13.5 billion FCFA needed to fill potholes on Y’de roads-Urban dev’t minister.

Minister Ketcha Courtes made the disclosure in a recent interview granted the state-owned Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV. 

Reacting in the wake of public outcry over the deplorable state of roads in the nation’s seat of power, the member of government said funding remains a major issue.

She stated that despite the huge amount needed to address the bad roads, what government has at hand is only a meagre one billion FCFA. 

She rather extended an appeal to the seven Subdivisional Councils of the nation’s capital and the Yaounde City Council to make contributions that can help in salvaging the situation.

“We found out that only for Yaounde, we need 13.5 billion FCFA to address these potholes. Unfortunately, we have one billion FCFA to do it,” she said. 

The member of government said they have decided to group engineers from councils to see how the issue can be addressed.

She urged councils to also play their roles in keeping the city up to standard. The Base Course, BCR, compact baton method involves the use of local materials to produce pavements for road construction. 

The member of government projected the method as something that could serve denizens durably when put to use in Yaounde. Her confidence is based on what has been done in the towns of Garoua, Bafoussam and Bertoua.

In the meantime, authorities have been blaming the poor state of roads on increased rains, a population in the capital city that has spiraled to around four million people. 

This, those in power say, brings pressure to bear on a city that three decades ago could boast of just one million inhabitants

To also note that the heat within government circles about the bad state of roads in Yaounde comes after an October 26, 2023, inter-ministerial meeting which the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, chaired. 

He had ordered for emergency works to address the appalling state of roads in the capital city. 

Gov’t’s interest to please strangers or citizens?

In the wake of government’s ‘strange’ interest in the dilapidated state of roads in Yaounde, there are those who say, the move is sponsored by the desire to please visitors and not residents.

Cameroon will on November 4 and 5 host at least 400 delegates from member countries of the Organisation Internationale de La Francophonie, IOF. This will be for the organisation’s 44th Ministerial Conference.

Critics say the many emergency moves within  government circles about the state of  roads in Yaounde is simply because the Biya regime wants to cover its ‘shame’ and give visitors a befitting stay in Yaounde. 

Those who hold that argument say, if not for such high level gatherings, it would have been rare to see the unprecedented momentum from authorities to address the situation.