ABSTRACT:
The reunification of Cameroon and institution of a federation in 1961 laid the foundation for differences between the federal authorities and the state of West Cameroon which did everything possible to jealously preserve the Anglo-Saxon culture inherited from the British. With West Cameroonians initially in favour of a federation and the granting of autonomy to the states and their French counterparts in support of a centralised system of government, problems soon erupted especially in Local Governments that were well entrenched in West Cameroon. It is because of these discrepancies that the paper explores changes witnessed by LG units in West Cameroon between 1961 and 1972. Using archival and published sources and the thematic, chronological and qualitative approaches in analysing data, the study depicts that reunification catalysed changes in the structure and administrative organisation, municipal electoral system, representation and composition and the autonomy as well as authority enjoyed by these institutions in West Cameroon vis a vis the federal officials. It concludes that for there to be any meaningful drive in the decentralisation process currently going on in Cameroon, empowering the locals through representation and granting them full autonomy in the management of local affairs is prerequisite for development.
Cite this article:
Tem Protus Mbeum. The Federal Administration Permeating the West Cameroon Local Government System in a Reunited Cameroon 1961-1972. Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 8(1): January - March, 2017, 43-51. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2017.00007.9
Cite(Electronic):
Tem Protus Mbeum. The Federal Administration Permeating the West Cameroon Local Government System in a Reunited Cameroon 1961-1972. Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 8(1): January - March, 2017, 43-51. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2017.00007.9 Available on: https://rjhssonline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2017-8-1-7