By DOH JAMES SONKEY with field reports
Government has restored hope in the population of the Mayo-Sava and Logone and Chari Divisions living along the Mora-Babanga-Kousseri stretch of road on National Road No1 following the launching of reconstruction work last March 1, 2018 by Public Works Minister, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense, Joseph Beti Assomo, Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey in the presence of the World Bank’s country Director, Elisabeth Huybens whose Bretons Wood institution is co-financing the project with the government.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Nganou Djoumessi explained that work is resuming on this stretch of road after the contracts were suspended since 16 May 2014 when residential quarters were attacked by the terrorist Boko Haram sect leading to the kidnapping of 10 Chinese employees.
Before the suspension of work, the Minister added, the rehabilitation of the 72.75km Dabanga-Kousseri section was at progress rate of 31% while that of the rehabilitation of the 132km Mora-Dabanga was sufficiently advanced.
After many negotiations, the two Chinese companies; JIANGSU Ltd and SINOHYDRO Ltd refused to resume work as a result of the persistent insecurity in the Far North region and the government terminated the contracts by mutual agreement in December 2014. That paved the way for the President of the Republic, Paul Biya to instruct the Military Civil Engineering Corps, to execute the rehabilitation in 2017.
In 24 months, when the work will be completed, the road is expected in the long term to ensure national cohesion by linking the Far North region to other regions to promote intra-trade, increase the purchasing power of the population and disenclaving Chad.
In the short term, the project will improve the fluidity of the Douala-Ndjamena corridor, contribute to the disenclavement of the Far North, reduce travel time on the Mora-Dbanga-Kousseri stretch, reduce the maintenance cost of vehicles, reduce rates of accidents, reduce the acts of vandalism registered due to the state of the road and guarantee the security and comfort of users of the road from Mora to Kousseri.