Mbengwi; What Went Wrong? No Network, Water, Light, Road

Mbengwi; What Went Wrong? No Network, Water, Light, Road

The population of Mbengwi, headquarters of Momo Division in the N.W region of Cameroon is yet to come to terms with  what crime it committed to deserve such unheard of punishment. Before the last presidential election of October 7 2018, MTN and Orange networks were completely cut off. Many quarters underwent acute water crisis.  The town became deserted, seemingly not fit for human habitation. Fortunately, contrary to unfounded fear of the unknown, the election day passed hitch free. Runaway inhabitants started resurfacing from their hideouts. Many heaved a sigh of relief that at last normal life was returning. They went about their daily activities with much fanfare. Little did they know that every finishing line is the beginning of a new race. Like in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, "Happiness was but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain".

Recharging Phones, 100, 150, 200F

As the saying goes, "It never rains but it pours". In addition to the general network failure and no pipe borne water in many quarters, an unannounced power cut last Wednesday October 17 came in to make a bad situation worse. Things moved from frying pan to fire. For three days and nights, the population returned to the dark ages. Since every disappointment is a blessing, few businessmen began making money out of the unfortunate situation. These were those who had generators. Recharging of phones, power banks and other gadgets was levied between 100 and 200Frs. Some made more than 10.000F from the power failure. In electronics shops, the demand for solar lamps, torches and power banks increased tremendously. Repairers of generators made real cash as almost all hitherto bad and malfunctioning generators were brought out for repairs.

Cars With Goods & Passengers Stranded at the Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18, Mbengwi

On the other side were the losers. These were mostly cold store owners. Fish and other seafoods got bad in the fridges. As if that was not enough, the worst was still to come. On Saturday morning, news came in that separatist fighters had blocked the Bamenda-Mbengwi highway. Mr. Katu Joel, an inhabitant of Mbengwi  narrated what transpired that as early as 6:15am in the morning of Saturday 20th October, he was already at a place called C-Bend at Alabukam, Mankon in his car on his way to Bamenda for a business trip. He bumped on the fighters in their numbers blocking the road. All they told him was to make a U-turn, a command he obeyed without complaining. That was how the rest of the cars that were already en route to Bamenda began making U-turns too.

Many vehicles in their numbers with goods and passengers became stranded at Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18 Mbengwi and Hospital Roundabout, Bamenda. This wasn't the first time the road was being blocked by the separatist fighters. On several occasions they've done so but the military always intervened quickly to reopen the roads for circulation. This was the thought that many had, that in a matter of few minutes, the military will reopen the road for traffic flow to resume. Little did they know that this time around, the formula had changed.

Generators Pending Repairs

For hours upon hours the cars waited and waited yet no hope. Gossips went round that apart from blocking the road, the fighters also planted fetish objects on the spot. Combat ready uniform officers actually left Mbengwi in three fully loaded trucks herding towards Bamenda probably to the scene to intervene. It was not until about 4:15pm that the first car entered Mbengwi from Bamenda. The road had finally been reopened and again rumours went wild that the separatist fighters that had blocked the road were the very ones that reopened it because the fetish objects they planted were dreadful. How true this is, no one can tell with certainty.

At press time, smiles have returned to the faces of the inhabitants of Mbengwi. The road has been reopened, power supply has been reinstated, MTN and Orange networks have been reestablished, clean water is once more flowing from the taps that were previously dry. But the question is, for how long will this last before the next episode of the drama?