The Public Independent Conciliator, Mme Telelen Dorothy Atabong spouse Motataze presenting the report to the press

The Office of the Public Independent Conciliator (OPIC) launched its 2025 Annual Report on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, at an event attended by regional and local authorities, civil society leaders and the press. Public Independent Conciliator Mme Telelen Dorothy Motaze presented the report, which assesses relations between citizens of the South‑West Region and regional and council administrations.

Key findings

• Improved municipal performance: Councils in Fako, Kupe‑Muanenguba, Manyu and Meme showed notable progress, particularly in routine services such as issuance of civil status documents, earning citizen appreciation.
• Sanitation and public amenities lacking: Many councils performed below expectations on hygiene and sanitation. Problems highlighted include poor garbage management and the persistent absence of public toilets and water points in busy public spaces (markets, motor‑parks), causing public discontent.
• Limited cooperation on dispute resolution: Some municipal authorities showed little constructive collaboration with OPIC in pursuing amicable settlements of disputes, undermining a core OPIC mandate.

Information gap on regional actions: The report notes weak communication between the Regional Assembly (and its frontline agents) and citizens outside main cities (Buea, Limbe, Kumba). This has led citizens to misattribute some regional projects to council administrations.

    Some OPIC staff present during the publication of the report

Service disruption and insecurity: Several councils struggled with high levels of non‑functioning services, causing citizen disenchantment. While some councils cited inadequate finances, many local authorities pointed to insecurity as a primary constraint on revenue generation and project delivery.

Accessibility challenges: Severe inaccessibility in areas such as parts of Ndian Division and Akwaya complicated project tracking and verification.

   The Public Independent Conciliator, Mme Telelen Dorothy Atabong spouse Motaze speaking to the press after the launching of the report

Political context: Public sentiment shifted after the October presidential elections, with citizens

OPIC’s annual report is published each year by the Public Independent Conciliator within 30 days after transmission to the President of the Republic and summarizes the state of relations between citizens and regional and council administrations in the South‑West Region.