At Last Kumba-Mamfe Road Gets Government Attention

By Marcbright Nfor

The Kumba-Mamfe road which is the popular cry of the Manyu people has caught the attention of government and sources say the contract for the construction of the Kumba-Mamfe road has been awarded. The Kumba-Mamfe road like the Loum-Kumba road and the Kumba-Mudemba road have been a nightmare to the people of the South West Region. For 53 years, the political elite(s) of the South West Region who are appointed from Yaounde have always told President Biya the wrong side of the story. Although lots of political promises have been made on the tarring of the Kumba-Mamfe road, nothing has so far been done. However, it has finally been confirmed that the contract for the tarring of the Kumba-Mamfe road has been awarded to two Chinese Companies as hinted above and not that the contract was signed in Nfor Tabetando’s palace as rumoured. This piece of information was confirmed over the state TV newscast at 8:30 pm today February 24, 2014. The report further states that construction work on the Kumba-Mamfe road will begin by May 2014. Notwithstanding, we are still to lay hands on the contract awarded and the total cost of the contract. 
A school of thought holds that this was the opportunity Ekema Patrick, the mayor of Buea missed. The scale of the problem Ekema faces after delivering that low graded speech has sparked controversy among Southwesterners and has attracted a lot of media critics. Yet President Biya has finally rescued the Buea mayor by hastening work on the Kumba-Mamfe road. However, skeptics say anything can happen given that when President Biya announced that he was going to supervise the tarring of the Ring Road, it took fifteen years for him to come to Bamenda to meet his un-kept promises. 

On February 20, it was expected that an elected mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick Esunge should present the litany of problems not only facing Buea council area but the entire South West Region with the Kumba-Mamfe road highlighted. Many thought Ekema had the golden opportunity that while appreciating Paul Biya for what he has done for Buea, would equally tell him how nowadays to travel from Manyu to Buea, one has to pass through Bamenda and Bafoussam.  It is a fact that the Kumba-Mamfe road is impassable.

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