Deplorable Tombel-Kumba road:

CPDM MP suggests manual labour as solution

-Hon. Bob NgujedeNgole also urged the populations along the Tombel-Kumba stretch to stay glued to the CPDM party if they want lasting solutions for their problems

By Mesumbe Eric Ekiti

Hon. Ngujede Robert Ngole encouragingcommunity work in Etam village

The Member of Parliament for Tombel Hon. Ngujede Robert Ngole has called on communities along the Tombel-Kumba stretch of road to throw their weight behind the ruling party and its chairman to ensure meaningful development. He made the call during a tour of the villages along the 33 km stretch that separates Tombel in KupeMuanenguba from Kumba in Meme.

Stopping successively at Mile 20, Ebonji and Etam during the tour, the MP, who was in the company of the Divisional Officer for Tombel Sub Division, Nyam Leonard Njowun encouraged the populations to ‘manually’ maintain the portions of the road passing through their villages and asked them to support the CPDM as he re-echoed party slogans

                Though he acknowledged it was not yet time for political campaigns, Hon. Ngujede urged the youths to actively participate in the football competition he launched in the area and enjoined them to support President Paul Biya.

                “We must learn our lessons. We have to support President Paul Biya. He has the key to all the taps and when he opens, water flows. We all have to come out as CPDM militants because it is the ruling party that has the resources to develop any community,” Hon Ngujede told the thousands of people who were working at different spots on the Tombel-Kumba stretch which many say had been long abandoned.

                The MP encouraged communities to continue regular manual maintenance on the road, while awaiting a permanent solution from the state. He added that working on the road was a mark of service to humanity.

               

He described the Loum-Tombel-Kumba stretch the as reunification road, which unfortunately has remained a nightmare to users. He regretted that people leaving Tombel to Kumba have to pass through the Littoral and Fako. He lauded the communities for understanding the problem and heeding the invitation of the local administrative officials.

                While many blame the government for abandoning the otherwise strategic road which links the economically vibrant and historic towns of Tombel and Kumba, Chief Christopher Alobwede of Etam village told reporters it may be that government has other more important engagements.  But he at once asked the MP to table the community’s problems to government so that they can progressively be addressed.

                For his part, the second deputy mayor of Tombel, HippolyteNgalame said the Loum-Tombel-Kumba stretch is a national road managed by the state and not the council. But he explained that the council only helps in maintenance just so that the community can get farm produce to the market.

                “This particular road was tarred in 1961 and was christened “the Reunification road”. If today it is not tarred it is not me to say the government has abandoned it,” the mayor regretted.

                Mayor Ngalame sounded optimistic that the road is on programme for tarring, stating that it is part of the Green Tree Accord to tar the road from Loum through Kumba to Bakassi.

                The Divisional Officer for Tombel Sub Division Nyam Leonard, for his part, lauded the population for their engagement and enthusiasm. He said they have shown that they don’t need to wait for the state for everything.

                “We should think about how we can also accompany the government in its multi-dimensional tasks,” the DO advised, urging the villagers to do every thing they can to make the road passable and practicable.

                A lady, who spoke to reporters corroborated this view but regretted the adverse economic atmosphere existing in the area due to the poor state of the road.

                “We have difficulties evacuating our farm produce to the market. Prices of common products are dropping everyday,” she complained.

                With plantains, coco yams and cocoa as main crops here, locals are disturbed as the present situation is seemingly giving advantage to middlemen, who only exploit them.

                “We sometimes park our cars for six months without working because the road is horrible”, Castilo, a local driver told The Median Newspaper.

                This perhaps could explain the involvement of drivers in the manual road maintenance. But those who manage to ply the road under current conditions are seemingly making lots of money from passengers.

                “Transport fare per head is FCFA 2500 from Tombel to Kumba up from FCFA 800 when the road was good some years back,” a road user waiting to cross to Kumba from Ebonji complained.