Woman chases BIP from project site

Members of the participatory follow-up committee of public investment projects, BIP, Meme division were recently chased from a project site as they went to commission the contractor who won the project.

The committee headed by Paul Akwo Makembe, together with Meme divisional delegate of Economy, Planning and regional development, and other members were chased away by a woman whose name we got as, Mme Nnoko Mboh, wife of a retired Magistrate, as they visited the environs of the Kumba District Hospital where a project of FCFA 25 million has been allocated by the state for fencing of the Hospital.

This revelation was made by the delegate for Minpat, Godlove Buinda, during a participatory follow-up meeting for the second quarter for 2014 that took place at the Kumba city council hall in the presence of the Second Assistant Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, Nelson Yongkuma.

The meeting aimed at evaluating the level of projects executed, those ongoing and those not executed, left participants worried as to why the woman had to take the law into her hands by chasing BIP members and contractors from the land that belongs to the state.

Narrating the ordeal, the Minpat boss lamented the embarrassment through insults and threats the lady showered on them while they inspected the area.

The next day, according to the delegate, the contractor visited the site to commence work but was still driven by the same woman.

According to the delegate, the matter was reported to the Divisional Officer for Kumba 1, Charles Duala Fomumbod, who until now is still trying to resolve the problem.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of Kumba District Hospital, Dr. Zachs Ebongo Nanje, regretted why a single individual would block a project worth such amount of money.

He cited several occasions that the Divisional Officer for Kumba 1 had tried to make peace to the level of planting pillars on the area.

He said despite the pillars that were planted in the presence of the woman, she still went ahead to claim the Hospital land.

According to the woman, who spoke to reporters sometime concerning the land, the issue was brought up to intimidate her to surrender her family land to the Hospital, as her husband is bedridden.

She swore not to give any portion of her land to the Hospital or the administration.

Apart from this incident, the follow up committee also called on vote holders of the project below FCFA 5 million to hasten execution with July 31 set as deadline for such projects.

Following the report presented, out of a total of 62 projects, 25 have been completed while 18 are ongoing, with 19 not executed.

The realization rate stood at 25.5 % for financial and 31% for physical execution.