By Walter Wilson Nana
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Jean Claude Mbwentchou, has said the pace of some of the Re-unification projects, especially the two government hotels under construction in Buea, is still slow.
Mbwentchou, head of a Ministerial delegation zoomed into the Southwest Regional Capital, Buea, Wednesday, recently, to inspect the projects under construction in preparation for the announced celebrations of the Re-unification of the two Cameroons, which took place October 1, 1961.
Jean Claude Mbwentchou, Minister of Urban Affairs & Housing, listen to reactions at Reunification preparatory meeting
After the first phase of celebrations that took place on May 20th, 2010, in Yaoundé, marking 50 years of the then La Republique Du Cameroun, President Biya on December 31, 2011, announced that the celebrations of the Reunification of Cameroon shall hold in Buea.
However, some observers hold that apparent delays in the execution of some earmarked projects destined to boost the face of the celebrations in Buea had caused the Head of State to wave the celebrations to 2013. Thus, on December 31, 2012, the Head of State mentioned in his End-of-year message to Cameroonians that the celebrations shall take place soon when the right conditions have been put in place and with all the solemnity that goes with such an occasion.
It is in the wake of the Head of State’s pronouncement that the two Ministers and a Secretary of State, Mbwentchou, of Housing & Urban Development, Jacqueline Koung a Bessike, Minister of Land tenure and State Property, and the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Marie-Rose Dibong, came visiting Buea and Limbe where the Re-unification projects and other state projects are either on-going or soon to take off.
Koung a Bessike & Mbwentchou (Ministers backing) at Reunification meeting in Buea with stakeholders
They were, nevertheless, satisfied with the progress of work in the other projects visited such as the new grand stand that shall host the event at the Buea Independence Square and the new Buea Town Hall that is near completion.
March 31, End of Projects
At the Buea stopover, Mbwentchou told all the contractors involved in the Reunification projects, especially those in the road and hotel construction that they have up to March 31 2013 to be done with their work. “After that date we will no longer entertain any other contractor(s) involved in Reunification activities. From Match 31 2013, the Reunification calendar belongs to the Head of State and members of the National Organising Committee of the Reunification of Cameroon,” he noted.
Mbwentchou said the delegation came to reassure Cameroonians that the work on the ground is ongoing and void of polemics. “President Biya’s vision of a construction site for the country must be seen and felt in Buea. The town has to be good, lovely and habitable,” he added.
He will be corroborated by Jacqueline Koung a Bessike, who enjoined the contractors to respect deadlines.
She said the modernisation of Buea has to be the focus of the work being done and the primary beneficiary should be the population of Buea and the Southwest Region.
Ministers & stakeholders of Reunification celebrations visit construction sites in Buea
Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai chided some of the contractors who are not doing their work, while inviting the population to keep their environment clean.
The Director Generals of MAETUR, Credit Foncier, AES Sonel, Camerounaise Des Eaux and CAMWATER were invited to make the celebrations a huge success.
Amongst other road projects visited in Buea were; the Tole-Sasse-Bonjongo stretch, the Babouti-Bokwai-Muea stretch and the site for the low-cost housing project in the Muea neighbourhood of Buea.
So far, the road projects will be handled by Egyptian construction company, Arab Contractors and supported by Buea-based construction firm, Chariot Construction. The grand stand at the Buea Independence Square is been done by the Engineering Wing of the Military Department.
