In 2025 Annual Report: SW Conciliator paints mixed picture of councils-citizen relations.

The reading of mixed feelings is contained in the 2025 report of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator, OPIC. The report was made public in Buea on March 11. 

The President of the South West House of Chiefs, Chief Ndike Richard,  the Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development and civil society leaders and others attended the event.

Speaking during the event, Atabong said the publication of the report was in fulfillment of a legal obligation under Article 25(3) of Decree No. 2020/773 of 24 December 2020.

The provision, she said, requires publication of the report within 30 days of its transmission to the President of the Republic.

The 128-page document does not assess financial management, council revenues or the functioning of the Regional Assembly, she said. 

Atabong noted that, it focuses exclusively on the state of relations between citizens and decentralised local authorities.

Methodology underpinned by objectivity

Atabong said the report is an objective assessment grounded in multiple sources among them: complaints, town hall meetings, media monitoring, participation in Regional Assembly sessions, and a region-wide opinion survey using questionnaires.

She added that complaints by users usually trigger discreet and overt enquiries, site visits, and “contradictory listening” sessions to provide direct, real-time insight into relational friction points. 

The OPIC said 2,928 questionnaires were administered across all councils with 2,882 returned, showing a response rate exceeding 96%. Respondents, she noted, were selected to reflect demographic diversity of municipalities to ensure sincerity.

Atabong further explained that, it assesses the state of relations between citizens and the South West Region’s Regional Assembly and 34 council administrations. She said, the institution also avoided ranking councils, praising or discrediting individuals. 

Positive trends 

The report indicated a measurableimprovements in several areas of services provided by local and regional authorities. It indicated that over 70% of citizens said councils performances were ‘globally satisfactory’.

It added that this was in the delivery of civil status documents, allocation of market spaces, management of motor parks and issuance of building permits. 

The report saluted municipalities for holding regular town hall and neighbourhood meetings, while some councils earned Divisional, Regional or National awards for their performances.

The Conciliator noted “a positive improvement in the performances of many municipal authorities” and “commendable efforts in responding to the needs of citizens. 

She encouraged stakeholders to keep the momentum to ensure the people enjoy the benefits of decentralisation.

Challenges, areas of discontent

Despite the significant gains recorded, the Conciliator noted that many shortcomings remain. According to Atabong, garbage disposal and urban waste management emerged as the weakest areas in councils.

She disclosed that, over 60% of respondents declaring the situation ‘more deplorable’ in 2025 than in 2024. 

The absence of public toilets and water points in markets and motor parks, coupled with poor hygiene and sanitation, she indicated, continues to generate widespread discontent amongst the population.

Fako Division, she stressed, topped the list with a continuous lack and poor management in the cited areas. She mentioned the Muyuka Market and various areas of Buea and Limbe.

The report also criticised the persistent absence of constructive collaboration from some councils in the amicable settlement of disputes. Concerning the Regional Assembly, a notable information gap was flagged, as many citizens outside Buea, Limbe and Kumba remain unaware of Regional Assembly projects, the report stated.

Given the information gap, the report said citizens often credit councils and their mayors with initiatives they did not execute. 

In addition, several Regional Assembly funded projects suffered poor follow-up, substandard execution, delays or outright abandonment, findings the Conciliator said, showed. 

Insecurity inaccessibility shape responses

The report underscored that the picture is not uniform, noting that, performance varied significantly between urban and rural councils, largely influenced by security and accessibility.

Councils in Fako, urban parts of Meme, Manyu and Kupe-Muanenguba Divisions operated at close to 80% capacity, enabling better service delivery, the report disclosed.

In contrast, most councils in Ndian Division, Akwaya in Manyu, parts of Nguti in Kupe-Muanenguba and Wabane in Lebialem, it stated, faced severe inaccessibility and insecurity issues, severely limiting revenue collection and project execution.

Findings, it was said, was done by combining real-time complaint data, live citizen feedback in the presence of officials, a near-census-level survey with strict anonymity protocols, media analysis, and official event observation.

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3730 of Friday March 13, 2026