The Governor of the North West Region, has called on the population leaving within the Santa-Bamenda stretch to form a vigilante group that will enable them help SOGEA-SATOM workers and security operatives to secure the environment from another unknown attacks and incursion.
Lele Lafrique Deben Tchoffo Adolphe, was speaking Thursday August 23, 2018 at mile 7 Akum after he visited SOGEA-SATOM road construction company to get first-hand information about the damages they suffered following the burning of four of their trucks meant for the transportation of materials from one part of the road to the other.
Talking to The Voice, the North West Chief Executive, reiterated that the act being perpetrated by “Terrorists” is to distract and destroy the morale of the company and workers, working on the Babadjou-Bamenda stretch of road. While re-assuring all the workers with the
French company contracted to re-construct the road and the population that the Head of State has given firm instructions to the security services not to neglect anything to secure the works that are ongoing, Governor, Lele Lafrique Deben Tchoffo Adolphe, appealed to the population to join hands with the security forces to organize themselves and come up with a “vigilante-group” to help the workers and the security, to secure their environment between Santa and Bamenda to ease the works that are going to effectively start immediately after the rains subside in November 2018.
The Project Manager of SOGEA-SATOM, Didier Bafakam, while evaluating the damages, told The Voice, that the attack on the company will never demoralize them….”We will work even harder”. He noted that the unidentified armed gun men set ablaze four heavy duty trucks at their parking site at mile 7 in Akum worth the sum of 500 million. Recounting what transpired on the night of Wednesday August 22, 2018, Marcel Azamago, one of the guards on duty said…..”It was around 10pm when I heard a sound of a motorbike and as I went in front to check where the noise was coming from, I met more than 15 men with guns. Our phones and everything on us were taken. They tied me and my colleagues.
After that these men poured petrol on the trucks and put fire on them. While we were shouting after they left, we tried to put off the fire to no avail”. While seizing the opportunity to congratulate the company despite the sociopolitical climate, the North West Governor, praised SOGEA-SATOM for at least executing almost 60% of the work. “After the rainy season, the work will resume and to allow us by this time next year to enjoy a good tarred road between Babadjou and Bamenda.