Bamenda has lost one of its most unusual and dedicated public servants. Ngu Augustine Achiri, widely known across the city for personally filling potholes on damaged streets, has died.
He was last seen working on the roads on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. Two days later, on 5 March, he was found dead in his modest home. His passing has left a void in a city where many had come to rely on his quiet but relentless commitment to making the roads safer.
For decades, Augustine Achiri carried out work that would normally fall to public authorities. Armed with shovels, stones and gravel, and often using his own resources, he moved from street to street repairing dangerous potholes that had become traps for motorists and pedestrians.
In a town where poor road conditions frequently damage vehicles and slow movement, his work made a visible difference. Drivers knew that a filled pothole meant fewer broken suspensions, fewer punctured tyres and a safer passage for motorcycles and taxis that dominate Bamenda’s transport system.
For pedestrians, especially schoolchildren and traders who walk long distances daily, his work made muddy and damaged roads easier to cross. What appeared to be a simple act of filling holes in the road became a daily intervention that reduced accidents and eased the cost of vehicle repairs for many residents.
His work did not go unnoticed.
Over the years, Augustine Achiri received several recognitions from civic bodies, media organisations and institutions that saw in him an example of rare civic responsibility.
In 2008 he received a Certificate of Recognition from Voluntary Service Overseas and Youth Outreach Programme for exemplary volunteer service in the North West Region. A year later, on 5 December 2009, he was honoured with a Community Service Award by Youth Outreach Programme Cameroon for voluntary work that contributed to community regeneration and inspired young people.
His growing reputation as a grassroots problem solver earned him the Man of the Year Award in 2013 from the Capitol Higher Institute of Health Sciences and Beauty Therapies in Bamenda for his voluntary efforts in keeping Bamenda town passable.
In 2014, the Cameroon National Youth Council North West Regional Bureau recognised him with the North West Excellence Award Lele Lafrique’s Prize, describing him as a citizen judged worthy both in character and civic contribution.
The recognition continued. In November 2019, Press and Associates of Ndefcam Radio honoured him with the Community Heroes Award for the impact of his selfless road maintenance work in Bamenda.
The Rotary Club of Bamenda, District 9150, also presented him with an Excellence Award for his service to the city and to humanity.
His most recent recognition came in 2022 when The Herald Tribune named him Community Peace and Development Ambassador, acknowledging his commitment in mobilising personal resources to fill potholes across Bamenda. During the event many pledged to sponsor his children through school.
Taken together, the honours tell the story of a man who refused to wait for change. Instead, he became the change.
Residents often saw him early in the morning or late in the evening working quietly by the roadside. Some motorists would stop to greet him. Others offered small donations. But much of the time he worked alone, driven by the belief that if a problem affected everyone, someone had to start fixing it.
In a city facing economic hardship and the strain of years of crisis, Augustine Achiri’s work carried a deeper meaning. He represented civic responsibility in its purest form, the idea that communities can still rise through individual action even when systems struggle.
Many residents believe the city owes him more than quiet remembrance. There are growing calls for the community to organise a befitting farewell and support his family, who may face financial difficulty after the loss of their provider.
For a man who spent years repairing the city’s broken roads, the least Bamenda can do now is ensure that his final journey is marked with dignity and gratitude.
Ngu Augustine Achiri may no longer be on the streets with his shovel and wheelbarrow, but the smoother stretches of road across Bamenda remain a quiet testimony to his life of service.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
Tel: +237 694 71 85 77
May his soul find rest with our Lord.
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