Pope’s visit: Governor backs minister in battle with Y’de City mayor over road works.

Governor Naseri and his entourage visited the stretch Monday, ordering workers of a company which the City Mayor had contracted to rehabilitate the road to quit. 

In the company of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Mfoundi, Djikdent Emmanuel Mariel, and other security officials, the Governor ordered the company to take its machines off the stretch.

Naseri stood and watched as his instructions were being respected, insisting that the instructions of the minister of regarding works on the road have to be respected. 

In a video clip that emerged after the site visit, the Governor is heard questioning: “You want war in our country?”

He told his hearers that: “So, what I have said is simple. It is an instruction from hierarchy. We follow the instruction of the Minister. If there are other instructions, we follow first the instructions of the Minister…”.

He explained to the officials of the City Council-backed road constructions company that they have a channel to raise their complaints. 

“…we will comeback. Put together all your complaints, put them on the table of the Senior Divisional Officer, who will transmit them to the Governor…,” he said. 

Before ordering the company to vacate the stretch, he noted that, “…stop telling me that the City Mayor is not happy…it is instructions that we are following…have you understood? Your machines should first of all liberate this place. Go on, I am waiting here…”.

Context 

The Feux Marche Madagascar-Cite Verte road is said to be an important stretch within the context of the April 15 to 18 visit of Pope Loe XIV to Cameroon. For months, the City Mayor of Yaounde had contracted a firm to rehabilitate it.

Due to delays in realising programmed works, the City Mayor is said to have given additional two months for the company to complete the project. 

The delays and extension is said to be what caused Minister Ketcha Courtes to engage another company to finish the works before the arrival of Pope Francis.

Revisiting public drama

On Friday March 18, the tussle over the road which had been mostly through correspondences between Luc Messi and Ketcha Courtes went public. 

On that day, City Council agents and police officers working at the Council fought with workers of the company the minister had engaged to complete the works.

In the process, police officers and road workers fought to the full glare of passersby. Videos later emerged of civilians wielding what is believed to be guns of police officers and exchange of punches. 

The road workers of the company backed by the minister ended up being arrested and ferried to the Yaounde City Council.

After getting wink of the development, Minister Ketcha Courtes stormed the Yaounde City Council and forcefully freed the road workers that were held hostage. 

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3740 of Tuesday March 24, 2026