She cautioned Mayors to work hand in hand with their deputies, to ensure that their activities are inline with the Laws enforced. According to the State Authority, Decentralization is a key subject for Government and that it is important to educate the Mayors about the risk involved in the mismanagement of public funds and also the need to work closely with their deputies, who should be given access to visa documents for smooth council functioning.
"The training is not only focusing on the Mayors. We've been training across the country, that's our responsibility in the Supreme Audit institution. Especially when we are invited, when the people have need for us. This time we were invited by the Regional Permanent Delegation for the CPDM and for the Northwest Region we thought that we should train our Mayors so that there can be good governance, transparency and accountability".
"The post of responsibility they hold, is not for themselves but render account to the Citizens because the state wants citizens of Cameroon to benefit from what is giving to them through the councils.
We have come to let them know that every franc should be accounted, any franc from the government must be accounted for. Decentralization is becoming very important now and how much has been increased by 15% of the public budget", Minister Mbah Acha Rose, Supreme State Audit.
The privileged dialogue through the training revealed to Mayors what obtains and for those Mayors who decide to be resistant or faulter, may have to face sanctions when audit teams are dispatched.
"We have come to sensitize because prevention is better than cure. By the time we come again to control, at that time it will nit be prevention, it will be control and defaulters of mismanagement will be brought to book", CONSUPE in Bamenda.
Dr Wamba Alfred is one of the Minister's collaborator. He is the Permanent Secretary of the Budget and Finance Disciplinary board at CONSUPE.
"This training falls within the framework of one of our major programs which is the reinforcement of capacity of vote holders, authorizing officers. Our intention is to train them so that they don't commit management irregularities. We want them to be good managers, manage according to the laws of the Republic".
*Management irregularities, I mean doing what is not provided by the law and regulations; for example awarding a contract without passing through the contract board, paying dues above the amount treated by the law. These are just some. They need to respect the laws that govern their management. We are giving our best, training is continuous. They should use the skills and knowledge put at their disposal as they are expected to train their collaborators because knowledge must be trickled down to the personnel of the council".
CONSUPE ends the 3day working visit on November 2nd 2023, while expecting that no Mayor will fall prey to mismanagement of government funds.