– Says it’s cheaper, materials available, has 30-yr-road lifespan
By Doh James Sonkey
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Celestine Ketcha Courtes granted a press conference at the Emergence Ministerial Building last June 22, 2023 on the use since 2017 of the roller compacted concrete technology in Cameroon.
She said it was never experimented in the country but used in the execution of the urban component of the French debt reduction and development contract, C2D regional capitals project.
Thanks to the regional capital, commercial facilities have been rehabilitated to improve the working environment of traders, cattle and fish markets have been rehabilitated etc.
According to Celestine Ketcha Courtès and some experts the roller compacted concrete technology that has been used in countries like Canada, Madagascar and Algeria have several advantages: as compared to the tar that is imported, the RCC uses local materials such as sand, gravel, cement, water and can be applied all over the country, it has a lifespan of at least 30 years as compared to the tar road which optimal lifespan is estimated at 15 years; It has easy maintenance as compared to the tar etc.
The results obtained in the field is glaring; with FCFA 81 billion, over 60km of roads constructed with 20km in Bafoussam, 18.36km in Bertoua and 19.73km in Garoua (Phase I)
300 streets lights were also installed in insecure spots, water kiosks constructed and the building of 45 toilets.
The French C2D programme which is Cameroon’s largest programme for the cancellation and reconversion of its external debts have been executed in three phases: 2006, 2011 and 2016 in multiple sectors namely, agriculture, health, education, justice and police, drainage and especially, urban development which after targeting the cities of Douala and Yaounde was extended to regional capitals.
The Minister said it is time other towns like Ngaoundere also benefit from regional capital projects so that it can benefit from the amelioration of mobility of the population and resolve the problem of infrastructural deficit.
She explained that the Bafoussam, Bertoua and Garoua contracts were awarded in July and September 2018, that is, 5 months before President Biya appointed her Minister in January 2019.
Minister Courtes expressed her gratitude to France on behalf of the government for the French Development Agency remains the main technical and financial partner involved in Urban C2D programme.
While work is currently ongoing in the towns of Maroua and Bamenda (Phase II since 2016) some unscrupulous individuals like a certain Conrad Dieudonne BebeNdi is bent at tarnishing the image of the project by depositing a complaint last January 28th 2023 to the Special Criminal Court accusing the Minister of “misappropriation of the amount of FCFA 5.619.266.173 in a well-organized gang through extra billing of construction and rehabilitation works of road infrastructures in Bertoua”
Describing the allegations as unacceptable, the Minister lodged a complaint last February 3, 2023 against Bebe Ndi for defamation, slanderous denunciation, insult to a civil servant and usurpation of title and name.