CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the internship
Internship is an opportunity to integrate career related experience into an
undergraduate education by participating in a planned and supervised work.
The view of internship is carried out to enable us acquire more practical
experience, skills to better our performance relating it to the theories learn in
school and also to gain more knowledge in order to achieve our goals and objectives
in the business world. The internship program began on the 1 st of August 2016 at
the Buea municipal council, Clerks quarter. It covers a period of one month. Before
the start of the internship, we were received by the mayors secretary at the Buea
council hall who oriented us on the general view of the Buea municipal council and
talked of how to be well behaved, interact, the time of coming to work and the way
of dressing during the internship period. After this exercise, we were handed to the
human resource personnel for our programs to be shared.

The Buea municipal council is the sub Divisional headquarter of Buea and the south west
Regional headquarter of Cameroon. Buea municipal council have been charged with the
responsibility of generating her resources and ensuring endogenous growth with MOTTO
LEGEDARY HOSPITALITY. There are two main laws that have been passed which gave the
council the right to mobilize resources. That is law 2004/017 of 22 nd July 2004 and law no
2004/018 of 22nd July 2004 on the orientation of decentralization and rules applicable to
municipalities respectively.

1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Internship

The objective of the internship was to relate theoretical studies and
implementing it to the real job experience.
To increase my skill in working a project.
It is a practical fulfilment of the requirement for the achievement of a BSc in
Management.
To gain professional competence in the field of Buisiness Management.

 To have comprehensive training that will strengthen our interpersonal

relationship in the business world.
To apply business concept and theories acquired from school to real world
decision making or to practiced.
To develop and improve our business skills.
To get acquainted with business practices and procedures used in various
organisations.
It gives us work experience that can prepare us for our future careers.

1.3 Operational Definition of terms

Resource: Resources are the inputs that are used to implement the activities of
a program. Broadly speaking, they are financial, human and material resources,
but the vast majority of the resources that make up the input to a development
endeavour are financial resources. It can be seen in renewable resources, which
are resources that can be replaced by nature e.g. air, water. While nonrenewable resources, are those which easily get exhausted if not welled
harnessed.
Decentralization: It is a system where the government has recognized and
given rights and power to some territorial local collectivities to serve and
administer their area .There are two types of decentralization, the territorial and
technical decentralization.
Territorial decentralization: Here the community is self-administered that is,
it is an autonomous state and manage it matters and activities by itself.

 Technical decentralization: It simply refers to institutions and organization

which are under the government. It may exist as a separate legal personality or
legal entity in a separate autonomous states. As far as their management is
concerned, they raise and manage their budget. Example of a technical
decentralization is the state university.
Local government or council: Local government is the collective term for
councils. The 1974 law on the organization of councils in Cameroon, local
government is defined as a decentralized public authority having the identity of
a cooperate body under public law.
Development: Development is a positive movement in the social, economic,
environmental and culture. It can also be defined as the modification of the
biosphere and the application of human, financial, living and non- living
resources to satisfy human wants there by improving the living standards of the
people.
Municipal deliberation: It comes from a sitting of a group of councillors. They
do sit during sessions, which are 1st, 2nd, and 3th. Buea council has 41
councillors who do sit, make decisions and cast votes.
Municipal Order: It is an order emanating from the vote holder (Mayor).

BCHAPTER TWO

PRESENTATION OF THE ORGANISATION

2.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE BUEA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Buea according to social scientists was found by a hunter in search of game.

Eye Njie Tama Lifanji came from the Bomboko clan behind the Buea Mountain
(Mount Cameroon or Mount Fako). On that fateful day, he founded Bue, he had
set out in search of animals but there was no game to be hunted only a vast
peace of hospitable land that could harbour his family. Eye Njie named it
Bwea, meaning hospitable land for farming. The settlement soon grew into a
clan but made toady progress until the later part of the 19 th century when there
was an influx of Europeans into Africa for exploration and colonialism
purposes.
In 1884, the Germans colonised Cameroon (Cameroon), and made Buea their
colonial capital. They were marvelled by the towns picturesque landscape,
iridescent vegetation, unique weather and most especially its strategic position
accentuated by the majestic Mount Cameroon (4100m above sea level). Historical
monuments like the schloss (Prime Ministers Lodge), the Gendarmerie Legion,
the Old Presidency, Buea Mountain Club, Bismarck Fountain and a host of others
are all German legacy to the town of Buea.
After the advent of the first global confrontation from 1914 1913 in which the
Germans were defeated, world leaders congregated in the French town of
Versailles for a post war settlement. In one of the terms, the Germans relinquished
all their colonial possessions including Cameroon. The British and French received
Cameroon and divided it. Buea became a protectorate of the British to the
governed as part of the eastern region of Nigeria with headquarters in Enugu.

When the British took over the administration of British Cameroon, Victoria
Division was divided into eight districts. Between 1918 and 1922 the British
applied the policy of indirect rule and district was under the district head who was
a chief (traditional ruler). Buea Hausa Town was one of the eight districts with
Chief Mathias Lifafa Endeley as head.
By 1930 Victoria Division was divided into 11 native authorities. Buea Hausa
Town was made Bakweri clan Native Authority. The villages within the authority
included Buea, Muea, Lysoka, Bonjongo and Mutengene. Between 1935 and 1958
Victoria Division was regrouped in three native authorities. They included:
Victoria Federated comprising Bomboko, Bota, Tiko, Bimbia, Mongo and
Victoria which was the headquarters.
Bakweri Tribal native authority comprising Muea, Ekona, Bonjongo,
Mutengene and Buea which was the headquarters.
Balong Native Authority made up of Malende, Mpundu, Yoke and Muyuka was
the headquarters.
In 1958, Bakweri Tribal Native Authority was replaced by Bakweri District
Council. Mutengene was detached from Buea and attached to a newly created Tiko
Council.

From 1962, the Bakweri Council was reformed to include Strangers as councillors
and Elections into the council were on political party lines. In 1964, Ekona was
detached from Bakweri Council and added to Balong Council.
From 1977, Bakweri Council was renamed Buea Rural Council while in 1995,
Idenau Rural Council was created to include some villages which had been under
Buea Rural Council. The following court areas constituted the council area: Buea,
Muea, Lysoka and Bonjongo. Both history and governance has altered and
rendered the Buea municipality as it is called today one of the most complex and
unique council areas in the country. The Buea Council started in 1922 as the
Bakweri Clan Council under Chief Mathias Lifafa Endeley with the British Local
Government in practice. It only became a full-fledged council on 29 th June 1977,
created by Presidential Decree No. 77/203 to become Buea Rural Council.
Buea Council has presently metamorphosed into a modern council institution with
the following having been Mayors of teh Buea Councl. Ray Lyonga Ikundi, Becke
Smith Molua, Gladys Silo Endeley, John Mokake Endeley, Mbella Moki Charles
and the presently Ekema Patrick.
2.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE BUEA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
2.2.1 Aims of the Buea Municipal Council
To ensure proper mobilisation of resources
To maintain peace and harmony among the workers
To provide hospitality of their clients

2.2.2 Objectives of the Buea Municipal Council

To realise programs like the building of schools
To generate income to provide the needs of children in orphanages
To identify potentials which can be developed to improve on the living
standards of the people in the council area.
Vision of the Buea Municipal Council
By 2035, the Buea Municipal Council will be a strong economically achieved
municipality with adequate and equitable distribution of social infrastructure
allowing citizens to leave in safe healthy and comfortable environments.
2.3 ORGANISATION STRUCTURE OF THE BUEA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Every organization whether state, private or both state and private owned is
constituted of different sub units which collectively contribute for the attainment of
common overall objectives. These various sub units are structured and adapted
with the nature of an organizations transactions and operations.
An organizational structure is the framework of how authority and responsibility
flows from top to the bottom in an organization. The organizational structure of the
Buea Municipal Council is illustrated below. This structure is clearly bought out as
making reference to Buea Municipal Council. It is important to understand how the
various unit of the organizational chart function starting from top to bottom as
follows:

Fig.1: Organigram of the Buea Municipal Council

Source: Buea Municipal Councils Archives (2016)