Reconstruction plan: Visiting steering committee chair says road covered in SW satisfactory.

He said this is evidenced by the enthusiasm of the population towards projects executed by the plan between December 2021 to December 2022, in the South West Region.

Confiance Ebune was speaking after a two- day meeting with stakeholders of the reconstruction plan in the Region, Wednesday March 22.

The Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction of the North West and South West Regions, it should be noted, has since inception, supported 403 farmers in Tombel and Bangem and 27 cooperatives for the development of pilot agro-pastoral projects in Mamfe, Muyuka and Mbonge.

It has also rehabilitated a market in Wabane, supported 20 start-ups, and constructed 20 greenhouses.

"The plan at conception was not easy for the beneficiaries to accept, because they did not see the foresight of the project but today we can see that they are accepting it. So our mission was to visit different project sites and to report back to the Prime Minister, Head of government," Ebune said.

He disclosed that thirteen health facilities, 21 educational facilities, both public and private have been rehabilitated in the light of the project. He said “All these projects have impacted the beneficiaries”.

"A lot of beneficiaries are thankful to the Head of State for all the realisations so far. We see a lot of satisfaction and enthusiasm towards this project from the population as a lot of the earmarked projects have been realised, while a few others are still in the pipeline," he continued.

"...this mission was not only to do an evaluation,  but also for the beneficiaries to be at the forefront and to appropriate these projects because, we want to initiate a bottom -top approach in executing the projects," Ebune added.

Separatists should embrace olive branch

Speaking while in Buea, Confiance Ebune also took the opportunity to invite separatist fighters and their sympathisers online to embrace the President Biya’s olive branch and join efforts in developing the country.

"Our brothers who are still holding arms or using the social media to create chaos in our communities, it is high time, they take the olive branch from the head of State. They have a lot to contribute, but they are wasting their lives and future in the bushes and terrorising their populations," he appealed.

Addressing the concerns of beneficiaries such as health and educational facilities without equipment and poor execution of some projects, Confiance Ebune, encouraged the population to protect what they already have, while promising to ensure poorly executed projects are corrected.

"It was an evaluation with the goal of putting things in place. In Wututu, we got concerns about the water catchment and the contractors will make the needed corrections," he stated.

On his part, Principal of St Joseph College Sasse, Rev Fr Isaac Anuchem, whose institution benefited the construction of a dormitory, fence and strengthening of its water tank, said the project was a great relief to his institution.

"We benefited three projects: St Martin's Dormitory, which caught fire some two years ago and the whole dormitory was destroyed. It was reconstructed thanks to the PPRD-NWSW. We also have the fence built to improve security and it has helped to check movement to and out of the campus. The water tank improvement has also reduced our challenges getting water," he said.

The students and all stakeholders, he said “are grateful for the support from PPRD and the UNDP”.

Addressing stakeholders during the evaluation meeting, the Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, challenged leaders of the Presidential Plan to increase their communication outreach to the population.

The population's knowledge and appreciation of projects of the Presidential Plan, he regretted, is very low. This, he said, had contributed to the population not appropriating projects executed in line with the plan.