By Nfor Hanson Nchanji
The Minister of Interior, Paul Atanga Nji recently made a road trip from Garoua to Ngaoundéré in the North and Adamawa regions, respectively. The Minister who visited the North for a meeting with the Governor, SDOs and DOs, said he came to evaluate the level of damage caused by bad roads and the security situation.
In his usual mannerism, Paul Atanga Nji, put a lighter mood in the administrators as he opted to drive himself along the National Road number One, linking the two Regions.
It took them more than Seven hours from Garoua to Ngaoundéré- an unacceptable situation, Minister Nji said.
He noted that in 2003, he used to drive past the road using Two hours Twenty minutes. This therefore calls for urgent action.
“In 2000, I took this road, and it took me around 2 hours to get from Ngaoundéré to Garoua (240 km). In 2025, following numerous complaints from the local population and reports from the Governors of the two regions, Adamawa and North, I decided to take the wheel myself, and you can see that despite the escort and with suitable vehicles, we took 7 hours 12 minutes on a road that in 2000 took around 2 hours. So, I’m going to report to the Head of State, President Paul Biya, on what I experienced myself. I saw at least 5 trucks fall off the road, because you have to dodge potholes.” He told reporters.
He said that the population of these regions had the right to complain about the poor state of the road but assured that he will make a report to the Head of State, who will take proper actions.
The Bigger Picture
In Cameroon, roads are controlled and inspected by the Minister of Public Works and to some degree the Minister of Transport whose involvement does not include technicalities. But in recent months, the state of roads across Cameroon have been criticized by not only the common man on the streets, but also by top government officials and elected members of Parliament.
The Senator for Fako Division in the South West region, Mbella Moki Charles, lambasted the road network in the region, calling on the Minister of works to sit-up. The Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguelle, said the road networks across Cameroon was dilapidated, meaning, someone has been appointed but he is not doing his job.
All these fingers pointed at the Works Minister, who has also been accused of using billions to construct a few kilometres of road. The people of Cameroon feel that much is spent on road construction but the output leaves much to be desired.
Atanga Nji’s outing in the North and Adamawa, did not only dealt a big blow to Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, but an uppercut. The Interior Minister said, he was going to personally submit a detailed report about the situation of National Road number One, to President Paul Biya. This is the duty of the Public Works Minister, who now seems to have failed and being pushed aside by the Presidency- an unsaid word- You have failed in your ministry-well, this has not yet been said to him, but the signs are clear. It will take a miracle for him to survive the next cabinet reshuffle.
Elections are coming in October, and the people of northern regions are angry that their roads are bad, the President is surely going to use this to score political goals.
