The Secrets of an Aborted Decolonisation: The Declassified British Secret Files on the Southern Cameroons

Chapter 8. House of Assembly Debates: Housing, Roads, Airstrips, Water Supply, ‘Federal Constitution’

345 Chapter 8 House of Assembly Debates: Housing, Roads, Airstrips, Water Supply, ‘Federal Constitution’ SOUTHERN CAMEROONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Monday 18th September, 1961 The House met at 10 a.m. Prayers (Mr. Speaker in the Chair) The Minister of Finance, Commerce and Industries (Mr. S. T. Muna): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that this House on its rising this day do adjourn since die. The Minister of Works and Transport (Mr. W. N. O. Effiom): I beg to second. Question put and agreed to. The Minister of Finance, Commerce and Industries (Mr. S. N. Muna): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the motion standing in the name of the Premier in the Order Paper for Thursday the 14th September, 1961 which became a dropped Order on Friday the 15th September, 1961, 1961, be replaced on the order book for this day in my name. The Minister of National Resources (Mr. P. M. Kemcha): I beg to second. Question put and agreed to. ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Mr. P. N. Motomby-Woleta (Victoria South-West): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to ask the Hon. Attorney-General on behalf of Mr. N. N. Mbile the question standing in his name. Is it true that vehicles belonging to the 346 The Secrets of an Aborted Decolonisation Government are not insured under Third party Insurance Policy which covers risks, especially death, to third parties? If the answer is ‘yes’, what happens to victims involved in disabilities or in death caused by third parties to Government vehicles. The Attorney-General (Mr. B. G. Smith): Yes, Sir, in appropriate cases Government makes an ex gratia payment to the victims or their personal representatives. Mr. P. N. Motomby-Woleta: Supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. Is this ex gratia payment done as a matter of course or is a special application to be made and if special application has to be made to whom is this application to be addressed and what steps shall have to be taken. The Attorney-General: I require notice of that question. Mr. Speaker: The question is that the expenditure from the Development Fund of: (i) £105,959 under Head 561—Public Works Extraordinary (ii) £4,818 under Head 562—Other Capital Expenditure (iii) £168,474 under Head 563—Development and Welfare and (iv) £90,994 under Head 564—Capital Works ex-Federal be approved. What day Committee? The Minister of Finance, Commerce and Industries (Mr. S. T. Muna): Now, Sir. HOUSE IN COMMITTEE Question proposed—-‘That the sum of £105,959 under Head 561—Public Works Extraordinary stand part of the motion’. Mr. V. T. Lainjo (Bamenda North): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I wish to make a few observations under this Head. I will particularly concern my observations for items dealing with various buildings. It is true Sir, that the putting up of permanent buildings can be regarded as investments. Money is tied up, it is invested in this building and, Sir, it would appear with the change of time from the Colonial system to Independent Cameroon that a modification would be necessary in the pattern of capital expenditure under this Head. Even if we were to regard money invested in buildings 347 Chapter Eight: House of Assembly Debates – Housing, Roads, Airstrips, Water Supply as power in investment for this purpose it would be very presumptive, for no one, Sir, I can deny the fact that this country is an under-developed country and for that reason its expenditure on capital formation should be more on the pattern of productivity than on the pattern of prestige. If we adopt the policy of prestige we see, Sir, that the distribution and the spread out of investment in buildings has not taken pattern which should have taken care of all sections of the territory. There is, in fact, tendency to concentrate it in various areas or groups of persons. This is not good for an underdeveloped country. You can’t in an undeveloped country make investments which are not productive. These buildings, when they are put up they are national wealth, and they give prestige to certain areas but my argument is that the policy does not cater for productive investments. And this is what we need in a county like the Southern Cameroons. Hitherto, Sir, there have been needs for putting up most of these buildings recently because we wanted to attract Colonial people, and to attract people from...