Peterkins Manyong
24 March 2008
Bamenda II Council authorities, who have been on an unannounced strike since February 26, recently resumed refuse disposal.
The authorities were vexed by the damage angry youths inflicted on the PRADO of the Government Delegate, Abel Ndeh, and that of one refuse disposal truck, during the recent strike action.
During the clean-up campaign that followed on March 13, mountains of refuse were accumulated in several parts of town. But the Council trucks never went round collecting and disposing of the dirt as had been the custom.
Fidelis Balick Awa, Bamenda II Mayor, justified his council's inertia on grounds that trucks which would have collected and disposed of the garbage were burnt down by rioters last February.
As days passed and the mountains of refuse grew in height and dimension, some became unbearable due to the stench from them. It was fast becoming a health hazard and therefore a cause for great concern. One of the most gigantic mountains of garbage was in front of City Chemist Pharmacy. When protests by concerned members of the public failed to produce the desired results, threats reportedly followed.
The Post learnt that Abel Ndeh, Bamenda Government Delegate and his councillors, before the decree suspending Urban Councils, were warned that if they failed to clear the garbage within three days, both of them would be burnt alongside the council trucks which were only "scratched" last February.
Protests against the filth came from every direction, including the clergy and members of the civil society some of who offered their personal trucks to dispose the refuse. The protests were followed by threats that forced the Bamenda II Council to succumb. Thus, Thursday, March 20, the Bamenda II Council resumed the disposal of refuse.
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I really could buy your idea Pinkgirl but you know, when somebody is hungry he is equally hangry to extend of killing self. The people of Bamenda in particular and Cameroon in general are hungry I mean very hungry given that power in cameroon has been monopolised by the head of State and certain unscropolous individuals. I believe that cameroonians wanted to test civil war.
One thing that irks me about your journalism is the lack of objectivity. You need to give balanced and true stories, as opposed to feeding into stupid concepts that are destroying us Africans. We all like the western world and want to benefit from their success, but do we even care to know or understand or practice what it takes to achieve success? Sometimes, I wonder when Africans will ever emerge from the curse of stupidity. People need to live with the consequences of their actions; if you bite the finger that feeds you, how do you expect to continue getting food? If the people of Bamenda are stupid enough to destroy a gift that was given to help them clean their town, then they need to brace themselves for the onslaught of dirt in their localities. And by the way, no one has monopoly over violence. If you live by the sword, expect to die by the sword. As the Bible clearly states, violence consumes the violent, and wickedness consumes the wicked. Wake up fools, and be wise so you can progress. I really feel sad for my people. Have you ever heard that violence achieved anything worthwhile? Please let me know. You journalists should be educating people instead of instigating them to self destructive violence.