North West and South West:

Many Go Jobless as Businesses are Shutdown

The once vibrant Dream Lounge snack is now empty

The fallouts of the on-going Anglophone crisis have been felt by all the segments of Cameroon’s economy.

            Redundancy is chasing most young people as managers and employers of small business ventures continue to lay-off workers, especially unskilled labourers.

            Many youths in Buea have been given temporal leave, hoping that when things return to normalcy, they will be recalled to duty.

            Businesses in the informal sector like hotels, snack bars, restaurants, cafés, provision stores and other petit businesses have drastically reduced their staff; some are on a temporal shutdown as the crisis drags on.

            Many workers of companies owned by mostly Francophone investors have been rendered jobless as some these owners have shutdown their shops and relocated to safer Regions.

            The sacking of workers has triggered a mass exodus to other regions in search for jobs and a better livelihood.

            Many young people told this newspaper that they were dismissed without any formal notification and that their employers have promised to recall them when things return to normalcy.

            “Whilst on duty, i was told not to come back for work the next day. My manager explained the reasons for sudden dismissal and I understood with him, even though I was disappointed. I am the one providing for my siblings……this crisis has really dealt with me,” said Elias Bah, a former worker of a popular snack bar in Mile 16 Buea.

            Another sacked worker recounted his story to us in Muea.

            “I was working as DJ in a bar in Muea. I used to earn FCFA 40,000 monthly added to the tips that customers usually gave me daily in appreciation of my expertise. When the crisis started, my employer reduced my salary to FCFA 30,000, though I was not happy, but I understood the current situation. At the beginning of this year, he slashed my salary again by half. I became very worried but could not do anything. Four months ago he sacked me and last month I heard he has shutdown the bar. I now smoke and drink in order to forget my pain and suffering. I don’t mind if I am gunned down by the military. They have already killed six of my friends,” said Terrence. .

            Mirriam Ageh, a sales girl at the once popular Dream Lounge in Molyko revealed that she has been sacked, but that she still goes to work because she does not have anything to do at home.

            “I was sacked two months ago, but I have been coming to work since then. I have nowhere to go to, even though I am not paid. My manager at times gives me money for food and transport. Staying at home idling might compel me to engage into unholy activities. Most of my friends have moved to Douala to hustle,” she said.

For their part, some Managers of business ventures say the on-going crisis is the reason they are laying-off their workers.

            “My snack bar was opened in May this year but I have had to close it down in just after two months. I invested over FCFA 40 million….I had over 18 employees. The constant gunshots in Mile 16 has scared away people. And a bar cannot operate under such conditions. I have closed the place,” said Cletus Atali, proprietor of Olympia Mile 16.

            “Before the Crisis I use to make FCFA 800,000 as daily sales from Monday to Wednesday. From Thursday to Sunday, I made over FCFA 1.5 million as daily sales. Since the start of the crisis, everything has dropped drastically. It is even worse now because on some days I do not sell up to FCFA 10,000. My sales girls spend time playing cards and chess. I have retained only three workers now out of the 21 I had before and yet I am unable to pay them.”

            The cosmopolitan town of Buea that was host to many bars, restaurants and night clubs has suddenly become a grave yard. All the luxurious relaxation spots have disappeared.