Bamenda-Babadjou Road: The battle we fought.

Be that as it may, his observation has been assessed, based on several parameters.

However, the one thing that has stood out in the 23 years existence and history of The Guardian Post, is its huge contribution to shaping national development in all sectors of life.

Besides being the market place of ideas, open to all without discrimination, The Guardian Post, has for the purposes of defending the interest of Cameroonians, oftentimes embarked on straightforward advocacy, to right the wrongs of society. 

In the case of the English-speaking North West and South West Regions, the influence of The Guardian Post is even more surpassing.

The country’s lone veritable daily newspaper is unrivalled when it comes to the business of journalism and public service in Cameroon. Several State personalities and stakeholders have attested openly that The Guardian Post is second to none, when it comes to media advocacy.

The media house has continued to ride high, extending its influence beyond the shores of Cameroon, given its spotless credibility that has since gone international. It is a position won through fighting and surviving battles from several quarters. 

Intimidation from those in the corridors of power and separatists are among the most recent of battles the newspaper has been fighting. 

In the case of the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions, The Guardian Post has gone through hell, but is still standing.

The newspaper’s enemies have done their worst severally. From within the government and among separatists, they have come for The Guardian Post on all cylinders, hoping and dreaming that after such salvos, the newspaper will cease to exist! 

In all of these, The Guardian Post, God’s newspaper as its Publisher/Editor-in-Chief puts it, has remained firm, unshaken, upholding best journalistic practices, defending the general good and contributing to Cameroon’s evolution.

It is a feat which even enemies can’t deny. The past was kind to us, history will be kind to The Guardian Post and posterity will archive it in golden ethers that severally, The Guardian Post fought battles and won all. 

The Guardian Post’s Motto: “Cherished by many, haunted by some, read by them all,” could never have been better said.   

But before the time will come for such fine memoire to be said about The Guardian Post, the advancement of work on the Bamenda-Babadjou road is a realization, which history, this outstanding newspaper cannot be denied the credit of having pushed for.

The Guardian Post seeing beyond just a project

When in October 2016, the World Bank announced a loan of 192 million US dollars (102.9 billion FCFA), for the construction of the Bamenda-Babadjou road, its then Country Director for Cameroon, Elisabeth Huybens, was clear about its importance to national development.

“The overall poor condition of the road network, combined with high transport and logistics costs, reduces the economic benefits that Cameroon should derive from being a key transport hub for Central Africa,” Huybens had said.

She had further underscored that: “It is important for us to support the country’s effort in the planning and implementation of a multimodal transport investment strategy”. 

When works commenced in 2017, separatists who had before then been fighting The Guardian Post attacked workers. From that time, the project began to suffer several delays. The road became deplorable and a shameful tale for many a Northwesterner.

Aborigines of the North West Region found it difficult to understand how, despite its much-trumpeted attachment to the regime in place, it was the only Region cutoff from the rest of the country!

Between 2018 and 2019, the situation had gone out of hand. The Ministry of Public Works and other government structures resorted to narratives that were not clear. But then, the suffering of the population was tear-provoking.

The sick died in attempts to be transported to seek healthcare out of the North West Region. Businesspersons lost billions as goods decayed on the stretch of road. Even corpses suffered besides the frustration of missed appointments for millions of citizens travelling out of and into the Region. 

The North West Region was cast into the abyss. The Guardian Post saw beyond the gloom and started fighting to ensure the road was tarred. 

The Guardian Post takes up case

When it became evident that nothing was happening, no one wanted to talk and the odds were against the North West Region, The Guardian Post, stepped into the scene.

For weeks, months and years, The Guardian Post took on the Bamenda-Babadjou road project file. Besides painting the disaster of the road and the suffering of the masses, it pushed actors to work.

It was a fierce undertaking but the newspaper, for the sake of defending public interest and what is right, remained on the issue. 

Even unknown to the public, The Guardian Post lost millions as it stood, pushing for the road to be tarred. The newspaper was denied adverts in several government structures! 

That was not enough, even bills of The Guardian Post that were due payment disappeared from government offices overnight!

The anger of those in power was that, The Guardian Post, given its global influence and credibility, was exposing the shortcomings of the regime. That was from the government perspective.

On a flip coin, separatists who had been using the deplorable state of the road as a trophy, came for The Guardian Post. They had been busy using the road to say it was government’s marginalisation of Anglophones, claiming the best way out was secession.

Despite the victimisation from both the government and separatists, The Guardian Post stood on the firm augment that tarring the road was a right and not privilege. 

The newspaper nonetheless furthered that tarring the road was not just a way of promoting national unity but advancing inclusive development. This further pushed separatists to uncork their cache against the newspaper.

Separatist activists and their agents took the fight on and offline. They attacked the newspaper and further attempted to destroy its credibility. They claimed The Guardian Post had been bribed to ruin their dream of a separate State for the North West and South West Regions.

While the media house was still battling with this, some persons within government were also pressing on with accusations, claiming The Guardian Post had received money from separatists to focus on the poor and shameful state of the Bamenda-Babadjou Road.

However, given that a clear conscience fears no accusation, The Guardian Post not only remained unwavering but demonstrated fiery tenacity to push for the tarring of the road.

The Guardian Post, the untiring watchdog

As The Guardian Post kept fighting on, others, among them Members of Parliament, MPs, of North West extraction, sitting members of government and former ministers, among others, tried pushing for same but gave up.

They became weary and disappointed but The Guardian Post, amid the unending attacks and defamation, put the people and Cameroon as a country first.

All the newspaper had in mind was ensuring the people’s suffering came to an end. The Guardian Post was pushing and longing to see the road tarred as part of advancing Cameroon’s development. The Guardian Post paid the price in several forms but kept its eyes on the prize.

Remember The Guardian Post, before hawks step in

Now that it is becoming certain that the road project will be completed and delivered latest June this year; The Guardian Post, for purposes of merit, makes bold to indicate that it fought battles for this to happen.

The Guardian Post is authoritatively echoing and recording for today and future generations, that the daily newspaper made this happen. The price was huge for The Guardian Post, but nothing is ever too much to do for a people.

Before people, among them politicians, seeking for cheap publicity, start queuing up to say they pushed for the tarring of the Bamenda-Babadjou Road project realisation, they should not forget the sacrifices The Guardian Post made.

It was The Guardian Post against the rest. We were insulted, mocked, threatened and denied several opportunities and advertising jobs. We fought because we put the people and the country first.

Where are we now?

As at March 15, the Ministry of Public Works indicated that works on the 17 kilogram stretch linking Babadjou to Matazem, was at 93% completion rate.

Beyond this, secondary projects associated with the project have also far advanced. The ministry has indicated that latest June 2024, the project will be completed.

As everyone is celebrating this feat, The Guardian Post, as an institution, is looking back in delight that it fought a good fight, it kept the promise and must not be denied the opportunity of sharing in the glory of the project’s realisation.