Work on the 40-km Foumban-Manki stretch of road in Noun Division of the West Region began way back in 2011 and was expected to last 18 months. Five years on, the project, which accounts for Phases 1 and 2 of the Foumban-Tibati road linking the West and Adamawa Regions, is still going on. Since November 2011, the project has suffered four postponements, with progress evaluated at only 68 per cent as at press time.

This is why the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, wants a turnaround. Accompanied by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Public Works, Louis Max Ayina Ohandja, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi discussed obstacles inhibiting work. After driving the 40-km stretch, the Minister and his team met the contractor and control mission to seek a lasting solution to the problem. He acknowledged efforts by the Turkish firm, ESER, to complete the project.

The Minister stressed that his working visit to the site was to speed up work, have it complete and change the livelihoods of Cameroonians in this part of the country. The FCA 21.4 billion project funded by the State of Cameroon, (56.9 per cent), the Islamic Development Bank (27.5 per cent) and the OPEP Funds for International Development (15.6 per cent), is part of the Foumban-Tibati-Febadi-Ngaoundere stretch of about 538 km that passes through Banyo in the Adamawa Region and links Cameroon to neighbouring Nigeria.

The Head of the Control Mission was the first to take to the floor. He described Cameroonian sub-contractors as being unreliable. Also, the non-payment of progress bills and challenges in acquiring construction material on time were cited as further causes of delays. The cost of construction material, they argued, has since risen from initial contractual terms. ESER officials explained that all hitches were directly or indirectly linked to lack of financing. They disclosed that company funds worth over 9 million US Dollars have all been pumped into the project, being all they can afford.

On the other hand, the company complained that it has not received any payments in the last nine months, although the over 270 employees have regularly received their wages, explained Server Birgoren, the Project Director. ESER officials also complained about alleged government unwillingness to sign documents for supplementary works carried out that were not part of the contractual agreement. Minister Nganou Djoumessi requested the company to submit a new calendar of work for the project to end by August 31, 2016, as agreed by both parties.