Solidarity at war-time:

Kumba drivers hail SDO’s anti-Boko Haram strategy
By Atemnkeng Evaristius in Kumba

Nana Evaristus, President of Mbonge Road Axis Drivers' Union

Following the rules and regulations put in place by the SDO for Meme, Koulbout Aman David,  during an enlarged Security Coordination meeting convened in his office recently, Presidents of Transport Syndicates are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that these rules are respected to the letter.
    According to Nana Evaristus, President of the Mbonge Road Axis Drivers’ Union, all the members of the drivers union have been sensitized on the measures and urged to adhere strictly to them.
    “We have told the drivers that they must transport only passengers with identification documents; any passengers who do not have their
identification papers should be sent out of the vehicles,”     Nana reiterated, noting that all registered drivers of the union can now be identified from their reflector jackets and the numbers inscribed on them.

    Also, two gate men have been posted at the entrance of the park to control passengers and their luggage. “Any passenger who tries to be hostile and does not want his
or her luggage to be checked would be handed to the police,” added Nana, who also noted that so far both the drivers and the passengers are very collaborative.
     For drivers who set out on their journeys with their vehicles not full at the park, Nana Evariste advised them to make sure they leave spaces on the manifest (bordereaux) so that in case they come along a passenger on the way, he or she should be identified and registered on the manifest.
    However, the drivers’ president complained that the absence of metal dictators makes the checking of
passengers and their luggage difficult and tedious.  He said the council has since not redeemed its pledge to provide the detectors.
    "You can see we are managing only with our bare hands, and for how long shall we continue like this?” Nana wondered aloud.