The Public Independent Conciliator has urged Councils to improve the hygiene and sanitation conditions of markets. Mme Telelen Dorothy spouse Motaze made the appeal during a one-day Concertation seminar with Local Collectivities which took place in Tombel on Thursday 12 January 2023.
Organized on the theme ‘Meeting the aspirations of Service Users by reinforcing Collaboration with some Stakeholders of Local Collectivities’ the seminar brought together the Councils of Kupe-Muanenguba and Lebialem Divisions. The purpose of the meeting was to sensitize frontline actors in the functioning of Council services to provide good and quality as well as determine ways to strengthen positive collaboration with OPIC for the benefit of service users.
The exhortation made by the PIC targeted three aspects; the availability of water, toilets and cleanliness of markets. The advocacy was informed by complaints received from vendors, she told the participants. As such she called on Councils to make provision for water and toilets in markets. The existence of these basic amenities in the market, she reiterated will improve the working conditions of market vendors.
The Public Independent Conciliator and the D.O of Tombel Subdivision with Deputy Mayors
As regards the cleanliness of the market, efforts should be made to improve on this aspect, citing the area for the slaughter and plucking of chickens as one of those requiring urgent attention to the overall benefit of both vendors and consumers. She further intimated that running tap water and proper drainage be provided to ensure that this activity is carried out under satisfactory hygienic conditions.
Deputy Mayors of Tombel and Bangem from the Kupe-Muanenguba Division
Another preoccupation is the inconsistency recorded in the amounts levied for tickets issued to vendors. According the PIC, complaints made by vendors indicate that the ticket price changes day by day. To this end Council officials were called upon to ensure consistency and relative stability in the ticket prices or levies.
Deputy mayors from Menji, Alou and Wabane from the Lebialem Division
Prior to this call, it is useful note that during her opening address, the Public Independent Conciliator had reminded the council stakeholders that OPIC is not a supervisory authority over them but an institution whose role is to ensure that local collectivities do not fail in their duties of providing good quality services to users. She went on to underscore that this role is in line with the desire or commitment of the Head of the State H.E Paul Biya to see citizens live happily within their communities.
