Peter Ngomba Efande
16 May 2008
The town is the second home of some West African migrants who eke a living as fishermen and petty traders.
«Black Stars", "Hearts of Oak", "Gold Coast"...are some of the nicknames of some speed boats that ply the ocean each day with passengers from Idenau to Oron in neighbouring Nigeria.
These names do not only depict the nationality of the proprietors; but are a clear testimony that one of the major gateways in and out of the South West Province remains Idenau (the headquarters of the West Coast District of Fako Division). As a small cosmopolitan town, foreigners are making an enviable livelihood thanks to their law abiding nature and Cameroon's policy of peaceful coexistence. They come from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and even Sierra Leone to savour Cameroon's hospitality as they occupy themselves mostly in fishing and petty trading. According to Attah Moses Ndep, clerical officer at the Idenau District Office, the population of the West Coast District is "about 8,000 to 9,000 inhabitants excluding foreigners. Nigerians are about 3,000; Ghanaians about 1,500; while Beninois are not up to 1,000."One of the major hallmarks of fruitful cohabitation are inter-marriages that are current between the migrant population and Cameroonians. "l have been selling fish here in Idenau for the past 15 years," says Mary N. Etieh from Cross River State (Nigeria). "My husband is buried here while my daughter is married to a Cameroonian working with the CDC." Asked what motivated her to migrate to Cameroon, she simply said "peace and greener pastures.
" For Okon Bassey, a fisherman from Nigeria, Cameroon is more than home. "l came here as a kid. Thanks to some Cameroonian friends, l worked hard and l bought a small fishing boat. Now l can feed my family and pay school fees without any hurdle."Like Okon Bassey, a majority of the foreigners are involved in all the facets of the fishing business. They have not only monopolised the sector which is a great income generating activity, but also export "eru" vegatable to Nigeria on market days."On Tuesday and Thursday market days, traders come specifically from Nigeria to buy 'eru' here in Idenau," says Mr Attah Moses Ndep. Little wonder, therefore, that during these market days there is a teeming population in Idenau and foreign languages are just the norm.
Second home, sweet home
Most of them hail the peace that reigns in Cameroon as a determining factor in their choice not only to migrate but to settle permanently and consider Cameroon their second home. In his late 60s, Mr. Atavi Tabo from Big Ada in Sekondi, Ghana, is resident in Idenau for 24 years. "l came to Cameroon in 1984, l am a professional fisherman and l am married and a father of eight. "But this is not all that makes this Chief of the Ghanaian community in Idenau tick. He has two fishing boats dubbed "Awasha" and "Mosobo"; employs and pays 25 other fishermen who help him. His wife and children are also actively involved in fishing. He told CT that relations are cordial with the indegenes "though at times we have little problems with some local officials over residence permits. "Asked why there's an influx of Ghanaians in Idenau, he said: "if Cameroonians did not treat us well, we shouldn't have been coming here." He called on his fellow citizens to be law-abiding and refrain from reprehensible acts such as armed robbery and stealing. As the cordial climate persists, the foreigners have only encomiums to pour on their Cameroonian brothers and sisters.
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