6am to 9pm Curfew:

B’da Prostitutes, Business Owners Hail NW Governor

-Populations now beckon Ambazonia Leaders to also consider suspending the Monday Ghost Town or readjusting it to run from 6am to 12 noon so as to permit them to make the most of the festive X-mass season

By Njodzefe Nestor

After incessant supplications from the population, the Governor of the North West region Adolphe Lele l’Afrique Tchoffo Debben has finally adjusted the time of the curfew which ran from 6pm to 6am to now run from 9pm to 6am daily.

                The previous dusk to dawn curfew was forced down the throats of the population on Sunday 10 September 2018, after a driver was killed during an attack by gunmen on transport buses along the Bamenda-Mbouda road. The gunmen, with the use of a caterpillar, had also attempted to cut-off the road linking the Northwest region to the rest of the country.

                “The Governor of the North West region wishes to inform the entire North West population that the regional order restricting movements of persons and property within the North West region has been modified to run from 9pm to 6am with effect from Saturday, November 24, 2018,” a press release from the Governor reads.

                The Governor in the press release appreciated the “collaboration, high sense of discipline and sacrifice” exercised by the population in the fight against what he termed secessionist activists.  

                He also used the opportunity of the time adjustment decision to call on “misguided youths to drop their weapons, come out of their hideouts and regain normal life”.

                “The Governor finally counts on the peace loving, law abiding and God fearing population of the NW region to mobilize as one person to assist government towards the restoration of a healthy and serene socio-economic and security environment for the much cherished welfare of its citizens,” the release concludes.

                The populations of the region have reacted positively to the move by the governor which many described as timely especially as the festive period is fast approaching.

                It should be noted that because of the 6 to 6 curfew, many businesses were badly affected especially businesses that operate better at night including bars, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, fish and meat roasting and the commercial sex sector.

                Observers say because of the dusk to dawn curfew, some commercial sex workers had been forced to start operating during the day especially as their complementary sectors – bars and nightclubs were all operating only at day. 

                Many say it is now left for the separatist leaders to also temporarily suspend Ghost towns or readjusts the time so that the population can be able to catch up with business and properly do some sales during the festive period.

                “We are not against ghost towns but we are pleading with our ambazonian leaders to have pity on us and suspend the ghost towns for the time being for us to at least sell during this Christmas period. We have sacrificed a lot,” a shop owner at the Bamenda Main Market who spoke under conditions of anonymity told The Median.

                This was reechoed by another shop owner at the Nkewn Market who even suggested that the traditional ghost towns on Monday could start at 6 am and end at 12 noon.