THE ROLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLAYS IN ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF KUMBA 1 MUNICIPAL COUNCILT

ABSTRACT

This work is centered on a research study carried out in Kumba 1 municipal council on the topic “The Role Local Government Plays in Encouraging Development: A Case Study of Kumba 1 Municipal Council. Its focus was to evaluate and access the extends to which the Kumba 1 Municipal Council” has contributed to development within the municipality and what are some of the shortcomings and factors militating against local development.

According to the law of 5th December 1974, organizing councils in Cameroon, a council is a decentralized public authority having a legal personality and financial autonomy to administer local affairs such as the control of cultural, economic, educational, health-related, social, and sport-related issues within the municipality.

However, due to the scarce nature of resources and financial stability of the Kumba 1 Municipal Council in particular and councils in Cameroon in general has led to the absence of some basic economic and social facilities in the municipality , this work is therefore aimed at accessing and evaluating the contribution of Kumba 1 municipal council in the development of Kumba, the problems encountered by the council in realizing its development programs and some recommendations which can be used to overcome these difficulties thus leading to greater achievements by the councils.

CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study

This research is focused on the role local government plays in encouraging development with a Case Study of Kumba 1 Municipal Council. This study can be traced as far back as 1950 in political and academic discourses in the developed world. Decentralization is concerned with moving of power from a central city to other localities and it may be functional and moving decision making from the administrators of any branch of government to lower officials.

To add decentralization only gained dominance in developed countries in the 1980’s following the structural adjustment programs (Rabiot, 2002). Decentralization only gained influence in Africa in the mid 1990’s, thus many African countries took up decentralization so as to improve the role of local and regional government. Moreover, decentralization was only setup in most African countries including Cameroon in 1996 (world bank 1995).

According to White (2011), decentralization in its multi-facets, is a major feature of the global geopolitical landscape. According to the author, this widely lauded and often complicated process has been at the fore of political and academic discourse as far back as the 1950s in the developed world. Initiatives involving the transfer of responsibilities from central to local government with the objective of improving efficiency and accountability in public sector management, large-scale decentralization only took center stage in developing countries in the 1980s following the Structural Adjustment Programs (Ribot, 2002).

Decentralization dates as far back as 1922 with the British Cameroon and 1955 in the French Cameroon (Cheka, 2007; Edou, undated). However, large scale sweeping reforms took place in the 1980s and 1990s. The ongoing process of decentralization draws its powers from Law No. 96/06 of 18 January 1996. Specifically, Article 55 postulates that the decentralized local entities of the Republic shall be Regions and the Councils. The Law recognizes the councils as legal entities that should enjoy administrative and financial autonomy, and be freely administered for the interest of the people by their elected representatives.

In Cameroon some aspects of decentralization can be traced from 1922 in British Cameroon and French Cameroon in 1955(Cosmas-cheka, 2007). To go further large scale reforms were made in the 1980’s and 1990’s so as to encourage decentralization in Cameroon following the establishment of Law Number 96/06 of January 1996.

Kumba 1 Municipal Council was created on the 24th of April 2007 following the presidential decree Number 82 according to article 55 which postulated that the decentralized local entities should be regions and councils. Furthermore, councils in general and the Kumba 1 municipal Council in particular was created to ensure that the voices of the people are heard and their basic needs are met by the council under the supervision of the government.
Despite the application of decentralization in Cameroon since 1990’s there are still some short coming and limitations. A local government is recognized through its function and the provision of basic necessities that improves the economic development of the people with jurisdiction towards improving the living of the local population.

The questions that readily comes to mind why rural development or who should contribute to rural development is noticeable that rural development and local government are inter-woven, hence hand in hand.
Rural development implies on the innovation or modernization of sub-towns within the local government which are very far away to the state of regional government local government authority, under the 1963 republic and construction were independent bodies created by the regional government “local government was mere appendages with little or no authority” for independent action to state administration that created and appointed them.

Rural development in this country should be potential corner stone of a development process of any nation of an effective local government which is better placed as a government at the grass root. Reducing the level of rural poverty for the development of rural areas in world of education scheme involves transformation of social structure, extensive mobilization and motivation of the masses. However, a government that is far away from data of the day to day realistic of rural area is unlikely equip with the task of rural development. Rural development as a part of local government endeavors shall be discussed in subsequent chapter ahead.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
The Kumba 1 municipal council which is required to promote the social welfare and economic well-being of all persons within the Kumba 1 Municipality suffers from some factors like inadequate funds, lack of man power, inefficiency which hinders the proper functioning of the council in promoting grassroots development. Despite some of these limitations and shortcomings the local government struggles to maintain and provide at least if not all the basic needs of people in the society such as the creation of public taps, construction of market stores, and provision of subsidies. Thus, the main focus of this research is to look into areas that the local government has been has been inefficient and lacking in providing economic, socio-cultural and policies development using the Kumba 1 municipal council as case study.

1.3 Methodology of the Study