BY TALLA AGHAA CHRISTOPHER
On September 4, 2017 the Head of State signed a presidential decree appointing new Divisional Officers, D.O throughout the national territory.
This presidential decree equally saw the appointment of new D.O’s in Meme Division.
For Kumba I Safou Roger replaces Duala Charles while in Kumba II Edwin Nkenya Ngwana replaces Sedoze Pierre, in Kumba III Jude Ewane Mbong takes over from Guibai Baldena Gilbert, and in Konye, Ekolle Blessed Epimba replaces Mbotiji Houtison Babila whereas Bikie Befolo Alain Serge takes over from Sombe Simon.
After having rounded up with their official installation by the Meme SDO Chamberlin Ntou’ouNdong last week, the new comers, apart from handling insecurity, chieftaincy and land disputes, have to settle some very hot files in their respective divisions.
Back-to-school headache
Schools in Cameroon opened for the 2017/2018 academic year on Monday September 4th, 2017. Three weeks on, the resumption of schools in Meme Division is timid despite all efforts by the administration and education stakeholders to see that parents send their children to school.
Teachers of the English sub system of education settled for a strike action since 2016 and this affected the last school year as pupils and students stayed at home with the resultant consequence being poor end of course results.
The new Divisional Officers of Meme must continue from where their predecessors ended since administration is continuous to ensure that parents send their children to school.
Reports reveal that apart from Kumba where there is an impressive turn out in some schools estimated at about 4% ,doors of schools remain open in the rest of the towns and villages but with no pupils and students have showed up yet.
Ghost town syndrome
The installation of the new D.O’s is coming at a time when there are calls for three days of ghost town; from Monday to Wednesday in the entire Anglophone Regions by Anglophone activists in the Diaspora. During these days, all commercial activities are grounded with streets deserted. The new Divisional Officers have a daunting task to put a halt to this phenomenon and bring back normalcy to the division.
Proliferation of make-shift “fuel stations”
The proliferation of “fuel stations” is equally a hot potato that the new D.O’s are called upon to handle. Meme Division is noted for the marketing of illicit fuel commonly known as funge or ‘zuazua’.
Just like in Mbonge, Konye, Kumba I, II, III, Sub Divisions, the sales of this illicit commodity coming from next door Nigeria is rampant and reports hold that it is done with the alleged complicity of forces of law and order in the Division.
Recently in Kumba, elements of the central Police Station, clampdown on about 5000 liters of “zuazua”. The Divisional Officer for Mbonge, Bikie Befolo Alain Serge would be tasked to put an end to the illegal importation of this fuel from Nigeria.