Transport Infrastructure
The Republic of Cameroun was opposed to reunification with Ambazonia from the beginning. That is the reason why the government of President Ahmadou Ahidjo voted against UN resolution 1608(XV) of 1961 by which the UN wanted French Cameroun and Ambazonia to negotiate a federal union by 1st October 1961. As Ambazonia was still a UN Trust Territory, it was not represented at the UN, hence Ambazonia did not have the opportunity to express its opinion on this UN resolution.
When the UN resolution was adopted in spite of the opposition of Republic of Cameroun, the government of President Ahmadou Ahidjo reluctantly celebrated unification in October 1961. But the consequence of this involuntary unification is that the people of Ambazonia have been made to pay a very heavy price for having voted in favor of union with French Cameroun during the plebiscite of 11th February 961.
The government of Cameroun under President Ahidjo decided to treat Ambazonia as its colony. In so doing, they exploited the oil and other natural resources of the Ambazonia and for 50 years, starved the region of the basic infrastructure that it needed in order to enable the citizens of Ambazonia to engage in normal economic activity to support their families. This policy has continued under Mr. Paul Biya who took over from President Ahidjo in 1982 and has now been in power for 29 years.
Many areas of the Ambazonia, such as Manyu, Lebialem, and Ndian Divisions have practically been depopulated because of the complete inaccessibility of the region. The lack of basic roads throughout the year, has forced the indigenes of the region to migrate to other parts of the country. The sector that illustrates most vividly the starvation that has been inflicted on Ambazonia by the colonial government of Cameroun has been in road infrastructure. The Government of Ambazonia is aware of the fact that it is the frustrations that the people and the youth have suffered over a period of 50 years that has convinced them that they have to make all the sacrifices necessary to achieve the sovereignty and statehood of the Republic of Ambazonia.
Against this background, the Government of Ambazonia is committed to implementing a clearly defined policy on basic infrastructure in transport, communications, electric power and water supply.
Policy on Road Infrastructure
National Highways Backbone (NHB)
In order that the economy of the Republic of Ambazania should function as one single unit and enable all regions of the country to make their unique contributions to economic development, the Government of Ambazonia shall undertake the construction of a National Highways Backbone (NHB) which shall be designed to connect all the key regions of the country with a highway system constructed to the same standard. The road sections which shall be included in this National Highways Backbone shall be the following:
| From | To | Distance (km) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | Kumba | 70 |
| 2 | Kumba | Mundemba | 100 |
| 3 | Mundemba | Calabar | 44 |
| 4 | Kumba | GBachuo Akagbe | 98 |
| 5 | Bachuo Akagbe | Bamenda | 123 |
| 6 | Bachuo Akagbe | Ekok | 82 |
| 7 | Bamenda | Kumbo | 109 |
| 8 | Kumbo | Nkambe | 70 |
| 9 | Nkambe | Wum | 108 |
| 10 | Wum | Bamenda | 80 |
| Total | 884 | ||
In order to finance the NHB, the Government of Ambazonia shall conduct an international auction of these road segments to international groups which are willing to provide financing to construct them according to an agreed standard and to manage them on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis for an agreed period of time.
National Highway Spurs (NHS)
The National Highway Spurs shall consist of roads which feed into the National Highway Backbone. In order to support traffic development on the NHB, the government shall for its part seek financing to construct road programmes which feed into the NHB. Such roads shall be known as National Highway Spurs (NHS). The roads sections to be included on the NHS are the following:
| From | To | Distance (km) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mutengene | Mungo Border | 30 |
| 2 | Kumba | Tombel | 35 |
| 3 | Tombel | Bangem | 65 |
| 4 | Manyemen | Bangem | 50 |
| 5 | Victoria | Idenau | 48 |
| 6 | Bachuo Akegbe | Fontem | 50 |
| 7 | Bamenda | Fundong | 50 |
| 8 | Fundong | Wum | 53 |
| 9 | Wum | Akwaya | 60 |
| 10 | Mamfe | Akwaya | 80 |
| 11 | Bamenda | Santa | 40 |
| 12 | Ndu | Sabogari | 70 |
| 13 | Nkambe | Abonshie | 70 |
| Total | 701 | ||
Ecowas Link Roads
The Government of Ambazonia shall make arrangements for constructing some road sections which are important for providing linkages to the ECOWAS region. These road segments are:
- Abong/Nkambe/Kumbo
- Wum/Nkambe
- Ekok/Mamfe /Bachuo Akagbe
- Kumba/Ekondo Titi/Mundemba/Bakassi/Cross River Border
- Victoria/Idenau/EkondoTiti/Mundemba
In view of the priority nature of the ECOWAS Link Roads in the implementation of the roads program the Government of Ambazonia shall seek to raise financing from the Lagos based African Finance Corporation to fund the construction of these key road links. In constructing these road links the Government of Ambazonia is aware of the fact that there is a large population of Nigerian citizens based in Cameroun.
The restoration of the independence of the Republic of Ambazonia is going to have a significant impact on these Nigerians. Some of them might want to become citizens of Ambazonian Counties. Others may only wish to obtain resident permits in order to settle in their businesses. Whatever the case, the Government of Ambazonia expects that there shall be significant traffic flows on the ECOWAS Road Links to and from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Government of Ambazonia has designated these roads as ECOWAS link roads because of the role that they will play in providing linkages between Ambazonia and Nigeria and to the larger ECOWAS economic area.
Financing shall be sought from various agencies around the world to ensure that the construction of these road links shall be done on a priority basis. Because of their commercial importance the ECOWAS link roads shall all be financed on a BOT basis by operators who shall be authorized to charge at various tolling points along the road links in order to amortize the financing for the road projects.
Use of Community Labor
Road construction and maintenance in developing countries has become highly dependent on contractual arrangements with construction companies which can acquire sophisticated earth moving equipment. While these arrangements are necessary for road networks intended meet loading conditions for heavy vehicles, the construction of many dirt roads that can transform the economies of many rural areas can be done with community labor that does not require the use of sophisticated earthmoving equipment. Most of the roads in Ambazonia were constructed during the British colonial period using such community labor requiring that the entire community should turn out to use various hand held tools and equipment to construct a motor-able path.
The Government of Ambazonia shall ensure that the Counties should make use of community labour to construct some of the vital roads in their Counties before assistance can be provided from the central government for surfacing them with bitumen. The Counties shall also be encouraged to establish and maintain and equip a Public Works Department in each County so that the roads can be maintained regularly.
Airports
The Republic of Ambazonia is a small country in terms of land area. However, it shall have definite needs in terms of airport infrastructure. Indeed the airports shall provide access to the various parts of the country until the resources are available for constructing the NHB and the NHS. The rehabilitation of existing airports and airstrips shall be given priority while the resurfacing of new airstrips shall also take priority over the construction of roads. In this respect the following airports shall be given priority:
Bamenda
The Bamenda airport has never really been put to use since its construction during the 1980s. The rehabilitation of this airport and the installation of air traffic equipment and other airport accessories shall be given priority because Bamenda shall be used as the seat of Judiciary the Republic of Ambazonia.
Besongabang
The airport in Besongabang near Mamfe was constructed by the British government but was abandoned by the colonial government of Cameroun. As the airport which is intended to serve Mamfe which shall be the Seat of the Legislature, its resurfacing and equipment with radar facilities and other airport accessories shall also be given top priority by the Government of Ambazonia.
Tiko
The airport in Tiko was constructed during the period of German colonial occupation of Kamerun. It remained in operation during the period of the existence of the Government of West Cameroon. However, the colonial government of Cameroun also closed its operation. As this airport is intended to serve the main seaport in Victoria as well as the national capital of Buea, its rehabilitation shall also be given high priority by the Government of Ambazonia. Its resurfacing and equipment with radar facilities and other airport accessories shall also be given top priority by the Government of Ambazonia.
Mundemba
There is no airport in Mundemba at the moment. However, in view of the plan to locate an international oil refining complex on the West Coast (on the windward side of Mount Fako), it is essential that an airport should be constructed in Mundemba to provide airline linkages with the outside world and rest of the country.
Seaports
Victoria
The town of Victoria has a deep seaport which was a functioning and had potential to handle large vessels. However, it was abandoned by the colonial government Cameroun which preferred to invest in the port of Douala which required constant and expensive dredging as a result of siltation from the Wourri River. Recent developments at the Victoria port include the plan to construct a dry dock for the repair of ships and other naval vehicles in Victoria.
Tiko
Elders & Fyffes, a UK based shipping company owned since 1913 by the United Fruit Company of the United States, operated shipping services for passenger and banana cargo between the United Kingdom to many destinations in the world. One of the service lines was from Avonmouth England to Tiko in Ambazonia.
- 1939-1940 Avonmouth - Cameroons.
- 1946-1964 Europe / London / Avonmouth - Cameroons.
The ships were specially fitted for the transport of banana produced in Ambazonia. It also offered a passenger service between Europe and the Ambazonia. For this purpose, wharf facilities were constructed at the Tikoport.
After unification with French Cameroun in 1961, Ambazonia lost its privileged access to the UK banana market because it was no longer a Commonwealth territory. Consequently bananas produced in Ambazonia Cameroons (then known as West Cameroon) could no longer be imported into the United Kingdom. This led to the cessation of the shipping line from Avonmouth to Tiko and to a steep decline in the banana industry in Ambazonia. The United Fruit Company turned its attention to Latin America and the Caribbean for the sourcing of banana into the United States and into Europe.
The decline of the port of Tiko can be traced directly to the loss of the UK market for the banana industry of Ambazonia as a consequence of unification with French Cameroun. Nevertheless, Tiko continues to have the potential to be restored to its earlier status as a major sea port, subject to appropriate investment being made in the port facilities.
IPRC Oil Terminal
The development of an international petroleum refining complex near Rio del Rey in Ambazonia shall require the construction of an oil terminal dedicated to the export of petroleum products from the refining complex. The combination of the international petroleum refining complex and the oil terminal shall bring infrastructure, development and jobs to the indigenes of the Bakassi Peninsula.
