Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi of Public Works earlier this week took to the rostrum at a plenary sitting at the National Assembly, blaming insecurity caused by the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions for the delay in the execution of the very deplorable Babadjou-Bamenda road stretch that links the North West region and the West.
They urged the Minister to take urgent actions to ensure the works are realized especially with the start of the rainy season which further worsens the state of the road.
A bridge is said to have collapsed at a locality called Ndoji in Babadjou same day, worsening the situation of hundreds of road users who were travelling in and out of the region.
Passengers spent closed to a day before managing to leave the area which was made completely impassable. Many are said to have spent extra transportation to return to Bamenda to use the Bamenda-Mamfe-Kumba road to continue their journeys while others simply canceled the trips. Passengers with heavy loads were left stranded for nearly a day until urgent works were done to reconnect the cut part of the road.
To recall is the fact that in July 2020, angry lawmakers from the region confronted the Minister to demand answers as to the prolong delay in the construction of the deteriorating stretch.
The 18 CPDM MPs expressed the bitterness of the people of the region, stating that the bad nature of the road further aggravates the suffering of the population that has been trapped in in the ongoing socio-political crisis for the past four years.
Minister Nganou Djoumessi at the end of the exchange reassured the MPs of necessary steps to be taken to ensure the road works are executed.
He said “…Satom will remain on the section Babadjou-Matazem (17kms). A sub-contractor will work from Matazem-welcome to Bamenda (18kms), then the Bamenda stretch will receive a second contractor for the 4.9km and the urban section of the road (12 km) will be done by another contractor”.
He promised that more studies will be done so that the region gets its fair share of the National, Regional and council roads developments but enjoined the MPs to work towards an enabling environment that would enable contractors to work.
The project was then launched in 2017 but arson attacks from separatist fighters on the equipment of the contractors grounded the works. The 35km stretch is constructed with support from the World Bank and the government.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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