The Coordination and Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Priority Projects in Bakassi set the priorities for 2012 Friday, November 18.

The main priority of the Coordination and Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Priority Projects in the Bakassi zone in 2012 is to look for resources for the construction of the Loum-Kumba-Ekondo Titi-Mundemba–Isangele-Akwa road. The Chairman of the Committee, Lekunze Ketuma Jacob disclosed this in Yaounde after the committee held its 13^th session on Friday, November 18, 2011. He promised the maintenance of earth roads in the area in the course of the year.

Mr. Lekunze Ketuma stated that government has spent billions of FCFA to build schools, health centres, fishing infrastructure, administrative buildings and other facilities to ensure the effective occupation of the area by Cameroon. He lauded government’s efforts to develop the Bakassi Peninsula that Nigeria handed back to Cameroon following the International Court of Justice ruling of October 10, 2002 on the border conflict between Cameroon and Nigeria.

Government’s development efforts, he said, are however not well appreciated due to acute water, electricity and communication problems. He called on government to ensure electricity supply, especially in Mundemba and Ekondo Titi where communication antennas and transmitters have been set up to enable people in the area receive Cameroon Radio and Television signals. While waiting for AES-SONEL for electricity supply, the Committee members proposed the putting in place of solar and wind turbine energy.

The Bakassi Committee was created on August 21, 2007 and started work on January 8, 2008. It was given the task of coordinating and following up the implementation of short, medium and long term projects in the zone. Lekunze Ketuma Jacob recalled that the Greentree Agreement between Cameroon and Nigeria of June 12, 2006, set up the timetable for the peaceful transfer of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. “This agreement underlines that Cameroon shall only exercise full authority on the peninsular from 2013,” he said. “Members should speed up projects earmarked by their ministries by ensuring that they are completed by August 14, 2013, the deadline for the end of the Greentree Agreement,” Mr. Lekunze pleaded. The President of the Bakassi Committee reminded members that the Head of State, Paul Biya is following up activities in Bakassi very closely. “Watch out that your ministry does not fall among those that shall be called at the end of the transitional period to explain any shortcomings in case of any lapses,” he warned.