Anglophone Crisis:

Limbe Hit by Monday Ghost Towns

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

Limbe Half mile on typical ghost town day

The populations of Limbe are evidently helpless as ghost towns continue to cripple businesses and other activities in the city on Mondays this, despite meetings convened by authorities to prevent the festering phenomenon from affecting Limbe.

            Since Monday 16 July 2018, the city of Limbe experiences graveyard silence every other Monday, as all business premises in the markets and in the streets are closed, while taxi cabs and commercial motorbikes are packed and with the streets dry of people.

            According to some people who spoke to The Median the ghost towns are called as a way of paralysing economic activities in the Anglophone regions so as to push the government to address the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Some businessmen said they are forced to respect the ghost towns for fear of the wrath of Amba boys.

"Ghost town is doing great harm to the people especially us the businessmen because we incur enormous losses due to the constant closure of our shops," said a businessman at half mile.

            According to another businessman, the Anglophone crisis is getting worse by the day with ghost towns becoming a normal phenomenon across the city. He said it is very bad for business especially since back to school is around the corner and thinks the government should hasten its steps in solving the problem before the next academic year begins and for things to return to normal again.

            The Median spoke also spoke to some people of the transport sector in Limbe on the effects of ghost town on their activities. They gave varying effects with all being negative effects on them.

            Some taxi drivers said they prefer to pack their vehicles and sit at home on Mondays even if it is detrimental to them than get their vehicles burnt if the violate the calls for ghost towns. Mr Bobo, a bike rider, said, it has been 3 Mondays of ghost towns in Limbe yet the effect is already alarming. "I can imagine the situation in the other towns which have been observing the ghost towns for months now and areas where the ghost towns extend up to three days," the man said.

            It should be recalled that the law abiding people of Limbe who had been disrespecting the call for ghost towns suddenly started respecting the orders from the Amba boys after the latter invaded the Mile 4 locality few weeks back shooting guns in the air, terrorizing city dwellers and destroying property. The invasion of Limbe by the Amba boys on the night of 13 July 2018 sent wave of shock and fear across the town. Since then the people have decided to hearken to the calls for ghost towns.