Testing the Ground, Life Staggering in Mbengwi

Testing the Ground, Life Staggering in Mbengwi

At last the long awaited return to normalcy is gradually gaining grounds, close to two weeks after the town was completely shutdown prior to the historic Oct. 7 2018 presidential election in Cameroon that is now history but whose dust raised is still very much hovering in the air as the entire nation anxiously awaits the verdict from the constitutional council, charged with the proclamation of results in no distant time from today.

Business at Mbon Market Gate

Today Wednesday October 10th, the Mbon Motor Park is once more busy. The market is open. Few provision shops too in and out of the market are also open. There are many food stuff sellers and buyers at the market gate. One restaurateur managed to cook some food today. A building materials store is open same as a mechanic that's already in his garage. Some drivers have brought their cars for minor repairs and pumping of air into their tyres so as to get ready to hit the roads once more.

But there's bad news coming in from Bamenda that the bridge over River Mezam at Alahchou, Mankon has been destroyed by separatist fighters, meaning vehicles will have to look for other roads like through Bali Nyonga oh through Alahbukam to get into Bamenda. The said bridge in Bamenda II sub division and the Abbi bridge in Mbengwi central sub division are reported to be the most solid on the Bamenda - Mbengwi highway because they were constructed by the Germans. Many inhabitants have been expressing total dissatisfaction with the act which they term as "uncalled for".

Business Resumes in the Mbon Main Market

Let's revisit these these reports I wrote before, during and after the election. They were only circulated on WhatsApp forums.

As the Hours are Dying Down...

The stakes are high,  blood pressure is increasing, hearts are panting like Zuma, fingers crossed. The news has been breaking for a thirsty readership that's been consuming appetisingly amidst heated verbal and social media debates. In under hours, Cameroonians shall decide who becomes the new president.

Welcome to Mbengwi. It's Saturday October 6th 2018. Since morning, MTN and Orange networks seem to have been cut off. Communication has been hampered. Only Nexttel is left for calls and browsing yet users can't access credit. The central town is deserted but from findings, there's life in the quarters. Inhabitants are indoors.

Military helicopters have been hovering over Mbengwi within the last two hours. Some have been landing on the municipal stadium. No one can approach the area to see what's going on. But it's alerged the flights are for the transportation of election materials ahead of tomorrow's grand event since air transport at such crucial moments is faster and safer compared to roads that are becoming more of dead traps. The copters have been flying to Ngie and Njikwa probably for the same exercise.

Some churches like P.C.C Njembeng Congregation held service today instead of tomorrow, an indication that prevention is better than cure. Just in the early morning of yesterday, the pastor of of Christ Embassy was taken from his home at gun point by masked uniform officers to their station for questioning before being later released in the evening.

At press time, the town has remained calm. Few persons have been moving from one end to another for transactions mainly using quarter roads. Where will voting take place? Are voters aware of polling stations? How will they get to and from the poling centres.

These questions and many more shall be answered as the clock ticks

D-Day in Mbengwi, Record Breaking Shutdown

Finally the day is here. Political pundits are still to come to terms with what would've caused this ground breaking shutdown of a whole divisional headquarters on such a to be memorable day in the history of Cameroon. Mbengwi is confirmed to be currently experiencing the worst ever ghost town since the commencement of the current Anglophone crisis.

Last night and this morning, some gunshot sounds were heard from the hills of Njembeng. It is alleged separatist fighters fired the shots inviting government soldiers for an exchange but fortunately there wasn't any retaliation from their side, probably a measure to contain the badly needed population.

I've been through Wumfi, Mbengbagwa, Back Mbon, Njembeng and parts of Mile 18 to ascertain the atmosphere but from the look of things, I've been the only soul on the roads. I noticed few inhabitants looking at me suspiciously from their houses as I walked around. At the Mbon motor park, I saw three souls, mentally deranged. They are known in Mbengwi as Akoh, Jefta and John.

According to official information from ELECAM, voting is to take place in the Mbengwi council hall, G.N.S Mbengwi and G.B.H.S Mbengwi but it's been pretty difficult for a reporter like me to access these poling stations because of accreditation, security and mobility challenges.
So for now, whatever is going on at the stations remains known only to those who are there.

But simply put, "Mbengwi is dead". However, there's hope that after today, it will resurrect.

All Is Well That Ends Well

And so it happened that contrary to fears of what heaven alone knows, the day of the 2018 presidential elections successfully passed in Mbengwi just like in many other parts of the region and nation hitch free. Before, it was like heaven and earth were going to meet on 7th October. Over 80% of the population had flown into the suburbs and other urban towns.

To the greatest surprise of all and probably out of God's making, nothing serious happened. At first, 1st October was dreaded yet it came and passed successfully. Secondly 7th October was dreaded yet it's now history. No gun exchange, no life lost, no excesses, no burnings, no breaking into houses.

Between morning till around 5pm, the streets were completely deserted. Only 3 mad men were found at Mbon motor park. Voting was to take place in the Mbengwi Council Hall, Gov't Nursery School Mbengwi and Gov't Bilingual High School Mbengwi. However, this reporter successfully failed to make it to any of the poling stations due to accreditation, mobility and security challenges. But efforts are still being made to get to the divisional administrative authorities and ELECAM officials for valid information on the outcome of the voting exercise in Mbengwi and Momo.

At 5pm, few persons came out of their houses and strolled on the streets to feel some breeze  and relax themselves from the stress of staying at home all day long. Many within these past days have come into reality with how losing one's freedom means. They tasted prison life and are already agitating to never ever experience such house arrest again.

The excitement many have been expressing because 1st and 7th October passed successfully can only be compared to the soul of a sinner that successfully made it to the pearly gates (heaven) after days of waiting in purgatory. They crave and yearn with so much appetite for the day the good old days will come again, when life was 24/7, when military and civilians wined and danced together.

It is highly anticipated that in the days ahead, many of those who had escaped will start returning to their darling sub division for normal life to regain its lost steam and stamina. The presidential election results shall be declared in a maximum of two weeks time by the constitutional council though trends are trending on social media already and they are seemingly not favourable for the ruling government reason why the ministers of communication and territorial administration have frequently been granting press conferences cautioning the public that no one else but the constitutional council has the prerogative of declaring election results. MTN too has been forwarding messages to its users in the same like.

Regrettably since Friday, Mbengwi has been without MTN and Orange networks. People can't communicate with their loved ones and family members. Mobile Money transactions can't be executed. Only those who are connected to the Nexttel network are communicating now. The water crisis that had hit the municipality is intensifying as many other areas are getting effected. Fortunately, electricity on its part has been stable, thus many inhabitants have been spending time at home either watching TV or browsing.

The Day After

Life is returning to Mbengwi at a geometric progression rate. As early as 6:30am this Monday morning, persons could be seen walking up and down the streets already. The de facto house arrest has been unbearable.

At the Mbon Motor Park, there wasn't any man made movable object on wheels yet the loaders/pack boys answered present. They'd been missing their park like a cigarette addict. They just felt loitering there again and chatting is medicinal to the spirit. In Wumfi, Njembeng, Mile 17, Mile 19, G.R.A, Muswe and other areas, people have been moving around freely. Many don't really have a specific destination but they just want to stroll around and see other faces.

They walk around with every sign and symptom of mental freedom after over a week of psychological and house imprisonment. Approximately, over a hundred inhabitants have come out of their homes this morning. No shop has so far been opened because unfortunately it's a Monday, instituted as Ghost Town day by leaders of the Anglophone struggle for over a year now.

At Mbon Motor Park, boys and men are in clusters and caucuses with folded arms chatting on almost a uniform subject matter, yesterdays presidential elections and the trends circulating on social media. There's joy and excitement to see faces that have been missing for long.

Even the lone community radio station, Rainbow Radio that shut down transmission for a week because of security concerns is back on air this morning hitting the airwaves with good music, giving so much liveliness to the town and making the inhabitants feel back at home.

Information from the suburbs like Munam, Bessi Fomukong, Sang, Touembeng, Chup etc indicates that many of those who had escaped there for fear of the unknown are already getting set to start moving back to Mbengwi centre after the unknown never happened.

Security wise, the streets are free from the presence of uniform men. Since Sunday before 1st October till date, there's been no deployment of any extra military force to Mbengwi. It's been observed anytime military excesses are reported in Mbengwi, it is when a back up force comes in from elsewhere. Officers having Mbengwi as their base have shown some relative level of professionalism. Even when arrests are made, the probability is always above 50% that the arrestees shall be freed, contrary to other areas where they are just shot at and killed. The cases of some Back Mbon and Mile 19 inhabitants plus the pastor of Christ Embassy Mbengwi are a glaring example.

However the military is still very much dreaded. At the sight of their patrol van from a distance people still run into hiding. They still have the notion that the military arrests and kills at random. It's a mentality that's been imbibed in the minds of many a person from children to the old.

 Hierarchy probably understands this reason why the boys are now being confined to their barracks more than ever before and brought out only when need be. Because of their absence from the streets, citizens are able to move around freely. This morning, persons have been passing in front of the gendarmerie and police posts at Mile 18 to go to Mbon or Mile 19. It wasn't like this days back. To go to Mile 19 from Mbon, people were going though Njembeng to Muswe then Mile 19, to avoid any contact with the officers.

The way out will be for a gradual sensitisation and mindset rebuilding on the role of security officers. They are part and parcel of the society. They are for the people not against them. They must avoid harassments and excesses and show love and friendship to citizens. Obviously not until the escalation of the crisis, the military in Mbengwi had been friendly with the population except when provoked or attacked by separatist fighters called Amba Boys.

It is highly anticipated that with the gradual return to normalcy, by tomorrow Tuesday, many shops will be opened and there will be circulation.