Indelible Trace of a Historic Visit

The President's commitment in Guirvidig has rekindled the hopes of flood victims and the population of the Far North Region.

The spontaneity of a Presidential action is surely the best words to describe the three-day visit of the Presidential couple to the Far North, one of the Regions hard hit by flood. The engagement taken by the Head of State at the little locality of Guirvidig, 65 kilometres from Maroua, where some of the flood victims have been resettled readily translates the feeling in the President's heart. Over 22,000 people displaced by the uninvited guest from the Maga reservoir dam, property destroyed and schools disrupted. This is sad enough to instil such a feeling in the heart of the President of a country.

The August 13 incident which continues till date as rains ceaselessly intensify, incidentally drew the sympathy of both the national and international community as manifested by the waves of financial and material assistance that have been trickling in. Even though these are stopgap measures for a people whose lives have suddenly taken a different direction, the problem at hand, that of protecting the dam from breaking the fragile dike threatened with collapse remains. That, in essence, is the focus of the Head of State. His declaration at Guirvidig indicated inter alia his determination to provide a lasting solution to the problem, while taking into consideration the fact that it is a natural catastrophe.

The disbursement of FCFA 1.5 billion was intended to handle matters of emergency but this could not be a lasting solution. It is in this light that President Paul Biya went further to streamline a series of actions that will be taken in the short and medium term in order to avoid the occurrence of such calamities or at least attenuate their impact. These include: the construction of a combined dike and road measuring 330 kilometres and stretching from Gobo to Kousseri, the rehabilitation of the Maga and Lagdo dams, the assessment of the damages caused by the flood on houses, schools, road network and other infrastructure in order to engage their reconstruction and rehabilitation and finally the creation at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation of a support fund for the victims of natural calamities.

Standing by the People

The three-day visit to the Far North was equally occasion for the Head of State to meet the people of the region that have ceaselessly stood by him in times of need. Fondly referred to as the brainchild of the New Deal, the Far North Region is known to be one, if not, the fief of the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement. During the eight audiences which he granted at the Presidential residence shortly before departure, President Biya listened to the plight of the people of the area and gave instructions on how to handle some of the issues. The eight delegations included: officials of the CPDM, traditional rulers, religious leaders, parliamentarians, mayors, and administrative authorities.

The CPDM was particularly thankful for the contribution of the Head of State in solving the flood problem in the region. In the same vein, he urged the Imams to assist the State in maintaining a peaceful climate and ensuring security considering the violence that has been hitting the African continent. The bishop of the Maroua-Mokolo diocese, Mgr Philippe Stevens, told reporters he had thanked the President for the measures he is taking to cleans morals in the public administration, stating that this has opened up the consciences of the people to freely say what is going wrong thereby contributing to the good management of that which belongs to the State.

Hon. Kamsouloum Abba Kabir, who headed the delegation of parliamentarians, expressed the happiness of the people's representatives on the announcement of the construction of a 330-kilometre combined dike and road round the Maga dam. This, he said will not only enable Cameroon to have authority over its territory but facilitate the movement of people and goods in the region. The audiences ended with the administrative authorities led by the governor who re-echoed the President's call to sensitise the people against inhabiting flood areas.

That said, the three-day visit of the Presidential couple raised the morale of the people and gave them more courage in the face of the mishap.