NW/SW Reconstruction, Development : Paul Tasong Wants All Hands On Deck

Consultations in the South West Region by the National Committee for the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD) had its first day yesterday (29 June, 2020) in Buea, capital of the South West Region. A session chaired by Paul Tasong as National Coordinator flanked by his assistant, Njong Donatus, and Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai.

Addressing the cross-section of people in attendance, Paul Tasong gave his word to South West inhabitants that reconstruction will begin with assisting reconstruction of some 12,000 homes damaged during the violence. He explained that individual aid would amount to FCFA 1.5 million in kind like corrugated iron for roofing. “All victims are beneficiaries to the plan” Minister Delegate Tasong said in reply to worries on where the reconstruction would begin.

During a five-hour session held in the hall of Buea Mountain Hotel, the National Coordinator of PPRD explained that the Committee’s work would span through 10 years and spread over phases. He highlighted the crucial needs of the population to include the promotion of social cohesion, revitalization of social infrastructure and revival of the economy.

Paul Tasong voiced that “No one can shoot down the Presidential plan” to answer what he termed disbelief and bad faith about the reconstruction and development of the sinister regions. According to him “suffering is not an ingredient of peace” and so people could not continue to suffer while waiting for what they called peace. He concluded that the reconstruction plan was also a contribution to bring back peace. Telling Figures Participants including opinion leaders, NGOs, traditional rulers, and heads of institutions was treated to a presentation by Tamajong Obase who showed that 315 kilometres of road has been made impassable with 26 bridges des- troyed in the South West Region during the crisis. Also, 30,000 hectares of farmed land was abandoned and 119 of th...