City councillors of the Bamenda City Council have questioned the authorities to shade light on the grey areas surrounding the construction of the Bamenda Urban Bypass.
The City Councillors meeting during their administrative and management accounts session held on Wednesday 16th April 2025, quizzed the City Mayor to explain the reasons why works have not started on the Bamenda Urban Crossing, almost a year since the announcement of the availability of funding was made.
The City Mayor said he has attended all meetings called for the purpose but they were delays which only Mezam SDO can explain.
Taking the floor, the Senior Divisional officer for Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh explained that the road works have not started because the compensation of those whose properties were destroyed along the road have not been done.
Bamenda City Council Board deliberating
He went further to explain that after heading an evaluation committee, a compensation amount arrived at by his commission was at a little over one billion. Shockingly, another evaluation by a firm and the Ministry of Public Works, bills the compensation at over 6 billion Francs.
The Senior Divisional officer said such a disparity was too huge to be ignored and the last meeting held for this purpose took place in December 2024.
The file of those to be compensated, what was actually destroyed has been submitted at the Presidency of the Republic pending approval, then the contract will be awarded.
The clash over the amount to be paid as compensation has brought untold pain and suffering to the people of Bamenda who have to meander through bumpy roads to arrive their various destinations.
Approved by the Breton Woods Institute on the 14th June 2024 and announced by the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, the funding for the 30 metres wide road, up from 17 was approved at the cost of 30 billion Francs CFA.
This announcement was met with a lot of joy as the population knew their nightmare had come to and end. Unfortunately, almost one year after, nothing has been done on the ground.
The road which will cover a distance of 6.538 KM will span from the Amour Mezam through to Finance junction, Ngeng junction, veterinary junction, Ayaba street through to Metta Quarters and food market.
The City Councillors urged the SDO to look for available means to accelerate the file so that eventual works can begin.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
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