Kumba goes completely dead with ghost towns

Buea Road Kumba yesterday

Business as usual was dead in Kumba Monday following the Ghost Town declared by the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium last Saturday.

                The ghost town in Kumba, the melting pot of economic activities in the South West Region, was even better enforced and more effective than that of January 9. Every single business establishment, government offices, and even banks and transport agencies were all shutdown. Worst still, no schools, both private and public dared to open their doors on Monday.

                The streets were virtually empty of taxes and people. People trekked long distances to get to town. During the January 9 ghost town, some taxis defied the orders and took to the roads, but yesterday, they were totally off the streets. Even government offices were also closed down.

                At Kumba central market, only the main gate was opened. When our reporters tried to make their way through into the market, one of the leaders of the trader’s union and his état major who were stationed at the entrance stopped us and questioned, “Don’t you see that all stores are closed?” The leader wondered aloud where we were going to when everywhere was sealed. Uniform officers could be seen stationed in strategic corners of the city while some made regular patrols round town even though they still could find very little to prey on.

                In the historic town of Buea, denizens told us that Monday’s ghost town was also more respected and more effective than the January 9 ghost town. In nearby Limbe, some stubborn women who attempted to defy the ghost town and take to the markets were seen running back after being chased away by angry youths.

                In Manyu, sources confirmed to us that even the intervention of Victor ArreyMengot, NforTabeTando and others did not persuade the people to go back to school or refrain from the ghost town.

                An officer at Ekok, a border town between Cameroon and Nigeria told us that business has dropped drastically since the beginning of the strike action as traffic has greatly reduced. “We barely have work to do,” the officer said.