The City Mayor of Bamenda, Paul Achobang, has called on women, who form the majority of the victims of the Bamenda main market inferno of February, to march on International Women’s Day.
“I will tell the women who are the majority victims to come out massively on Women’s Day, so that the Head of State can see that they are in solidarity with him,” Paul Achobang said.
However, this proposal has been met with dismay by the affected traders.
“We feel terrible knowing that we have to march on Women’s Day for the Head of State to see our pains and act,” lamented Manka, one of the traders who suffered losses in the inferno.
The traders voiced their opposition to what they saw as the politicisation of their tragedy. Manka indicated that they would not participate in the suggested march and hinted at a potential response during the upcoming elections.
“We will not march, and we shall reply to them during the next elections,” she firmly stated.
The Mayor’s statement, made to reporters at the main market, has stirred debate within the community, with many traders questioning the need for such a demonstration. As the city grapples with the aftermath of the inferno, the discontent among the affected traders adds a new layer of complexity to the recovery efforts.
On February 22, the Main market in Bamenda went up in flames, affecting more than 300 families. The governor of the North West Region and the National chairman of the Social Democratic Front visited the victims and promised that something would be done to ensure the government offered them support. A letter dated 26th February is also circulating, purportedly from the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam, asking all victims to be present at their shop sites on a specified date.
