In the heart of Bakossi land in South West Cameroon, a unique geographical formation gradually rises from two large volcanic craters, which erupted several years ago.
The Kupe Muanenguba Twin Lakes are a pair of crater lakes on Mount Muanenguba found in Bangem Sub Division, Kupe Muanenguba Division of Cameroon’s South West Region.
Known as calderas, the twin lakes are a breath-taking tourist attraction – often referred to as the male and female lakes. The female Lake, named “Kwankwalang”, is bluish in colour and is uniquely shaped like the African map. While the male is deep green in colour – a unique resemblance to the traditional soup of the Bakossi people called “Nsabengen”.
Three small streams feed the male lake. With no visible streams feeding the female lake with water, many locals believe the female lake is being fed by the male by some means.
The male and female lakes are separated by a slope and one can easily climb over from one lake to another.
Visiting the Twin Lakes is synonymous with hiking, walking, horse galloping, panoramic views, and breathtaking scenery.
While access to the female lake is simple and practical – you can take the stairs and come out to a small beach where it is good for swimming – the access to the male lake is rougher. One needs to be more daring and courageous to get there.
Sign Post of Muanenguba Twin Lakes Planted in Squares Bangem by the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure. Photo Credit, Teneng Noela
It is cognizant of this reality that the Cameroon government in recent years, opted to tar some road stretches to the Twin Lakes, as well as build a guest house in Bangem and a resort at the Twin Lakes for visiting tourists.
However, the execution of these projects has for some time now been shrouded in alleged mismanagement.
The Projects
It should be noted that in 2023, the Divisional Delegate of Public Works, Kupe Muanenguba, Shu Reny, wrote to the South West Regional Assembly, lobbying for the rehabilitation of the 9.675km road from Bangem to the Muanenguba Twin Lakes.
According to the letter, in 2016, the road was awarded to Ets Valentine under the road fund of MINTP, but was abandoned due to insecurity at the time, with a percentage execution of 34%.
Shu stated that in 2018, another contract was again awarded to Ets Valentine to tar with surface dressing from Bangem to Ekambeng, financed by the MINTOUR, which was still abandoned at a percentage realization of 5%. He said the start off advanced was paid and the remaining credit was not engaged.
The Delegate added that in 2019, the project was programmed for rehabilitation which could only construct the bridge at Mbat and equally tar the Mbat hill with surface dressing.
Shu in his letter disclosed that the contract was awarded to Etienne Enterprise and was realized at 100%. He said the section of the road not yet tarred is heavily degraded.
The MINTP Kupe Muanenguba boss pleaded Regional Assembly to rehabilitate the road and help the suffering population of the area.
Going by sources at the Divisional Delegation of Tourism and Leisure for Kupe Muanenguba, the contractor collected an advanced payment of 20 percent and disappeared – claiming his caterpillar was burnt by Anglophone rebels fighting for a breakaway state.
Our source who pleaded to be anonymous insists this wasn’t true. “The caterpillar was actually arsoned even before the contract was awarded. Since then, the contractor has not given an account of the 20 percent collected as advance payment,” MINTOUR sources told this reporter, adding that he has made several attempts to get contract details to follow up the project without success. “I only hear contracts from the Ministry of Tourism have been awarded, executed and received without my knowledge,” he rued. “Nobody wants to tell me anything about these projects and in the end, I don’t know what to tell the minister.” Our Disappointed source revealed.
Fast forward in 2019, Etienne Enterprise won a contract from the Ministry of Public Works valued at about FCFA 27 million to build a culvert on the Mbat Bridge and to tar part of the road after the bridge. Mbat village is located about 2 kms from the twin Lakes.
The Enterprise started the work, only to abandon it midway after collecting the agreed sum.
He finally completed the work under duress, ostensibly to win another contract. Locals have deplored the quality of the work done on the bridge with potholes and cracks having taken hold of most of it.
Another project earmarked for execution by the Tourism Ministry was the Council Guest House located in Bangem town.
Our Source laments the minister was “so disappointed” with the quality of work done which was “below the standard prescribed by the ministry”.
Our investigation however reveals some authorities confirming the proper execution of these projects.
Such is the case with the rehabilitation works on the access roads from Mbat hill to the Muanenguba Twin Lakes, funded by the 2024 Public Investment Budget of the Ministry of Tourism through the Bangem Council.
The tender notice obtained by The Ultimate shows that the first phase of the work entailed manual labour to be executed by road committees and community structures. This included cleaning of ring culverts, cleaning of structures and grass cutting.
The second phase involved mechanized labour that entailed back-filling, wearing course, simple reshaping, reshaping compaction, reshaping of the platform, creation of ditches and outlets, construction of cross cutting hydraulic structures and the construction of masonry ditches.
While the third phase involved the construction of a quarry stone masonry including bridges, surface dressing, and asphalting work. FCFA 25 million was allocated for this project reportedly executed by Etienne Enterprise.
During the second quarter Divisional Participatory follow-up Committee meeting for the follow-up of the 2024 Public Investment Budget, PIB that took place on July 12, 2024, the Divisional Delegate of Economy, Planning and Regional Development for Kupe Muanenguba, Ntoi Eugene, announced that the project execution stood at 100%. This assessment was confirmed by the Mayor of Bangem Council, Ekungwe Kang Christopher.
Also the Ministry of Tourism in their 2024 budget allocated the sum of FCFA 30 million to the South West Regional Assembly to rehabilitate the Bangem-Lake Muanenguba (Mbat Hill), Bangem Sub Division, awarded to Pishon Group International Company Ltd.
The Ultimate learnt that effective work on the Bangem to Mbat hill project by the South West Regional Assembly is expected to kick off after the rainy season.
Villagers Want More!
With the mixed feelings recorded in the execution of these projects, Chief Ngwesse Michael, traditional ruler of Mbat village, frowns that money pumped in by the government to develop the road and tourism around the twin lakes mostly ends up in private pockets.
He dismisses claims of the 100% execution rate of the access roads to the Muanenguba Twin Lakes by Bangem Council.
“I can assure you that this project has been mismanaged,” Chief Ngwesse tells this reporter. He continued: “One day, I saw a grader from Muanenguba to Mbat Bridge. After about four hours, the grader left.
“Days later, a truck with three to four loads of sand passed around the road. I asked the Mayor if this is work for FCFA 25 million and the Mayor told me the work is not yet finished. That was the end and it is reported that the work has been executed.”
He also reveals that the resorts at the twin lakes are poorly located and dilapidating as the years go by.
Prior to the construction of the resort at the twin lakes, said Ngwesse, who is a retired Colonel, he was contacted by a team from the Ministry of Tourism to give advice on the best site to build the resort.
While he proposed a site between Mbat and the twin lakes, the resort was instead built at the twin lakes. “The Mayor told me he chose the site,” he recalls.
And owing to the poor location of the resort, Ngwesse claims it has never been used. “It is a complete failure. The resort is so isolated.”
During the second quarter Divisional Follow-up Committee for the execution of the Public Investment Budget for Kupe Muanenguba that took place in Bangem recently, the Chairman of the Divisional Follow-up Committee, Hon Dr Fonge Julius, threatened to solicit services of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Supreme State Audit or the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator to probe into the mismanagement claims.
He noted that after winning contracts, some contractors connive with state agents to either execute below standard or abandon the contracts after receiving payments.
Hon Fonge asked all parties involved in stalling the development of Kupe Muanenguba to repent.
The Cry of Tourists
Lilian Favour Ndome, a tourist, says she used to visit the twin lakes quarterly before the outbreak of the socio-political crisis in the region in 2016.
Then, recalls Ndome, the roads left much to be desired while there were no hotels around the Lake where she could lodge. “I now prefer Limbe to Bangem because of the absence of these facilities,” Ndome told The Ultimate.
For his part, George Bright, an international tourist from Germany, said irrespective of the bad nature of the road, he still visits the Twin Lakes, although just for a day.
“If the conditions here were okay, I could bring my family to spend one or two weeks at the lake,” Bright told this reporter. “The government should build infrastructure to make tourists feel comfortable to visit the Twin Lakes.” He insists.
Local Economy
Some locals have disclosed that the reduction in the number of tourists visiting the Twin Lakes as a result of the crisis and poor infrastructure, has negatively affected the sub division.
Epie Greg of Ekambeng, a village along the Bangem-Muanenguba Twin Lakes stretch disclosed that besides the sales of goods to tourists by villages, many vulnerable persons have received assistance from visitors to the twin lakes. He said they are at a losing end with very few tourists visiting the lakes.
Ediage Elvis of Mbat said some years back, tourists from the US embassy installed stand taps infront of every home in his village. He said they benefitted close to thirty taps from the benevolence of these tourists. He regretted that with few tourists now visiting the lakes, they are losing economically and socially.
Bangem Mayor Reacts
Contacted for comments, the Mayor of Bangem Council Ekungwe Kang Christopher said he met the resorts already built at the Muanenguba Twin Lakes. He said even the Council Guest House was built by his Predecessor. Like Chief Ngwesse, Mayor Ekungwe suggested that the resorts would have been better at the outskirts of the Lakes.
The Mayor said all the equipment at the resort have been preserved in Bangem until total calmness returns, disclosing that vandals will steal them if installed, considering the present context.
Mayor Ekungwe also disclosed that with the current nature of the socio-political crisis, it is difficult to have tourists at the Twin Lakes compared to the situation before the crisis.
He further disclosed that the 2024 contract executed by Bangem Council at FCFA 25 million involved the grading of the road from Mbat to the Twin Lakes, and the construction of a culvert. The Mayor said they have effectively graded the road and built the culvert. He said only one percent work is left to be done on the culvert since they had to observe the water pressure from the rain before completing the work.
When The Ultimate contacted the Divisional Delegate of Public Works, Kupe Muanenguba, Shu Reny severally to comment on the executed projects of the Muanenguba Twin Lakes. he said he was busy and will only talk later.
Several attempts to get the Commissioner for Economic Development at the South West Regional Assembly, Hon Gobina Mokoko Simon were futile.
Hon Nsame Mesape Samuel, a member of the South West Regional Assembly said he needed clearance from his hierarchy before he could comment on the project.
Meanwhile, the telephone contacts of Valentine Enterprise and Etienne Enterprise were unreachable.
This work was produced as a result of a grant provided by the Investigative Reporting Workshop for Journalists in Cameroon, project implemented by the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, and funded by the U.S. Embassy, Yaounde.
By Ahone Jessy
