An Enthusiastic Douala Welcomes Presidential Couple

When the President of the Republic visited Douala on October 6, 2011 at the height of the Presidential election campaign of that year, he told the people of Douala that his ambition, within the framework of his "Greater Ambitions" programme, was to transform the city into a modern regional economic metropolis turned towards the future.

His return to the city today 14 November 2013 is a vindication of that promise given the huge developmental package he is bringing along. The city has been turned into a vast worksite as it were, but his visit stresses two specific areas which are particularly relevant to his determination to get face-lifting projects off the ground.

Construction work on the second bridge over the River Wouri will be formally launched at an earth-breaking ritual to be performed by President Biya today. This project has far-reaching economic and social consequences as it does not only ease congestion on traffic coming in from the huge productive regions of the North West, South West and West Regions, but will also facilitate intra-city commutation.

The President is also expected to turn on machines on the Logbaba gas project at the Ndogpassi neighbourhood and, by so doing, make Cameroon a net online gas producer. These two projects are not exhaustive; rather they are symptomatic of the desire of the President of the Republic to ease economic activity and give a push to industry in dire need of energy.

Other gigantic projects likely to positively impact the lives of Douala city dwellers and the entire nation are also underway in Douala, such as cement plants. A source in the Littoral Governor's office hinted that if the schedule of the President of the Republic had permitted him, he would readily have visited some of these other projects.

For this interest and determination alone, the people of Douala were yesterday bracing up to give the Presidential couple a resounding welcome worthy of the gratitude they would want to show for this solicitude. The massive turnout by locals as an advance team of officials went round the various reception sites for rehearsals on the welcome ceremony was very much indicative of this desire.

Many city dwellers mistook the long car convoys of the advance party for the President himself and waved enthusiastically as the convoy drove past without much regret for the traffic inconveniencies observed in the city yesterday.

As night fell on the sprawling economic nerve centre of the nation, workmen were still on strategic locations, either putting up posters of the Head of State, filling potholes or painting tree trunks to announce the arrival of an important visitor.