing poverty in the rural areas and problem of lack of basic infrastructure and social services in the rural milieu.

Government also envisages that through this approach of executing projects using local labour, not less than 741 million FCFA will be generated as revenue for the benefit of local populations, while 600 young persons would be trained in making concrete slaps and laying them. 

More would be trained in making bricks and masonry, among other skills to be acquired. El Hadj Oumarou, the Mayor of Nkongsamba I who acted as spokesperson for other Mayors, said the disbursement of funds was a concretisation of the accelerated decentralisation process in Cameroon, which is being championed at the highest level of state, with President Biya at the apex.

He expressed optimism that the gesture would certainly help to upgrade their communities and improve living standards for those who live in the hinterlands of the country.

Belo Mayor hails MINEPAT boss for initiative 
The Mayor of Belo Council in Boyo Division of the North West Region, Dr Ngong Innocent, hailed Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey for the giving the council the projects which he said will help in “technology transfer to the council”.

“In our council area, we are going to recruit 300 youth for these projects and we envisage a situation where young people will gain skills and employment,” the Mayor said. 

“By this, the youth will also make some money to cater for certain needs and also use the skills acquired to execute other projects in the municipality and elsewhere,” he added. 

The Belo Council will through the agreement benefit the sum of 232,382,856 FCFA for the rehabilitation of some 5.245km roads and the construction of housing in Djichami. The projects will be carried out using the Labour Intensive Approach known by the acronym HIMO and offer employment opportunities for youth.