By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Construction works on road networks in Cameroon came under intense review last February 20, 2018 during an evaluation meeting between officials of the Ministry of Public Works and companies carrying out road construction projects in the ten regions of the country.
Chairing the over eight hours meeting in the conference room of his ministry at the Emergence Building in Yaounde, Public Works Minister, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi instructed contractors to brave all odds in the field because the government must realize all the road projects earmarked within the framework of the 2019 African Nations Cup and the Emergency Triennial Programme as ordered by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.
Minister Nganou Djoumessi who was accompanied at the meeting by the Secretary of State to the Minister of Public Works in charge of Roads, Louis Max Ayina Ohandja and other close collaborators, after listening keenly to problems encountered in the field by the various contractors, immediately proposed emergency solutions while stressing that there is no time to waste.
The Public Works boss reassured contractors that nobody can hold the state hostage on road projects.
Among the contractors who had a working session with Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi was the Head of Agency of SOGEA SATOM in Cameroon, Gilles Duchatel whose company is in charge of many road projects in the country including what today is described by citizens as the mysterious Babadjou-Bamenda road due to the fact that the rehabilitation work launched officially by the Minister last year is yet to start despite pressure from both the government and the population.
Asked what the situation of the Babadjou-Bamenda stretch of road on National Road No6 is now, Gilles Duchatel of SOGEA SATOM sounded rather reassuring in his chat with reporters “today we have moved seriously on other studies which had to be performed before we start the work proper. We had some small issues about the quarry which we need to install for the work. But with the help of everybody, we hope that in the next few days, we will start our installation of our quarry at Santa and start to crush the aggregate inside. On the road, primary studies are almost performed but we still have some small issues with expropriation on the 5km entrance into Bamenda. With the help of the ministry, all these issues will be solved, so we hope all will be ok very soon for us to start.”
During the meeting, update on execution rates in terms of percentage on each of the projects placed under the State Engineer which is the Ministry of Public Works was presented.