The Village/Neighborhood Coordinators and Traditional Authorities of Andek municipality were yesterday, 27th Nov. 2024, reminded to work hand-in-clove for the development of their community.

This was during a meeting convene by the Divisional Officer for NGIE Subdivision to address the need for the Coordinators and Traditional Authorities to work together for the development of their community.

The coming into force of Village/Neighborhood Committees is a provision in the 2019 law on decentralization, to get the people more involved in the activities of the municipal council and to take the development of their area in their own hands. And since the Coordinators are the interphase between the various Communities and the Municipal Council there is need for them to work in synergy with the traditional authority of the community for effective participation of the people in local development, hygiene and sanitation.

The Lord Mayor of Andek Council, Mr. Ubangoh Helly, took time to explain the roles of Village/Neighborhood Committees in the development of their community.
They were remainder to,
– hold general assembly meetings with the inhabitants of the community to strategize on development issues of the locality.
– ⁠ ensure the effective participation of everyone in the cleanup campaigns ordered by the Lord Mayor every Monday, to take care of the roads and public places.
– ⁠ensure the respect of the Municipal Order against stray animals; and that this could be a source of income for the committees, through fines paid for captured stray animals.
– ⁠encouraged to work together with the development associations who are there to assist them in the development of the community.

The Divisional Officer advised Coordinators to stay away from local partisan politics and focus on development and also avoid meddling in chieftaincy issues. They were adviced to work with the legal Fons of the village and avoid the disorder created in some villages by some elites to distabilise recognized traditional authorities.