By LUCY LIMA
With the announcement of Municipal and Legislative elections slated for the beginning of 2020, the political players in the country are expected to show faces on set.
Though there is a lot of uncertainty, given the socio economic problems plus the armed conflicts in the Northwest and South West Regions, the ball seems to have been bounced already.
However the tension and uncertainty is rife as politicians don’t know what will happen to them if they engage in campaigns especially in rural areas.
While the state insists that elections must hold, separatist fighters holds that no election will take place in the Anglophone Regions of Cameroon.
In Tiko Municipality, a council which was previously occupied by the ruling party, the CPDM, had gone over to the leading opposition, the SDF.
The race will be tough in Tiko since the CPDM is already mapping out a comeback strategy.
However, it’s more complex in the camp of the sitting SDF since many think that it is time to have another SDF Mayor to be voted by the SDF councillors.
One of the councillors of the SDF in Tiko who had always stood for justice in council deliberations had not been found around since mid 2018.
The councillor whose name we got as Councillor Henry Ambe Chie is reported to have gone out of view some time last year.
With elections announced, the people of Tiko have raised a major concern over his whereabouts.
A few persons, who spoke to this reporter, confirmed that since mid 2018 he has not been present at sessions and no one is saying anything about his disappearance.
It is also said in some quarters that he was on the run due to threats on his life and that of his family.
According to reports, he had also received threats from unknown persons and has even gone as far as burning down his house in Balangi, near Kumba and belongings sometime in May last year.
We are informed that such threats even included threats to life by Separatists fighters and the military on the outspoken and lover of justice Councillor.
“He is one of those politicians who always stand for truth and justice; he is always at the defense of the weak. We do not know what has happened to him but we pray he finds peace wherever he is” prayed one of those who spoke to this reporter.
He is also said to have been involved in the protest against the celebration of the last May 20, National Day Event which was celebrated in the midst of tension in the two English Speaking regions of the country.
All efforts to get his close collaborators proved futile as no one is certain of the outcome of any statements made within the context of the Anglophone crisis.
However, a source who decided to speak on conditions of anonymity opined that, with the threats of life and safety and like many others in the conflict zones, he may have moved to neighboring Nigeria which is hosting thousands of Cameroonians fleeing from the troubled regions of Cameroon.
The SDF bigwigs in Tiko all these while have not said anything and many opined that they may just be happy with the situation since he is very popular and objective.