Douala building collapse: Mayors to blame!.

This year, houses have collapsed in Buea, Douala, Limbe and may be in many other localities in the country out of media’s searching radar. 

In recent times, especially during the rainy season, headlines like: "Cameroon-Floods Affect Almost 40,000 in Far North Region, Flooding and Landslides Cause Death and Damage in Western Areas,  Deadly Landslide in Yaounde," etc have been common. 

They have left in their fatal paths deaths, injuries and devastated the economy in dire straits while mayors have sunk in slothful indifference. At the weekend, one of the most deadly disasters in recent times stroke Douala.

A four-storey building in Ndogbong, on Saturday night collapsed and provisional report drawn up by the local authorities noted that 33 residents died and over 21 others were injured.

Authorities, including the Governor of the Littoral Region, mobilised fire fighters and members of the defence and security forces to search for victims and possible survivors.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Célestine Ketcha Courtes, scurried to Douala yesterday and held a meeting with the Governor and municipal authorities. She later visited the scene of the accident.

That has over the years been the tradition. The message has been advising people not to build in risky areas and to obtain building permits before constructing houses. They are warned not to construct houses on drainage paths or under electricity lines.

In some of the disasters like the one that occurred in Buea, last March when powerful floods raced through streets in the city, destroying dozens of buildings, President Biya dispatched Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, to deliver Presidential humanitarian relief material to victims.

Nearly all the disasters that have affected residents across the country have been man-made. They could have been averted. There are laws that prohibit building on risky terrain while the legislature bans people from building without permits.

Mayors, who issue such permits, are required to ensure the building conforms to all safety standards. The mayors also have the authority to inspect buildings in their municipalities and ensure that those at risk of crumbling are demolished or renovated.

The mayor of Buea Council, David Mafany Namange, did that when flood swept through the city. He immediately announced a demolition exercise, which effectively started with more than 25 houses crushed. The mayor, accompanied by council workers, was present in the field to ensure that the job was properly done.

“I am here today to ensure that all works here go well and every house around water ways must be brought down. This is exactly what I would have done long ago to avoid such calamity. It is quite unfortunate it took us lives to realise we had to do this. I am really sorry for the pain this has caused you all. We have assured all the victims that we will take care of most of their expenses, especially the ones in the hospital,” Mafany Namange said.

He is just one in a thousand, who, though selling after the market, took some concrete steps to demolished risky structures. In nearby Mutengene, when floods brought down a house killing one, the mayor of Tiko Council, said he needed a "feasibility study" to demolish houses build on water paths!

In other places like in the West Region, people have been displaced to safety zones. But in Douala, notorious for fatal floods and even in Yaounde, no demolition has taken place or persons displaced to safe grounds.

The weekend house collapse in Douala may not have been caused by building on a perilous zone, but certainly the structure did not go through the sieve of scrutinised construction norms.

The fact that the building was known as "House of Death," is indicative of the imminent danger it posed to residents and neighbours. 

In a society where institutions that should constrain incivility have suffered the rigors of time and the wear and tear of power, people do not care even for their lives.

Poverty and the adrenaline rush to survive at all costs, compel them to rent cheap and life-threatening houses, even on the verge of collapsing.

People are building death traps called houses on river banks, swampy areas and hills prone to landslide during rainy season in all major towns in Cameroon.

Unfortunately, mayors and their town planning departments which job is to issue building permits, are riddled with ineptitude and corruption.

But when accidents like the recent storey building collapse in Douala occur, like a drama played to the gallery, administrators of various ranks, mayors and government ministers rush to the bloody scenes with presidential humanitarian assistance and ready-made messages of condolence to the bereaved families.

It is all a shameful circuit show. 

The Guardian Post does not consider that as a solution. Mayors should sit up and demolish all houses on risky zones. They should ensure every building gets an approved plan that guarantees the house is in conformity with modern safety standards.

Mayors should also get their town planning teams to shun bribery and be on regular inspection of houses in towns and cities while those that are assessed to pose a danger should be demolished if they are beyond renovation.

Innocent Cameroonians cannot be dying in their sleep in such numbers as it occurred in Douala at the weekend while mayors and government authorities continue to behave as if it is business as usual. 

They should protect innocent citizens and be proactive, rather than waiting for avoidable disasters to strike before they pretend to be accountable. Enough of this buffoonery!