Manyu SDO
dances Bafia dance with obnoxious order
The SDO of
Manyu, Oum II Joseph, on Friday 1 December 2017 issued a release urging
residents of some 16 villages in Manyu Division to relocate to safer places
with immediate effect or they will be treated as accomplices of Ambazonia
terrorists responsible for the killing of defence forces in Manyu. But the SDO
later withdrew the order after it sparked outrage in the division and beyond
By Ekumtambe
Eku in Mamfe
The SDO for
Manyu, Oum II Joseph has officially withdrawn the Order he passed on December I
asking residents of some villages in Manyu to evacuate their homes and relocate
to “any safe destination of their choice”. The SDO made the announcement
withdrawing his obnoxious decision , on Radio Evangelium, the radio of the
Diocese of Mamfe. Speaking on the Radio, Oum II said Manyu residents are free
to stay in their homes and continue with their activities normally. He
reassured the populations of Manyu that they should remain calm because the
government has taken all measures to protect them against the terrorists who
are orchestrating atrcious acts in the Division. It was not immediately known
why the SDO cancelled his order prescribing mandatory evacuation of villagers.
But a source at the Presidency of the Republic said instructions came from the
Presidency for the SDO to withraw the order. The source said though the
President had instructed that appropriate measures be taken to stop further
killing of security operatives in Manyu, he did not instruct the SDO to ask
people to evacuate their homes and villages.
It should be noted that the SDO
of Manyu on Friday 1st December 2017 issued a release ordering mandatory
evacuation of residents from 16 villages in three subdivisions in Manyu-
Akwaya, Eyumojock and Mamfe central subdivisions respectively. The villages
included Dadi, Kesham, Badjie, Abonado, Beteme, Ebinsi and Bakem in Akwaya
subdivision; Otu, Nsanaragati, Nsanakang, Agborkem German, Nduap and Esuaghem
in Eyumojock subdivision and Egbekaw in Mamfe Central subdivision.
The SDO warned that any
person(s) that failed to comply with the order would be treated as accomplices
and perpetrators of terrorist activities in Manyu.
The administrative order also
banned all activities along the Manyu River. It also prohibited night riding by
bikers in Manyu.
The SDO’s order did not however
state how the populations concerned would be be evacuated, where they should go
to, who will pay for the evacuations and for how long they will be away from
their homes.
News of the SDO’s order sparked
spontaneous and total outrage and condemnaion in Manyu and worldwide as soon as
it went viral on social media.
The traditional ruler of
Eyumojock, Ntufam Ayamba Jacques Ita, for example said the forceful evacuation
of villagers is not a good sign for the people of Manyu.
“This is not a good sign for us.
I am not in a position to challenge the SDO’s decision, but I think it is void
of some basic clarifications…The government has to assign a safe place for
these people…Amenities have to be put in place to ease their relocation...the
government has the burden of displacing villages and not vice versa because
these villagers are victims of the terrorist aggressions and should be treated
kindly,” reacted Chief Ayamba.
In another reaction,
Canada-based Dr. Arrey Joachim wondered aloud: “Where does the SDO expect all
these people to go to? He wants them to run to Nigeria like the others who are
now languishing in refugee camps?”
Yet another commentator, Stephen
Agbor, concluded that “the drums of genocide are beating in Manyu”.
Oum II Joseph’s Prefectoral
Order came barely hours after President Paul Biya sent a strong signal to
‘separatist terrorists’, whom the President said were responsible for the
killings in the NW and SW regions.
President Biya sent the grim
warning in a declaration to the press upon arriving at the Nsimalen Airport on
Thursday night, from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire where he was attending the 5th
AU-EU Summit. The President promised tough measures to fight the Ambazonia
terrorists whom he said were disguising as secessionists.
The President’s declaration was
also followed by a meeting of security chiefs in Yaounde presided over by
Defence Minister Beti Assomo. In a statement after the meeting Beti Assomo said
all necessary measures have been taken to confront the terrorists in the NW and
SW. He did not however elucidate the “necessary measures”.
In a rather controversial outing
on Saturday, the Governor of the SW region Okalia Bilai told CRTV radio that
the Manyu SDO’s Communique that had sparked nation-wide outrage was fake.
Okalia said the SDO never issued any such order. Unfortunately for the
Governor, the SDO had himself gone on a local radio and announced the
withdrawal of his rather obnoxious order. So who is fooling who?
Pic
Communicate
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