Floods: 4225 affected families soon to be on the streets

Urban Community has given the inhabitants of Makepe-Missokè 48 hours to evacuate for a demolition exercise to take place.

Michelle Valerie Kegne spent some few seconds to notice our presence. The young lady sitting in front of her house at Makepe-Missokè neighborhood in Douala looks lost with a sad face. A large St. Andrew's cross painted in red infront of her home bears the inscription "To demolish in 48 hours". This was marked by agents of the Urban Community of Douala (Cud) on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, to inform the family of eight that they have two days to leave.

Other buildings built 10 meters either side of the nearby drain at Makepe market are also within the scope of demolitions. The agents of the Cud, accompanied by gendarmes during the marking operation issued no explanation to the owners of the targeted houses but all that they did was to tell some people “start packing your luggage! ".

They also registered the names and phone numbers of occupants. The owners of the houses said the exercise was done after the flood on the night of Friday to Saturday, June 20, 2015 in the economic capital of Cameroon. But they argue that they do not know where this message is from. They lived for over ten years in these places and no resettlement site or any compensation is awarded to them.

However, the announced demolition was no joke as activities were taking place a few meters on the other side of the bridge. A bulldozer is parked by the drain. "It is down," said one of the residents who is part of a crowd of onlookers who looked riveted at the big machine.

The bulldozer was deployed on Saturday, June 27, 2015, but failed to work, we learn. Several houses by the drain will undoubtedly be demolished when the vehicle eventually functions normally.

At another place, 50 meters from the Ngongue bridge in Makepe-Missokè, the buildings do not have, or at least not yet, the cross of Saint Andrew. The flood's destruction is still vivid in their memories. There are traces indicating the level of the rising waters visible on the walls.

Some residents have already taken some initiatives to prevent the worst in case the disaster is repeated. This is the case of the inhabitants of the block 12 carrying wheelbarrows to their homes to raise the ground level. At a place called Broken Bridge, where the floods have taken a heavy toll, the authorities of the city and Ministers descended on the site twice to assess the place.

"They stayed at the bridge and looked at the demolition and left. They did not exchange words with the population. We are kept in suspense," says Viviane, a resident who reported that they have learned through the media that the houses built along the drain will be destroyed. When? Will they be compensated? The people know nothing.

4225 houses to be demolished

Sadrack Ebey Sandey, the chief of Makepe Missokè 1 knows a little more. He took part in the meeting organized in the services of the Governor of the Littoral Region Saturday, June 26, 2015, in the presence of ministers. He reports that in the district of Douala 5th, waterways in Nkondi, Ngonguè and Tongo Bassa will be drained.

He also noted that seminars had been held there for several months with populations of Makepe and Cud for the upcoming evictions, but funds for compensation have never been released. Populations of Broken Bridge remain in suspense and fear of being surprised one morning by the arrival of large machines at Cud.

Le Jour learned that 4225 houses built near the drains are to be destroyed in the Wouri department.

A source said the Cud recruited 400 trainees for the cleaning of gutters on 6 July 2015. A budget of 46 billion F CFA was allocated to this operation. At the meeting with the governor, a budget of 2 million F CFA was shared with the chief of Makepe Missokè 1, the doctor who took care of children of flood survivors, relatives of survivors and the rescuers. How much money was given by the Minister of Urban development and housing?

Sadrack Ebey Sandey responded saying the chef and rescuers were rewarded for their valor. The doctor was rewarded for the care he gave the children. Information gathered said the town halls of the city of Douala also received envelopes.

Reached by telephone, Théophile Kwapnang, the mayor of the district of Douala 3rd, said there were clear purchase orders for the acquisition of equipment such as wheelbarrows, shovels.