The long awaited rains have finally arrived in the southern part of Cameroon sending farmers back to their farms with seeds and seedlings. It is awaited in the northern part of the country in the next three months. The rain in effect represents one of the complexities of nature. It brings happiness just as it can bring sorrow. That is nature. T

he producer of the famous Botswana firm, “the gods must be crazy” describes it as a thing that has refused to adjust to man’s desires but that is forcing man to rather adjust to its own desires. This is certainly the spirit behind the “Emergency Project to Fight against Flood-PULCI” which the government officially launched in Yagoua in the Far North Region on Friday, March 11. In effect, government is readjusting to the desires of rain which comes along with a series of mishaps, the most common in the northern regions, being flood.

Memories have not stopped being fresh on the disaster caused by the sudden overflowing of Lake Maga in the far North Region in 2012, precisely in the Mayo-Danay Division. The incident brought untold misery ejecting the inhabitants of Simatou, Silawe, Tabadai, Ziam I, Ziam II and Ziam III from their family niches, forcing them to first settle in a school building in Guirvidig, about 25 kilometres from Maga before being resettled in a camp at the little village of Farahoulou.

Over 22,000 people were displaced by the uninvited guest from the Maga reservoir dam, property destroyed and schools disrupted. This situation left no one indifferent including President Biya and Wife who immediately organised a three-day visit to the area during which the Head of State took the engagement to give a lasting solution to the problem of flood both in the Far North and the North Regions.

The launching of PULCI last Friday is a logical implementation of the President’s engagement, a commitment supported by the World Bank as translated by its readiness to disburse FCFA 54 billion for its financing. The target set by the project that is already under execution is preventive but can be curative. Some of the components of the project include the reinforcement of the Logone and Maga dams, construction of residential houses to hoist victims, and rehabilitation of rice farms.

The two northern regions, particularly, the Far North Region is the area most starred by famine. That the emergency project takes ample consideration of food supply is something worthy of praise. Already hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, the Far Naorth Region in particular merits such a project.

Recent statistics on food insecurity are to say the least, disgustful. In 2015, the cereal deficit increased from 120,000 metric tons to 150,000. About 12,000 cattle died and several thousands of goats as well. The Boko Haram attacks have incidentally disrupted agricultural activities exposing the region to more food insecurity. The situation will certainly be worse should the two dams; Logone and Maga overflow their bounds.  

This explains why stakeholders in the execution of PULCI must demonstrate a sense of seriousness knowing that they will be held responsible should some disaster  once more have far reaching effects on the population.