After Interministerial Visit : Prospects For Far North Region!

The visit of the interministerial delegation to the Far North Region to evaluate the situation of floods, give out Presidential assistance to victims and see what could be done when and how to boost socio-economic development has ended but inhabitants are now looking up to what could change. Going by a balance sheet of the visit and prospects presented by the other six Ministers whom Territorial Administration Minister, Atanga Nji Paul led to the region, there are reasons to hope. They unveiled their respective short, medium and long term plans for the region during an evaluation session in the conference hall of Far North Governor’s office.

Urban Drainage, Embellishment

The problems of Maroua town and most of the localities in the Far North Region revolve around floods. Housing and Urban Development Minister, Celestine Ketcha Courtes castigated haphazard construction and population incivility manifested through dumping of wastes materials in gutters even though the irresistible climate change remains threatening. While enjoining the City and Municipal Mayors to stretch full length in surmounting the challenges, Minister Ketcha Courtes disclosed that plans are underway to construct a 17-km drainage system in Maroua town between 2021 and 2023 to the tune of FCFA 26 billion.

She added that Maroua badly needs an all-inclusive urban embellishment project comprising drainage, developing green spaces and ensuring street lighting. She advised Mayors to draft waste disposal plans as well as put in place mechanisms to sanction perpetrators of pollution and defaulters in hygiene and sanitation. Mayors, she said, need to have an alert system against floods to pre-empt the disaster rather than reacting when it has already hit.

Road Infrastructure

The Far North region is visibly sick with its roads. But there are concerted efforts to turn the sorry story round. Public Works Minister, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi is already into discussions with municipal authorities of the region to set priorities for the coming years given the limited means and expressed needs almost all over the country. He announced that serious reflection is ongoing to continue to Pouss after ongoing construction works on the Maroua-Bogo road are done. Also as Maroua-Mora stretch is gearing towards completion by February 2021, Minister Nganou hinted that “We need to move to Dibanga given the transnational nature of the road.”  He announced that three new firms have been added to the military engineering corps to federate their expertise in rehabilitating the very important road.

Mobilising Funds, Seeking Partnerships

According to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, government is working tooth and nail in mobilising funds and in seeking strategic partnerships absolutely needed to materialize the Head of State’s wish of giving to the Far North what the region has given to the New Deal Regime. He rejoiced that the Emergence Plan announced by the Head of State when he came visiting the region in 2012 following floods helped in constructing a 27-km dyke in Maga. The population, he said, are already relishing the infrastructure which seriously pre-empts floods and boosts development. Minister Alamine said there are a multitude of projects with development partners like the World Bank and that the support of the population is necessary to ensure their fruition.

Maximising Decentralisation Opportunities

The development of any locality within the decentralization platform is participatory, the Far North Region inclusive. While waiting for the 15 per cent State budget to be channeled towards decentralization going by recently enacted legal instruments, Decentralisation and Local Development Minister, Elanga Obam has enjoined Mayors in the Far North Region to already put devolved financial and human resources  into good use so as to journey out of present difficulties. He said councils and their Mayors are field actors and must therefore get fully engaged in shaping a better future for the population.

The Minister noted that the FCFA 100 million allocated to each council within the decentralization fund is not small to meet the basic needs of the people through well crafted communal projects. Priorities, the Minister said, must be well spelt out. Paraphrasing the Head of State, the Minister said decentralization, owing to its participatory approach, is the best way to develop all nooks and crannies of the country. “Get involved and contribute in shaping a better fut...