A 27 million CFA franc road rehabilitation project in Bali Council , Mezam Division in Cameroon’s North West Region has come under scrutiny following a complaint alleging fraud and misrepresentation against Bali Council Mayor ,Wandum Bunga Ernest.
The complaint, filed before the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator for the North West Region, alleges that public funds were allocated for the rehabilitation of roads and bridges that, according to the complainant, had already been constructed.The document was received by the Public Independent Conciliator’s office on November 16, 2022.
According to the complaint, Municipal Deliberation Number 020/2021 of December 15, 2021 provided for the rehabilitation of the road linking T-Junction Bamboto to Ngeghab Farm and the market road axis, with an allocation of 27 million FCFA.But the complainant, claims the road and bridges targeted by the project had already been constructed by him for the benefit of the communities.
He further alleges that the Mayor brought construction equipment, including caterpillars, to the site and took photographs, but that no actual rehabilitation work was carried out.The complaint claims that the road and bridges remain essentially in the condition they were in before the alleged project intervention.
The allegations raise a central question: What happened to the 27 million FCFA reportedly allocated for the rehabilitation project?The Complainant is asking the Public Independent Conciliator to launch an investigation and dispatch a field team to inspect the project site and establish whether the works were actually executed.He is also seeking clarity on the use of the funds reportedly allocated to the project.
However, the allegations contained in the complaint have not been independently established. The document is a request for investigation and does not constitute a finding of fraud or financial misconduct.
The Bali Council authorities have not responded to the allegations in the document provided.The matter now puts the spotlight on the implementation, verification and accountability of municipal development projects, particularly where public funds are involved.
