Public Works Minister, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi has made another promise of plans to immediately resume construction works on the deplorable Bamenda-Babadjou road. He was speaking during a brainstorming session with a delegation from Mezam Division.
The delegation comprised Mezam City Mayor, other Mayors, MPs, Senators Civil Society Actors and Trade Union leaders. The officials presented to the Minister the plight of commuters plying the said stretch which is almost cutting off the region from the rest of the country.
Nganou while explaining the state of affairs to the delegation recalled the circumstances that provoked the Satom construction company to stop work on the said stretch. He said three local companies have been selected to realize three sections of the road including Matazen to Welcome to Bamenda joint, the Bamenda cliff to Amour Mezam junction and the urban section right up to the Hospital Roundabout.
He said service orders have been signed for works to resume and the construction firms are doing last minute plans to restart the works. Nganou called on all the stakeholders to ensure that the new contractors work in a secured environment and their equipment not vandalized like was the case with the other contractor.
Traveling on the said road has been described by many as a nightmare. Business persons have cried of heavy losses incurred as a result of the bad roads as many of their perishable items get bad during such long hours spend on the road.
The MINTP boss has over the years paid lip service to the bad nature of the road. During the Match session of Parliament, he took to the rostrum, blaming insecurity caused by the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions for the delay in the execution of the road. The 35km stretch is constructed with support from the World Bank and the government.
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.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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