Kumba-Mamfe road; hard facts and politics

The failure to commence construction of the Kumba-Mamfe road on May 5, has been attributed to the non-completion of paper works to compensate those living along the highway.

Cyprian Nfor, Meme Divisional Delegate of Public Works told The Post, Friday, May 9, that the Minister of Public Works has insisted on compensation of those whose crops, farmlands and buildings will be affected when the road works begin. Nfor said the latest information at his level remains a letter from his Minister to ensure the strict recompilation of the genuine list of persons who are going to be compensated within the shortest time possible.

Another impediment to the works, the Delegate explained, remains a Prefectural Order to validate the evaluation report on the Kumba-Mamfe road. Nfor said the Order is to ascertain that the evaluation was effectively carried out and those who are due compensation get their fare share.

The Public Works official disclosed that the International Labour Organisation, ILO, and representatives of other international funding partners are already around doing groundwork, while the Government of Cameroon is making sure that work commences as soon as possible. A source at the Public Works Delegation told The Post that work could start in a fortnight.

Politicians Query Government Denis Loh, Divisional Coordinator of the ANDP party in Meme, told The Post that he visited the road from the Mambanda end to see if work had started but found nothing.

Loh said the May 5 deadline could be a quiet lie by the Government to fool the population. He said that if truly work was supposed to start anytime soon, ‘photographers’ and other engineers would have been seen carrying out preliminary work and pegging the road.

To D.A Takoungang, Political Bureau member of the Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU, the non-respect of the deadline is a characteristic of the Biya regime, which is noted for unfulfilled promises. Takoungang, however, expressed hope that the tarring of the Kumba-Mamfe road will be a booster to the economic life of the Southwest Region and the entire country.

CPDM Party Should Press Hard Besides admitting that he entertained some fear over the non-respect of the May 5 deadline, Barrister Andy Tabi, a CPDM front-liner and an elite of Manyu, said the party’s officials should press hard for the tarring of the road to become a reality.

Tabi, who is also a crusader for Manyu development activities in Kumba, reasoned that if the party succeeds in causing the road to be surfaced, then, the Manyu population will see it as a gratification for their political loyalty to the party in power.

Tabi, however, cried out that Manyu Division has suffered for many years, reason why Government must see that the tarring of Kumba-Mamfe road does not remain a pipe dream.