"Let all the soldiers be withdrawn and sent to their baracks, only then shall we go back to Ngie" This was the strong message passed across by Internally Displaced Persons of Ngie Sub Division of Momo Division resident in the North West regional capital of Bamenda. They made the request on Friday November 8th 2019 at the Presbyterian Youth Centre Azire where the mayor of the Andek Council, Madam Atienjo Bridget epse Ija rallied them for a food and basic needs donation exercise.
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| Andek Council Mayor Atienjoh Bridget epse Ija |
When the ongoing Anglophone crisis escalated in Ngie, the population flew for safety. While others escaped deeper into the interior villages from Andek, the Sub Divisional chief town where fierce gun battles used to take place, hundreds of others had to trek to Mbengwi, the Momo divisional headquarters covering a distance of over 50km from where they then used their last available financial means to go seek refuge in Bamenda with relatives. Those who hadn't relatives and friends became stranded.
The Ngie Council and almost all other government offices in the area shut down and have remained as such till date. The mayor, councillors and most well to do locals vamoosed to Bamenda and other towns. Since then, many have never set foot back in the village. The economy of the area has remained grounded.
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| Hundreds of Ngie IDPs in Bamenda being Addressed by their Mayor |
Today unavoidably living out of their comfort zones, the Ngie IDPs in Bamenda are suffering. Madam Cedina says the challenge they are facing in Bamenda is lack of capital to start a business and having where to stay because of no money to pay rents. She explained that at times they may have a relative to go stay with but after about a month, they'll start receiving complains either about them or their children that they are disturbing and as such they keep moving from one place to another.
The story of Forkum Martin is a reflection of what most of his type do to make ends meet in town. He says on daily basis, he does odd jobs like splitting of wood and clearing of farmland and considering that eight of them IDPs live together, when there's little food available, it is first served to the young ones and those with ill health.
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| Donated Items |
Christopher Ndifon in his 70s says currently, for those still back home (in Ngie), there is no means to transport food to the market to sell for some income generation as the roads have become impassable. There's much food in the bushes but what can be harvested and carried home is only that which can be consumed.
With these poor living standards, Mayor Atienjoh Bridget couldn't stay indifferent to the plight of her suffering population. In her words "I know all of us are IDPs and I know the difficulties that we are encountering but people are not the same. Knowing that I'm better than them, I decided that as my people are here in Bamenda suffering, I should stretch out my hand to provide certain commodities to them so they could help themselves"
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| IDPs Receiving their Booty |
Bamenda itself isn't that completely safe and because home remains sweet home, the IDPs have been expressing the desire to return home. To Mr. Forkum Martin, "If the Divisional Officer of Ngie can order for a withdrawal of all the soldiers in Ngie and send them back to town or the barracks where they came from, the population will return." I asked if the restoration forces in the area won't pose a threat upon demilitarizatiom of the area and he responded that only the the gendarmes that have been there for a long time even before the crisis started should remain meanwhile as for the "Amba Boys" (restoration forces) the villagers are in a better position to request them to drop their arms and allow normalcy to regain itself. This view was corroborated by Madam Cedina who added that "We are afraid of the military presence back in Ngie because in the past, they shot and killed persons that were not even non Anna Boys."
Lastly, Forkum Martin proposed that the bad roads should be renovated because in the past, they used to pay 2.500Frs to get to Ngie but today, the fare has skyrocketed to 10.000Frs and at times more than.
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| The Mayor Poses for a Pic with Beneficiaries |
Present at the donation ceremony was the national president general of the Ngie Cultural and Development Association (NCADA) who came to join hands with the mayor to reassure the displaced and affected population that all hope is not lost. The over a hundred and fifty IDPs were offered kilograms of rice, cubes of soap and magi. The mayor was thanked for her largesse and even recommended to stand for reelection by one of the beneficiaries come February 2019 when municipal and legislative elections recently called for by the Head of State Paul Biya shall take place.
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