By Ikome Christie-noella Eposiin Buea
The mayor of the Buea council Ekema Patrick Esunge has sealed over a hundred businesses in the Buea municipality, for adhering to ghost town calls. It was on Monday July 23 2018 when the Mayor, his council and heavily armed security officers paraded the municipality sealing stores and business centers which were closed.
It should be noted that prior to the act on Monday July 23 2018 which was received bitterly by the inhabitants of Buea, the Mayor had conveyed series of meetings and press conferences with Business owners assuring them of maximum security and protection on such “ghosts days”.
Starting from Buea town, to clerks’ quarters’ right down to soppo, Bonduma and Molyko all witnessed a taste of the Mayor’s revenge plan as their shops and business centers were sealed. The notice sealing the shops reads “shop owners could be imprisoned from 6 months to 2 years and could pay a fine between FCFA 50.000 to FCFA 500.000”.
Even financial institutions were not spared from such action as they too were sealed for not carrying their activities as it is a working day.
It should be recalled that Mayor Ekema Patrick had in a communiqué dated Friday July 20 warned shop owners that severe sanctions would be meted out against defaulters and those who will respect the dictates of the Separatist movement.
Mayor Patrick Ekema has vowed that he will continue to close down business premises come next week Monday if other shop owners fail to open their shops.
It is worth mentioning that since the start of the crisis in the two English regions of the country, inhabitants of the regions had set aside Mondays as a mandatory “ghost town day”, and it is believed that any defaulter of the “ghost day” shall equally receive severe sanctions from the separatist movement.
During this period, shops, bars, businesses are expected to close down their doors and to stay at home to avoid problems, but the government has frowned and criticized the “ghost town” practices ever since it was initialized.
At Press time, business centers and shops were still sealed, but for the financial institutions which have been opened after some deliberations and undertakings signed by the heads of the financial establishments.
A majority of the business and shop owners expressed their fear to The Sun, stating that, they are faced between the devil and the deep blue sea “When we open on the supposedly ghost town Mondays we risk being killed, properties destroyed etc, and if we do not, the council comes and seals our premises. We want to open our shops but if our things are destroyed, the administration will not compensate us”, some hold.
Others pleaded for the much talked about “dialogue” to be initiated between the both parties so that calm can return to the two English speaking regions in the country.