The Ministry of Public Works recently informed residents living near the construction site of Phase 2 of the Yaoundé-Douala highway that they will receive compensation for their properties in advance. This is a far cry from the usual process, which typically involves waiting for the official compensation decree to be issued.
According to an official from the Ministry of Public Works, the Prime Minister’s Office has authorized this exception for certain public works projects. The official acknowledged that the government often resorts to advance payments to prevent delays in project execution, as is the case for Phase 2 of the Yaoundé-Douala highway. On October 2, during the official launch of the project in Ngog-Mapubi, the Minister of Public Works expressed his commitment to meeting the 36-month construction deadline. To ensure this timeline is respected, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi is emphasizing the need to expedite compensations.
Delays
The Ministry of Public Works openly admits that mismanagement of compensations is one of the primary causes of delays in construction projects across Cameroon. Phase 1 of this highway’s construction serves as evidence. Multiple times, dissatisfied residents halted the progress of the work. Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi aims to avoid such scenarios this time around, especially given the crucial importance of this highway, which will connect the country’s two main cities, for the movement of goods and people.
The administrative authorities must now complete the process of identifying and assessing the properties to proceed with the payments. The governor of the Center region, Naseri Paul Bea, has completed this assessment and published an initial list to allow the public to submit complaints in case of omissions. After reviewing these omissions, the final list for the Center region will be published.
The Ministry of Public Works has also reached out to the governor of the Littoral region, Samuel Ivaha Diboua, to initiate the identification and assessment process there, which will allow for the advance compensation payments.
It is worth noting that the contract for this second phase has been awarded to the Chinese company China First Highway Engineering Company (CFHEC), the same firm that handled Phase 1. This second phase, covering 141.1 kilometers, is estimated to cost over 880 billion CFA francs.
Michel Ange Nga
