BY SIMON NDIVE KALLA
Economic operators in Limbe say as the Anglophone crisis persists in the North West and South West regions of the country, it is causing total suffering and hard times in their businesses. Most of the economic operators have been switching from one business line to another in the hope of dealing in what might be currently profitable.
Customers on their part say, there is high rate of inflated prices of goods in the market, like rice, which half bag was FCFA 8500 but now it is 10500 Fcfa. Even other products like tomatoes, fish, salt, onions etc are all experiencing high price rates in the market as the Anglophone crisis continues.
In some homes, they now have two square meals a day instead of three, while others prefer to be on dry fasting due to the fact that they have nothing to eat. Famers on their part say, they cannot go to the farms to harvest crops as they fear being attacked by separatist fighters who threaten them in the farm. A case in point is Wotutu near Limbe, which some tomato famers cannot go to the farm to harvest their crops.
Could it be time for the Government and separatist fighters to rethink on how the population is in total suffering and give peace a chance so that everything could return to normal?, a Limbe inhabitant who spoke on anonymity to The Sun questioned.
Speaking with some of the economic operators in Limbe, Mokete Emmanuel said the crisis is affecting his business in that, customers do not show up to buy as usual, he added that some people who come, do not buy at the price they sell. Many at times, they argue with the customers and reduce beyond their selling price. Mokete went on that at times he goes to his business place but sells nothing.
On his part, Uche Ndumbisi said the crisis is too much; sometimes they sell FCFA 500 a day; at times they do not sell anything. He added that in a week they cannot make any profit and even their feeding money is sometimes hard to come by. Ndumbisi lamented that, they are now eating their capital and cited a case where some customers argue and exchange words with them due to the price of a particular product.
On her part, Anne Marie Louis told The SUN that the ongoing crisis has affected her business to the extent that she cannot pay her house rent, water bill, electricity bill etc.
She however regretted that, the youths who are leaders of tomorrow are being killed every day, and nothing is being done to end the crisis. Louis however urged the Government to seek for lasting solution. While pleading with the separatists fighters to bury their difference with the government so things can move on as normal.