Abandoned Up-Station Road Project:

K’ba City Mayor, SDO Playing Hide & Seek Over Missing Funds

Authorities charged with execution of the said road alongside other technical collaborators have been playing a hide and seek game over money that was disbursed to rehabilitate two streets in Kumba three years ago by the then MINEPAT, Louis Paul Motaze. Recent outings made by the City Mayor, Victor Ngoh Nkele, and the SDO, Chamberlain Ntou Ndong, point to some foul play as they insinuate that the money had long been “chopped”.

By Ekoko Willies in K’ba & Doh Bertrand in Y’de

The cold war pitting Kumba City Mayor, Ngoh Nkelle Victor and Meme SDO, Chamberlin Ntou’ou Ndong has taken a new twist following recent disagreements related to the funds that had long been disbursed to rehabilitate some two streets in Kumba.

             

Abandoned road leading to SDo’s residence at Kumba Up-Station

   Nkele Ngoh and Ntou’ou Ndong appear to have agreed to disagree on how to handle the matter concerning an alleged runaway contractor who has abandoned one of the road works – the stretch from the CPDM hall to the SDO residence, after collecting the money for the job.

                The contractor whose business name The Median got as KOGEDI BUISNESS EXCHANGE AND NEGOCE, B.P 15334, Yaounde, had lured the SDO and the Government Delegate (now City Mayor) to award her the contract worth FCFA 366.968025 for a 3.125km stretch from the CPDM hall to the SDO’s residence. 

                On Monday 20 April 2020, Ngoh Nkelle made it known to reporters that the contractor had disappeared with money for the job and was nowhere to be found. He said the council will forget about the escapee contractor and see how they can get other competent persons to do the works. But Nkele did not however say how and where he intends to get the funds to pay the new contractors, after the funds provided by government had been ‘disappeared’.

                The City Mayor’s declaration seem not to have gone down well with the SDO, who has in a recent outing told reporters that he is re-launching a manhunt to track down the runaway contractor.

                Ntou’ou Ndong has also frowned at all those concerned with the award of contracts in Meme Division for handing the job to an outsider who cannot be easily traced.

The SDO’s alibi has been considered by many as a smokescreen, and a desperate move to wash his hands off the ‘mess’ he and others contributed to plunge the city of Kumba into. Informed observers say the SDO, who now appears to be playing the blame game and shifting all responsibility to the City Mayor and others, was at the fore-front of the contract award process.

                The contractor is said to have lured the members of the contract award commission with claims of her alleged connections at the Presidency.

                Commentators have questioned why the SDO is coming out only now, after the job had been abandoned three years ago, and with the road seriously degraded.

Allegations are rife that the money for the project might have been siphoned into private pockets.

                The Median gathered from an insider that the contractor has since proven so stubborn perhaps because of her alleged links to the Presidency.

                She is said to be ignoring calls from the project stakeholders within the Meme administration. She has also not responded to the numerous query letters that have been addressed to her.

                The sum of FCFA 545 Million was made available by the then Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, Louis Paul Motaze, in a release with Ref No. 005345/L/MINEPAT/SG/DGPAT/ENF on 10 August 2017. It was disbursed for tarring of two streets in Kumba, as a response to a plea made by the Government Delegate and the SDO, during an audience the Minister granted them concerning the poor road networks in Kumba.

                Out of the amount, FCFA 366 968 025 was allocated for the construction of the stretch from CPDM hall to the SDO’s Residence (3.125km), while FCFA 166 716 270 million was for the road from RTC junction to Bonakama (1.150km) with FCFA 36 000 000 and FCFA 16 million allocated for the follow up of the work.

                The delay in the commencement of the project coupled with the poor state of roads in Kumba has caused the population to rain scathing criticisms on the current management of the city council. Many are of the opinion that if nothing is done, the money might just end up in private pockets, while the road remains in its present sorry state.