The Senior Divisional Officer for Ngoketunjia, Quetong Kongeh Handerson, presented an overview of the situation in his division during the Regional Administrative Coordination Meeting (CCA) chaired by the Governor of the North West Region, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
The SDO expressed concerns about the state of national road number 11, which connects Bamenda to the Bui Division boundary. Despite being tarred several years ago, the road has deteriorated significantly due to vandalism and misuse.
"It has degraded tremendously. Terrorists dug holes to plant explosives. So those patches are completely bad. Some of the roads even have holes that have been dug to more than two three meters", the Ngoketunjia SDO said.
However, the SDO welcomed the news that the road forms part of the Ring Road project, with studies and consultations already conducted.
However, the SDO's major concern lies with rural roads, which have been neglected for over a decade. Although the Ministry of Public Works allocates funds for rural road maintenance, the SDO claimed that the mayors manage the funds without informing the trustee authorities about the progress of the projects.
The SDO criticized the lack of transparency and accountability in the management of rural road maintenance funds, stating that the truth is "bitter but it must be spoken." He also expressed frustration about the lack of cooperation from mayors in attending quarterly participatory meetings for the evaluation of public investment projects.
The Ngoketunjia SDO also provided updates on other projects in the division, including the Bamali bridge and Mile 27 bridge projects.
Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique responded to the SDO's concerns, instructing him to investigate the matters further and propose solutions based on the law.
Regarding the inner roads in Bamenda, the Governor stated that the Head of State has given firm instructions to unblock the situation, and the Ministry of Public Works will soon start the process of compensating those affected. A technical meeting will be held with stakeholders to discuss the project's progress.
The Governor's assurances offer hope for improvement in the region's infrastructure, but the challenges highlighted by the Ngoketunjia SDO underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public projects.
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