Regional and local authorities in the North West Region have been urged to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen participation following the presentation of findings from the 2025 Perception Survey of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator (PIC).
The call was made during a Debriefing and Benchmarking Workshop organised to review the survey findings, assess the state of governance in councils and chart a roadmap for further improvements.
The workshop brought together mayors, council officials and other stakeholders to examine the performance of councils beyond infrastructure projects, with emphasis on ethical leadership, public participation and quality service delivery.
Speaking during the workshop, the North West Public Independent Conciliator, Tamfu Simon Fai, acknowledged that although some governance challenges still exist in a few councils, there has been remarkable progress over the past three years.
"We are dealing with human society and some practices die very hard," he said, noting that while the office continues to receive complaints relating to governance, the overall situation has improved considerably.
He explained that comparisons between the 2024, 2025 and current 2026 assessments reveal "a very great improvement in terms of good governance" across councils in the region.
According to him, the workshop was organised not merely to discuss perceptions but to carefully analyse the survey results and identify practical ways of improving governance in Regional and Local Authorities.
He reiterated that the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator remains at the centre of promoting good governance by encouraging ethical conduct, monitoring the functioning of councils and ensuring that citizens' concerns are addressed.
The survey findings indicated that although corruption remains one of the issues raised by citizens, measuring good governance should go beyond counting completed development projects.
Officials stressed that citizens increasingly want to participate in governance and should be given opportunities to contribute to decisions affecting their communities.
Providing further insights into the survey, Research Officer at the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator, Dr. Tilarious Atia, said earlier assessments had revealed widespread governance weaknesses in many councils.
According to him, previous surveys showed that some mayors managed councils like private businesses, sidelining deputy mayors, secretaries general and municipal treasurers from decision-making. Council property was often treated as personal property, while procurement processes were manipulated for personal gain.
He recalled that in the past, some mayors personally collected money for council services, while citizens were rarely consulted before major decisions were taken.
However, Dr. Atia said the latest survey paints a more encouraging picture.
He noted that such practices have significantly reduced, with councils now making greater efforts to comply with the law and improve communication with the population.
Many councils, he said, now use community radio stations, social media platforms and other communication channels to keep citizens informed about council activities. The organisation of town hall meetings has also increased, giving the population, opportunities to present their priorities directly to municipal authorities.
Dr. Atia further observed improved collaboration between mayors, deputy mayors, secretaries general and municipal treasurers following capacity-building workshops organised by the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator.
He stressed that councils belong to the people and that elected officials are merely custodians entrusted with managing public resources.
"The council is owned by the population," he said, explaining that the workshop was intended to present councils with feedback from citizens and encourage further improvements so that the 2026 survey, to be presented in 2027, records even better results.
Participants at the workshop also shared governance practices that have contributed to improved performance in their respective councils.
The Mayor of Bafut, Ngwakongho Lawrence, speaking on the council's ability to consistently pay workers' salaries to prudent financial management.
He explained that the council reduced its workforce to only essential staff capable of contributing meaningfully to development while discontinuing non-essential internal projects.
The mayor also disclosed that his administration abandoned the controversial "force account" approach to executing projects, choosing instead to prioritise workers' salaries and sound financial management.
"We prioritised paying our staff because it has been proven that many force account projects benefited individuals rather than the council," he said.
For Bamenda II Council, the Council Development Officer and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Charles Mbah said project success begins with respecting the national procurement calendar.
He explained that contracts are generally awarded before the end of March to allow sufficient time for supervision and problem-solving during implementation.
He also highlighted the creation of a dedicated Monitoring and Evaluation Team comprising project officers, technicians, communication personnel and risk management officers who closely monitor project execution.
According to him, Bamenda II also works closely with traditional rulers, quarter heads, youth and women leaders to monitor projects, especially in communities affected by the ongoing security crisis.
He said these strategies have earned the confidence of development partners including FEICOM, Canadian partners and other organisations that continue to support the council.
Nkambe Council Mayor Musa Shey Nfor equally shared the governance model behind the council's strong performance in revenue mobilisation and project execution.
He said the council focuses on financial propriety rather than income generation alone by adopting a holistic approach that brings together all stakeholders, defines common community interests and minimises conflicts of interest.
The mayor emphasised that motivated staff, peaceful communities and effective stakeholder collaboration are essential ingredients for successful local governance.
He added that involving citizens in decision-making through a bottom-up approach has strengthened communication, improved project implementation and increased public satisfaction with council services.
The workshop ended with a renewed commitment by councils and the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator to continue promoting transparency, accountability and citizen-centred governance across the North West Region. Participants expressed optimism that sustained reforms and stronger collaboration between councils and communities will further improve governance outcomes in future assessments.
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