THE GOUACHE DRAMA CALLS FOR PROFOUND AND URGENT CHANGES!

First published by Bamenda Online on November 2, 2019.

searching for survivals after the landslide

The deaths that occurred following the landslide in the Bafoussam III district, Gouache 4, Block 6, are undoubtedly a tragic event that continues to shake the entire national community.

First of all, the CPP extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this disaster. He joins all the voices calling for care for survivors, support for the families of victims and support for burial worthy of those who have died.

As a nation, we owe it to these compatriots who are now suffering from misfortune.

We cannot remain indifferent to what has happened. All of us must help to ensure that all the lessons from this disaster are learned.

Especially since the climate changes that contribute to this type of crisis are likely to intensify in the future.

It is with this in mind that, beyond the management of the ongoing disaster, we must seriously work on the various projects below.

In the short term, it is essential:

1. Updating studies on the different risk areas throughout the country in general, and in densely populated areas in particular.
2. Identification and relocation of displaced populations in safe areas.
3. The development and implementation of an evacuation plan for populations living in high-risk areas.
4. The provision of human, material and financial resources to the organizations in charge of disaster prevention and management, enabling them to be deployed on all sites deemed dangerous or at risk.
5. Updating and developing disaster response plans throughout the country.
   In the medium and long term, it will be absolutely necessary:
6. To effectively implement urban planning and land use plans throughout the national territory.
7. To develop a more effective system to manage the settlement of populations in urban centres due to rural exodus.
8. To develop more effective city management systems to prevent and/or stop the phenomenon of uncontrolled settlement of populations in high-risk areas.
9. To develop more efficient systems for granting the various permits and certifications relating to housing issues in our cities.
10. To improve coordination between the various stakeholders in the management of our cities. There is a clear need for changes in the way ministries, decentralized state services and district municipalities coordinate in the implementation of housing policies.
11. Regular education of the population through different information and training strategies on the various risks they face and the legal requirements that must be respected.
12. A real participatory management of municipalities that makes it possible to identify problems in advance, find solutions together with the population, and obtain the support of the population in the implementation of these solutions.

Obviously, not all these projects can be implemented if there are no changes in the current management, practices and governance system.

The tragedy we are experiencing could be avoided under our laws.

The tragedy we are experiencing can happen anywhere in the country.

If we do not shake it up, it should not come as a surprise that the same causes produce the same effects.

As things stand at present, the main problem is, among other things, that of :

• The dysfunctions of the State services in charge of issuing permits and certifications on the one hand, and of monitoring and regulating construction on the other. 
• The lack of firmness of State services and political actors (national and local) who, for various reasons, allow risky situations to flourish. 
• The lack of functionality of the structures in charge of disaster prevention and management. Whether they are housed within ministries or in cities, they do not have the minimum necessary to operate effectively. 
• The extreme slowness that exists between the observation or reporting of problematic situations and the taking of decisions to resolve them.
•  Incompetence and corruption that thrive in public services.

• All these deficits, inadequacies and dysfunctions are amplifying factors of incivism and thrive all the more so as Cameroonian populations are living more and more in abject precariousness.

•   The failure of public policies on access to housing. Social housing, where it exists, is out of reach for the middle classes.

GOUACHE TALKS TO US!

The best tribute to our compatriots who have been swept away by the disaster is to implement the urgent and profound changes that will demonstrate that real lessons have been learned.
We owe it to them.
We owe it to ourselves.
For the Cameroon People’s Party
Kah Walla
National President