Mbengwi Inhabitants Make Good Use of Ghost Town

Mbengwi Inhabitants Make Good Use of Ghost Town

As ghost town operations continue across the two English speaking regions of the country, a practice imposed on the population by proponents of secession as a means of expressing their anger and frustrations with the government, though the practice is said to rather be causing more sufferings on the people as the economy is dwindling, some communities are now deriving means to make good use of ghost town days by carrying out community service.

Mbon Motor Park on a Ghost Town Day

This is the case with the inhabitants of  Wumfi quarter in the Ku Fondom of the Meta clan in Mbengwi. As another ghost town day was being respected last Friday May 17th 2019, the inhabitants found need to rather come out in their numbers to carry out community service. Though the streets were deserted and businesses shutdown, back in the quarter, the people were out in their numbers carrying out maintenance work on a bridge linking the quarter to Mile 18, the economic hub of the sub division.

Newly Constructed Bridge 

An inhabitant whose nickname we got as "Fine Boy" explained that it is for the need of development in their quarter that they had to come out for the work. "We have to develop our own area because we've seen that our council is facing difficulties as a result of this crisis and as such we had to unite to do something that will help us" he said. Quizzed on why the choice of a ghost town day for the exercise, Pastor Toh Godlove, another inhabitant of Lower Wumfi quarter responded that "We saw the need for the bridge to be repaired and since today is a ghost town, a day people sit at home doing nothing, we thought instead of just idling at home, we should use the day to do community work and help ourselves"

Quarter Inhabitants After Work

According to the quarter head, Pa Mbacham Jeremiah, the funds used to repair the bridge were raised by levying the inhabitants. He thinks instead of waiting on the council, government and politicians that may never come or delay to come, communities should take their developmental strides into their hands. Before now, accidents used to occur on the bridge. The repaired broken bridge can now be used by cars, bikes and pedestrians alike. Interestingly, the first car that crossed on the bridge, next day after it was repaired was a military hilux on security patrol.