People Power Defeats Terror in Kupe Muanenguba:

Populations Save Minister’s Residence from Arson Attack

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Minister Elung Paul’s Bangem residence was not burnt afterall

The populations of Bangem in Kupe-Muanenguba Division, South West Region have once more shown their unflinching and undying love and support for their son and brother, Minister, Assistant Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Elung Paul Che, by rescuing his residence from an arson attack by yet unknown persons.

                Some unidentified persons had on Sunday 17 February, succeeded to set fire on one of the buildings within the family compound of the Elungs, situated adjacent to the municipal grandstand facing the Paul Biya Stadium in the Bangem city centre. But before the flames really got serious, an alarm was raised by neighbours and within minutes a huge crowd had gathered. Using their bare hands and buckets of water, the crowd succeeded to put out the flames, a source on the ground in Bangem told this reporter.

                Asked about the cause of the fire, our source said it was yet unclear. He said nobody was found at the scene when the fire was discovered. “Attention of neighbours was drawn by the thick black fumes that emanated from inside the compound,” the source said.

                Denying claims that the fire might be the handiwork of pro-separatists activists, the source said that had the fire been set by separatist fighters, they might have stayed back to stop the population from putting it out this with the understanding that Minister Elung being very popular in Bangem, the populations were likely to intervene and stop the fire.

                And the timely intervention of the population greatly reduced the damage done by the fire. It stopped the fire spreading to other buildings in the compound.

                What remains a miracle is that the flames did not get as wild as in most petrol fires, even though there was evidence that petrol had been used to lit it.

                Also, the building that was targeted for arson is the one that borders closest with Elung’s late mother’s grave. It remains to be understood why the perpetrators wanted to desecrate the tomb of a woman who was considered in her day as the mother of all Bangem - the iconic, loving and emblematic Mama Mary Elung.

                Born in Tombel, Minister Elung Paul was brought up in both Tombel and Bangem, where his parents lived and worked. For the kind-hearted person that he is, Elung is popular in the Kupe-Muanenguba chief town of Bangem as he is in his native town, Tombel.

                Arson attacks on the homes of government officials have been recurrent in the restive NW and SW regions ever since the escalation of the ongoing Anglophone conflict. The home of Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute was burned just on the eve of his appointment, on 3rd January 2019. The homes of Ministers Mengot Victor and Ghogomu Paul Mingo have also been torched.