Locals list challenges ahead of energy minister’s Far North visit

Cameroon’s minister of Energy and Water resources, Gaston Eloundou Essomba will on Wednesday be in Maroua, capital city of the Far North region.

Ahead of the visit, locals have been expressing hopes that his visit will make life better for them.

Among other concerns, locals say finding potable water is an arduous task made worse by the lack of constant electricity supply.

The lack of street lights too, they note, automatically converts the town’s roads into death traps at night.

“Mr. Minister, give us electrical energy. We are in need of it like never before. No long speech. We want something concrete. The Far North is suffering,” says an inhabitant of Maroua who identified himself as Saidou.

For almost two months, he explained that “… the load shedding in Maroua has become common. ENEO is no longer respecting its schedule established for power cuts.”

With many seeking alternative sources of power, Saidou says the prices of basic commodities, as well as power sources, keep skyrocketing.

“… Fish and meat vendors are looking for where to keep their goods. The sellers of generator sets have had to increase their prices,” he says.

The minister’s visit will be one of many ministerial visits the region has seen in the last few months, after those of the 6-minister delegation and the recent security visit by Territorial Administration minister Paul Atanga Nji, accompanied by Works boss, Emmanuel Nganou Njoumessi.

Mimi Mefo Info