Road infrastructure in the SW Region:

33 years of unfulfilled promises

By A. NgomeKome

  NgomeKome

The adage that where a road passes, development follows can never be over laboured. It is true today as it was yesterday. The inadequacy of a good road infrastructure in Cameroon and, especially in the South West Region is one of the root causes of the rampant poverty which has pervaded the nooks and comers of our villages/country. The near neglect of provincial roads which in most cases connects the villages and towns to their divisional headquarters and the lack of proper maintenance of National roads which in most cases connect divisional headquarters to regional headquarters is a contributory factor to the economic backwardness of our country. Roads leading to zones of production of coffee, cocoa, plantains, cocoyams and other economic and food crops are in most cases pliable for three to four months of the year. This makes the evacuation of these products difficult and sometimes impossible. This brings to light the problem of the farm-to-market roads.

                This situation renders the farmers poor because they cannot sell what they produce. Also, the traders who dare to ply these roads during those periods pay almost nothing for the products and sell them at exorbitant prices in the cities. In the local markets on the road from Tombel to Bangem, these opportunist traders buy huge bunches of plantains for 300F CFA or less. The same goes for cocoyams and other food crops. As a result, the farmer does not therefore enjoy the fruit of his labour.

                As stated above, an example of this type of dramatic situation is found on the provincial road number seventeen (P.17) which connects Tombel – Bangem – Melong – Dschang – Balessing – Bansoa – Bamengoum. If you dare pass through this road during the rainy season, you see heaps and heaps of rotting plantains, cocoyams, bananasetc, packed in the village markets waiting for evacuation. There are cases on this same road where cocoa crops for a whole season cannot get to the market because of the roads. This example is applicable to other areas of Cameroon, and especially in the South West Region.

                For over 30 years of existence, SODECAO the state corporation responsible for the development of cocoa does not know that farmers in meme, Fako, Ndian, Kupe-Muanenguba, Mamfe and lebialem produce cocoa and has limited its activities only East of the Mungo. At a certain time, Meme was the first cocoa producing division in Cameroon. SODECAO was not aware of this!

                On his maiden visit to the South West Province (now Region) on the 15th and 16th of April, 1983, our Head of State President Paul Biya made the following promises concerning the road infrastructure in the provinces:

1)            That a contract was soon to be signed for the construction work on the Lobe-Ndian road and the tarring of the Limbe-Idenau road

2)            That the studies of the Ekok-Mamfe-Bamenda, Mamfe-Akwaya and the Fontem-Dschang roads were soon to start or were almost completed

3)            That government would accelerate the rehabilitation of the Loum-Kumba-Mbonge and the Tombel-Bangem roads.

                Where are we with these projects and promises 33 years later?

                This article is meant to serve as a reminder. It is never too late to fulfill a promise!

A.