By Noela EBOB BISONG
The Unions of taxi drivers and bike riders in Mezam Division, North West region of Cameroon, converged on the Bamenda grandstand on Friday, June 21, 2024 to pour out their hearts, on the invitation of the City Mayor of the town, Paul Achombong.
This follows several days of torment, hardship and suffering which the drivers have been plunged into, in line with the socio-political tension in the region. Recently, in a bid to counter several attacks orchestrated through the use of bikes, the Senior Divisional Officer of Mezam had banned the circulation of bikes from 6:30pm to 6am.
Few days after this, armed men posing as separatist fighters started attacking taxis drivers, ordering them to change the colour of their vehicles from yellow to either blue or white. The effect of this has been the setting ablaze of a number of taxis in Bamenda, to the pain, regret and frustration of drivers.
Drivers recount sufferings
During Friday’s meeting which impeded transportation of persons within the city, the Mezam Taxi Drivers Trade Union president, Ayafo in his speech expressed worries ranging from the recent burning of their taxis and the difficulties they face driving from 6pm due to fear of the unknown.
The Bike Riders Union president for Mezam on his part reminded the administration of the vital role they play in the Division through transporting persons to the interior parts of the town. “Industries in Cameroon cannot employ all of us, so bike riding remains a source of living to many of us who are unemployed. We are pleading on the administration to uplift the ban prohibiting us from plying the road as from 6:30pm or even extend it to 10pm”, the bike riders president pleaded. This, according to him, will assist the population who most at times fall prey into the hands of hoodlums as they trek back long distances from the town to get home.
City Mayor rekindles hope
Responding to the myriad problems the two Union presidents raised, the city mayor of Bamenda, Paul Achombong thanked them for coming out in numbers to solve the problems together.
“Bamenda belongs to us and as an Abakwa man, we have not come for war but for peace. Everybody should hold a peace plant as a sign of peace of us being here, for it will be the last day of our troubles” the city mayor averred.
Mayor Paul Achombong continued with grieve, outlining the effects the close to 8 years crisis has had on the populace from killing of many persons, crumbling the educational system, burning of houses, vehicles with the recent case that pierced his heart being that of one Ndeh Joseph, who, though physical impaired, his car was not exempted from being set ablaze by separatist fighters.
“As a father of the municipality, I am restless when such incidents happen because my priority is to ensure an enabling environment to everybody. As a result of this incident, my collaborators and I decided to hand a brand new Toyota Corolla taxi and crutches to him”, Achombong said.
He maintained that, “The colour of taxi remains YELLOW and no other person from the bush has the right to change it. Concerning the ban on movement of bikes from 6: 30pm, I promise you in a month’s time, if we don’t record any case of insecurity challenge in this town, we will together, through me, plead with the Senior Divisional Officer to uplift the ban”, the City Mayor said.
While receiving the keys to the gifted car, Ndeh Joseph applauded the City Mayor for the timely gesture. He narrated the encounter he faced when he was ousted out of the taxi at Che Street Bamenda by separatist fighters and the pain he faced seeing a car set ablaze which was not his.
Attacks, separatist leader denounced
While the taxi and bike riders raised peace plants, some held placards and banners with messages. One of the banners read: “The population of Bamenda and North West Region are tired of you Ayaba Cho. You have killed our children, you burn our markets, you have ruined our businesses. International arrest warrant”. Ayaba Cho is one of the supposed separatist leaders, who reports say masterminds several violent attacks across the North West region through armed gangs he controls on ground from the diaspora.
Conscience-stricken Mark Bareta, another separatist loyalist especially in the hay days of ‘the struggle’, writes that, ““I send my deepest condolences to the taxi driver in Bamenda who saw his car set on fire. This act does not emanate from the Ambazonia forces on the ground, but from some thugs in the diaspora, whose intention is to sow pain under the guise of resistance. This is not how resistance works..Our fight has never been to make life impossible for civilians. Burning taxis is not a solution and it does not help us in our quest for a free Ambazonia…”.
At press time, The SUN gathered that a lawsuit had been launched against the country of Norway and Cho Ayaba Lucas over support to terrorism. The suit said to be filled by victims and family members of those affected by terrorist attacks in Cameroon has been launched in a U.S. District Court. Barrister Emmanuel Nsahlai alleges that Norway’s indirect support to Cho Ayaba’s direct involvement have facilitated a series of devastating terrorist attacks especially in Cameroon’s restive North West Region.