Centre Region: Mbam and Kim Population Decry Absence of Bridge Over River
By Wilson Musa
The River Mbam links the West and the Center Regions of Cameroon and precisely at a locality called Mbioko a few kilometres away from Ngambe Tikar. TIt is the daily reality of the people of the Mbam et Kim Division in the Centre Region of Cameroon who continue to suffer the effects of the long absence of a bridge over this river.
Movements of people and their goods have remained a nightmare to the local population which depends entirely on the sale of their agricultural produce. Locally made canoes are often spotted moving people, goods, and sometimes even cars across this river.
In an attempt to remedy the situation, a Timber exploitation company (Société Scierie du Mbam et Kim Sarl) in collaboration with the civil administration has placed a ferry at the service of road users who struggle daily to cross themselves and their goods from one part of the region to another. A victim recounting his experience tells this reporter that “Some days the river overflows its bounds and prohibits the use of the ferry. Some days the ferry is faulty and so we have to wait here with our vehicles for days to be able to move to the other side when the water level most have gone down or technical problem has been resolved”.
What is most alarming about the situation is that heavy-duty trucks transporting foodstuffs and timber will have to pay huge sums of money ranging from 40.000FCFA to 500.000FCFA on the spot before they are allowed to use the ferry. It is not clear if this money gets into the state coffers but from the reporter’s witness account, the money is being shared between the Timber Company (SMK Sarl), the civil administrators, and the local council who jointly manage the ferry.
Ngambe Tikar supplies a greater percentage of the Timber being taken out of the country as we spot tons of timber being transported out of the region on a daily basis. Maize and other foodstuffs are being produced and carried out of this region to other parts of the country. It however remains incredible why a mere bridge cannot be placed over this river even with the heavy sums of money collected from road users daily. The question this reporter is asking is; is it easier to manage a ferry and collect money or to build a bridge not up to 100m above this river? Could it also be that the bridge had been constructed and delivered on paper just like other projects in Cameroon?
