Adamawa: Housing minister blames floods on non-respect of building laws.

The member of government was speaking recently in Bois de Mardock vicinity in Ngaoundere. This was during a workshop to train local and administrative authorities on the need to respect urban development norms.

The training according to the minister, seeks to educate and make local and administrative authorities to be versed with laws guiding the building sector.

The non-respect of building guidelines, the minister regretted, has resulted in floods that have caused huge destruction of property.

 Minister Ketcha Courtes disclosed that, the training of the local authorities was on the instruction of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute.

 The country’s new urban development strategy, Ketcha Courtes said, is what her ministerial department want local authorities to master.

The Adamawa Region, she noted, is a beautiful administrative unit with a good vegetation but unfortunately the place is fast becoming risky during the rainy reason. She also condemned anarchical construction of houses.

She equally expressed the wish to see the mayors impact their communities positively to curb floods and disorderly constructions.

The lack of respect of building norms, she added, has been at the center of all disasters.

The training, Minister Ketcha Courtes noted, will be extended to other regions for maximum impact.

The Mayor of Ngenha, Mohammadou Awalou, said the training would empower local authorities to acquire knowledge on how to best develop their municipalities.

 The disorder in the construction of houses in the Adamawa Region, Mayor Awalou noted, has been on for long and should be stopped.

Awalou said, “I understand better the disorganised manner in which houses are being built in Adamawa…,” adding that, it was a privilege for him to have been trained among other mayors on the issue.