Bamenda Main Market: Traders Lament As Faeces ‘Invades’ Shops

Traders at the Back Market area of the Bamenda Main Market say they have not been able to open their shops for two weeks now due to waste from the toilet.

Talking to MMI, the traders said they opened their shops about a forth night ago only to realized that, water mixed with feces was coming out from the floor of their sheds. The walls have also been soaked including some articles that were in their shops.

They explained that they have managed to disinfect the area to take out the bad smell all to no avail.

“For two weeks now, water mixed with excrement has been entering our shops since the toilet got full. The air is polluted making breathing difficult” one of the told MMI.

Unable to open their shops for days, “…we finally decided to stay home because even when we manage to open, customers don’t come because of the stench emanating from the area” the trader explains, adding “my goods have been destroyed”.

They blame authorities including the Market Master, for being negligent and even refusing to visit the scene after being informed.

In order to redeem her shops, one of the traders said, she has spent money to buy cement to block some of the holes through which the faeces comes in.

According to anoother lady, the situation has aggravated her health condition: “when the water started coming out, the stench added to the health challenges I had. This caused me to stay indoors for a week without coming to the market to sell,” she said.

Though the authorities were there in the early hours of Thursday to drain the toilet, the traders also complained that, the exercise shouldn’t have been carried on a day like this when people are in the market.

They said a day like Sunday would have been better. They have however invited the authorities not to wait for the toilet in the market to get full and start coming out before coming to clear its content away.