Abstract

This work is based on a research study carried out in the Belo Rural Council on the Topic Local Government and Rural Development. Its purpose is to access how the Belo Rural Council contributes to the development of its municipality.

According to the law of 5th December 1974, organizing councils in Cameroon, a council is a decentralized public authority with legal personality and financial autonomy having the status of a legal body under public law to administer local affairs, secure the economic, social, and cultural development of its population.

However, the scanty resources and limited financial viability of the councils in Cameroon have led to an absence of some basic economic and social facilities in most municipalities.

The work, therefore, aims at accessing the contribution of the Belo Rural Council to the development of the Belo municipality, the problems faced by the council in executing development programs, and some recommendations which if employed may wash away some of the difficulties and lead to greater achievements of the council.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The sequence of events from the 1930 depression and the Second World War a few years later brought negligence to the world economists of the level of development in the various countries. This was because, after this period, interest was shifted to the method of fund generation and increased production to meet up the demands of the world’s population.

It was until a few decades after that that greater attention to development not only by the less developed countries as well. The creation of local government was so important as to reduce the burden of the government as the local government helps in the provision of certain services which normally would have been provided by the governments.

The reason for the creation of local governments therefore cannot be over-emphasized but that it was aimed at ensuring the proper provision of services to citizens which could not be easily provided by the government and also taking the administration close to the people.

It also creates an avenue through which citizens could easily channel opinions to the government and also receive information from the government easily. Local governments were created therefore to provide such as services, infrastructural development, education, improvement of fantastic sites, and portable pipe-borne water.

The creation of a local government in Cameroon and their functions are based on Article 1(3) of law No 74/23 of 5th December 1974 organizing councils which provide that the councils shall be responsible for the economic, social, and cultural development of their various area of jurisdiction.

Due to limited financial resources at the disposal of the councils today, most of our council areas are left behind in terms of rural development.

This at times is regarded as a weakness of the local government may single-handedly run an enterprise or go into partnership as a shareholder and the electoral status of the major confers on him the legitimacy to mobilize their municipalities to contribute financially towards the rising of funds meant for rural development of the area.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The law of 5th December 1974, to organize councils in Cameroon defines the council as a decentralized public authority with legal personality and financial autonomy having the status of a corporate body under the public law to administer local affairs, secure the economic and socio-cultural development of its area under the supervision of the state.

Despite this provision, local governments in Cameroon are confronted with a series of problems such as inadequate management personnel and also the corrupt nature of Cameroon. It, therefore, becomes difficult with exactitude at any point in time whether funds earmarked for a budget (program) Actually reach the site and if it did, what percentage was invested in the project.

This problem, is common to all sectors of government in Cameroon. In this regard therefore the state of the problem for this work to be:- to what extent has the Belo rural council contributed to the rural development of its municipality.

1.3 Methodology of the Study

The data was both primary and secondary. Primary data comprises interviews and fieldwork observation in the area while secondary data comprises the examination of the work of other scholars, research in the council achieves, and the local government training center Buea (CEFAM).

Primary sources were gotten from interviews, council documents, magazines, newspapers, and financial records. Oral interviews were carried out with both senior and operational staff like Mayor, his deputies, and the secretary-general.

Secondary sources were gotten from textbooks, council annual reports, council balance sheets, notice boards, and the internet.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study will help to give information about the function of local government in Cameroon and their contribution to rural development. It will study precisely the Belo rural council and rural development in the Belo subdivision so it can provide some information to future researchers on local government and rural development especially in the Belo subdivision.

This study is also significant in that it is going to help the researcher to broaden the fundamental functions of local governments especially those geared towards rural development.

The method of analysis made use of the data collected through the various sources of data collection above.

1.5 Objectives of the study

This study is geared at accessing the level of rural development but the Belo rural council in its municipality. Also to examine some of the problems and difficulties encountered by the council in the course of carrying out her activities and propose possible solutions on how such difficulties could be overcome.

Taken to account the fact that the council in Cameroon are a globally poor institution and that Cameroon itself is an underdeveloped country, heavily indebted due to foreign aid that has been excessively pumped in from abroad, it becomes significant for such a study to examine the level of rural development in the Belo municipality, discover the setbacks and difficulties encountered by the council in carrying out its duties and come up with alternative measures of administration which could improve upon the services rendered by the council if implemented.

The outcome may also lead to the introduction of new methods of management through which the council will make much development and improve upon already existing ones.

1.6 The scope of the study

Belo subdivision is made up of over 24 (twenty-four) different villages. Although there is a poor road network and inaccessibility of some of the areas during this research period, 14 of these villages shall be critically examined.

They include Belo, Acha, Njikfuin, Djichami, Njinikijem, Anyajua, Mbingo, Bingo, Ashing, Fuli, Sho, Kikuini, Chuaku, and Aboh and it will be base on development since 2007 till May 2013 when this research was carried out.