Uneasy peace:

Calm returns to Kumba ahead of Christmas

-Business activities gradually gathering steam as festive period approaches

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

An uneasy calm now reigns in Kumba, capital of Meme Division of the Southwest region after two strike actions last week that paralyzed activities in most parts of the town.   The strike actions were led mostly by bikers, in a show of solidarity with their brothers and sisters of the Northwest region, who were being brutally beaten and even shot dead by trigger-happy forces of law and order.

                Most parts of Kumba remained calm throughout last week enabling city dwellers to go about their businesses without fear.

                “I am happy that the markets have opened again and business is picking up again,” said Chukwudi, a trader at the Kumba main market.

                The education sector is also gradually coming back to life despite the ongoing teachers’ sit in strike in this part of the country. Students in examination classes could be seen in some government secondary/high schools in Kumba trying to register for their final year examinations. Even though, only a handful of staff, mostly administrative staffs were found on the various campuses.

                However, despite the return of calm and serenity in town, businesses are still to assume the steam and momentum that is usually observed during the festive period. Many business operators in Kumba expressed worries to The Median on how the street unrests have badly affected their business turnovers.                 Some traders in the Kumba main market said they were hesitant to stock their shops with X-mass goods because there are no indications businesses would witness any boom this December, especially after the losses they incurred due to several days of closure of shops and markets due to the unrests.

                The heavy police and gendarme presence in town also discourages people from the villages and hinterlands from coming to town to do their usual shopping.

                Many traders lamented that if things don’t change for the better in the coming days then they run the risk of loosing most of their capital as many of them had procured short term loans from micro-financial institutions to stock their shops for the festive period.

                For their part, some parents have vowed they would not buy any new clothes for their children for X-mass. The parents say given the precarious peace that reigns, they would rather save money in preparation for the unforeseen.