The General Manager of the China Machinery and Engineering Company charged with the construction of the 20,000-capacity stadium in Limbe, Eric Cui, on Friday, December 12, officially handed over the new stadium to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, Dr. Emmanuel Wonyu.

The Secretary General, nevertheless, stated that the exercise was just a “partial handing over,” because there was still some finishing to be done, especially in the area of connecting electricity from ENEO lines and water from CAMWater into the Stadium. Presently, the stadium is lighted with the aid of power from a thermal generator and water is fetched from elsewhere and supplied to the stadium.

Dr. Wonyu was in Limbe at the head of a delegation of technical experts from his Ministry, some from the Ministry of Public Works and others from the State’s Civil Engineering and Construction Laboratory outfit, Labogenie.

The team of experts did a technical evaluation of the stadium by inspecting all the various segments of the stadium, the green turf, race track, sitting positions, commentary booths, conference rooms, electrical installations and so on.

At the end, the Secretary General sounded satisfied with what the Chinese have done, saying they were giving ENEO and CAMWater authorities a grace period of one month to, respectively, connect the stadium to the national electricity grid and supply water.

This shall be followed by a “full handing over ceremony.” The SG also announced that the construction of parking lots around the stadium, tarred access roads and other aesthetics necessary to make the Stadium meet CAF’s expectations before the 2016 African Nations Female Football Championship, shall commence immediately after the final handing over.

He disclosed that the Chinese Company that has just done the stadium has already furnished the Government with a plan on how these external works will be done, which is currently being scrutinised.

Meantime, the Secretary General of the Limbe City Council, Charles Arrey Nkongho, who was one of those who received the SG of MINSPORTS in Limbe, was much apprehensive of the fact that CAMWater has been saddled with the job of supplying water to the new Limbe stadium; especially as this facility has to play host to the 2016 Female African Nations Cup. The epileptic nature, and at times quality wise, which CAMWater supplies is, certainly, one of the reasons why the Limbe City Council Scribe was very worried when the MINSPORTS’ SG was in Limbe.

“And if the State is counting on CAMWater for the supply of water to the stadium, then, there maybe some embarrassments. Their installations cannot meet up the demand of water needed by the Stadium and surrounding areas,” Arrey said.

But Dr. Wonyu allayed the fears, after consulting with some of his technicians, saying “all will be done to ensure that CAMWater meets up its responsibility.”

Which Is Limbe Hosting: AFCON 2016 Or 2019 All?

It is clear that the 2016 AFCON shall be hosted in Cameroon and in two venues, namely; the Yaounde Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium and in Limbe in the new 20,000-capacity soccer bowl at Ngeme. But as to whether the Limbe stadium, which has the same capacity as that in Bafoussam, shall be one of the venues of the 2019 AFCON, is what is still an unanswered question to the locals of Limbe and those of the English-speaking Regions of Cameroon.

While listening to the speeches of the different personalities during the SG’s visit, it was evident that, while those from Yaounde were limiting their talking only to 2016 as far as Limbe has to host, their Limbe counterparts stretched their right of hosting right to the 2019 AFCON.

CAF had indicated that only four cities had been submitted to host the 2019 AFCON in Cameroon: Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam and Garoua. But the CAF inspection that was in Cameroon in May, 2014, before the country won the right to host in September, was equally in Limbe when they came to inspect possible venues that had been earmarked to go with Cameroon’s bid.

The Head of State, had, after CAF’s announcement of four cities, gone ahead to name the Limbe Government Delegate as one of the Committee members in charge of preparations for the 2016 and 2019 competitions in Cameroon.

But, till date, it is still not clear whether Limbe shall have the grace of sharing its ‘friendship’ with the rest of Africa’ or will be limited just to 2016.

Bamenda, Cameroon’s fourth largest city and Biya’s “second home” has, unfortunately, been left out in all of the 2016 and 2019 AFCON arrangements.