Tarring of Mbouda-Bamenda Road will have to wait - Minister

Users of the Mbouda-Bamenda stretch of road that has become nightmare may still have to wait for several more years to see it completely tarred. Government authorities have said despite the dilapidating condition of the stretch of road, they are still searching for funds to add to an already allocated sum to get the road passable.

A group of CPDM Parliamentarians from the North West region confronted Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development recently, to seek answers to non-intervention by gov’t in the appalling road. The MPs, led by Hon. Njingum Musa who doubles as Auditor of the Assembly wanted the Economy Minister to tell them why gov’t cannot allocate funds for the rehabilitation of the Mbouda-Bamenda road.

Djoumessi is said to have parried the blame on his colleague of the Public Works Ministry. He told the MPs that Government had already allocated some money to the Ministry of Public Works to take care of the road, surrendering documents to the MPs to back his argument.

Njingum Musa, MP, told the Journal on phone Tuesday that going by the documents the minister presented to them, the sum of 2 billion FCFA was handed to the Ministry of Public Works to take care of the road. Njingum said the Minister said he did not know why up to now the rehabilitation works have not yet begun.

He said when they reminded the Minister that 2 billion FCFA cannot tar that stretch of road, Djoumessi said Government was still in search of more funds to make up the amount. The Minister stated that the 2 billion FCFA allocated was merely to get the road passable.

The Journal gathered that an effective and successful tarring of the Mbouda-Bamenda road which links the West region to the North West would cost not less than 28 billion FCFA. A statistical analysis therefore shows that the 2 billion FCFA allocated by Government represents only about 7% of the total amount needed for the job.

Meanwhile, the Journal was also informed by dependable sources that the Mbouda-Bamenda road was originally part of a project to tar Bafoussam to Bamenda road. However, when the project got to Mbouda; still in the West region, gov’t terminated it, claiming that allocated funds for the project were exhausted.

When the MPs interrogated the Minister on government’s feet-dragging on the Bamenda Ring Road construction, another project now abandoned by gov’t in same region, Djoumessi again stated that Government is still in search of money to enable the completion of the first phase of the road.

The Bamenda ring road project was announced way back in 1985 by President Biya. He has remained in power since then, but the project continues to suffer drawbacks. In a visit to Bamenda in 2010, the president reiterated the complete tarring of the road. But as it stands, the Journal gathered that the construction is yet to reach Kumbo central.

A rendezvous agreed with the Minister of Public Works with North West CPDM MPs for Wednesday failed on reasons that the Minister was to appear before the National Assembly for questioning.