By Andrew Nsoseka
As municipal and parliamentary elections draw closer, the Buea Council appears to have woken from its slumber, turning its attention to long-neglected neighborhoods such as Sandpit. In what many residents describe as a hurried pre-election gesture, the council has trucked in loads of sand, cement and concrete to carry out what only loosely resembles road construction.
Rather than undertake durable and comprehensive work, the council has opted for surface “plastering”, a method it has previously employed in other parts of the municipality, notably on the road linking the Central Market to the main road at Checkpoint.
That project was widely ridiculed by locals, who joked that the road blockade lasted longer than the repairs themselves, with the road soon deteriorating into an even worse state. When the council later returned to repeat the same approach, the outcome was no different. Although the road was recently reopened to traffic, many residents believe it is only a matter of weeks or months before cracks begin to reappear.
In Sandpit, the situation has been dire for years. During the rainy season, torrential downpours wash away loose earth from the already patchy and ageing tar surface, leaving behind potholes and crater-like gaping holes. The deplorable state of the road has made it increasingly difficult for vehicles to access the neighborhood. Taxi drivers, citing the poor condition of the road, have almost doubled transport fares to Sandpit.
The road’s condition has also contributed significantly to traffic congestion. Vehicles frequently pile up on opposite sides, waiting their turn to pass through the few relatively passable sections. Some road users have suggested that the Buea Council could ease congestion by improving or constructing an alternative link road from Sandpit to Molyko or Mile 16, but such appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Given the nature of the road, many residents had hoped for a proper reconstruction project involving a fresh layer of tar. Others expected the narrow road to be widened and some form of planning enforced, as buildings are increasingly being erected dangerously close to the road, complicating any future expansion.
Instead, what residents now dismissively refer to as a “road plastering project” has become the council’s preferred option. Some Sandpit inhabitants argue that, if the council is so inclined towards using sand and cement, it could have opted for pavement blocks—an approach that would be more durable and easier to repair. With surface plastering, they note, the so-called reconstructed road is prone to rapid deterioration, especially along the edges, as vehicles and pedestrians begin to use it.
In essence, the ongoing works do not amount to full road reconstruction. They are limited to patching sections where the road has completely collapsed, offering only temporary relief rather than a lasting solution to a long-standing problem.
