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Contrary to media pronouncements while in Yaounde that the war situation in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon is “under control”, members of government practically shivered like babies as they approached the boundary between the West region and the embattled North West region of Cameroon to bury the former Prime minister Simon Achidi Achu.
Saturday July 3, 2021, day for the burial of Cameroon’s former Prime minister Rt. Hon. Simon Achidi Achu in his native Santa village in the North West, the fear of daring into a land infested by armed boys fighting for the restoration of the state of Ambazonia gripped members of government and other personalities from Yaounde.
To prevent any unforeseen circumstance, these mourners of the ruling class from Yaounde spent Friday, July 2, night in Bafoussam in the West region for security reasons.
Instead of spending the night in hotels in Bamenda that is less than an hour drive to Santa, those who through their words and actions have prolonged the war in the anglophone regions sought refuge in Bafoussam several kilometers from Santa.
“The governor of the West region Fonka Awa Augustine has instructed that all members of government and other personalities traveling to Santa should gather in his office at 7:30 am for necessary security instructions before departure in a convoy,” a message from a protocol officer from the West governor’s office circulated in hotels in Bafoussam Saturday, July 3.
Before 7:30 am as instructed by the governor of the West region, members of government and other personalities were gathered infront of the West governor’s office just as primary six pupils waiting to get examination instructions from their headmaster.
At 7:42 am, governor Awa Fonka Augustine descended from his office to the “assembly ground” and in a loud but respectful voice told his superiors “… Your Excellencies, for security reasons given the tension in the North West, we will leave here in a convoy. We shall stop in Mbouda where all the ministers shall leave their vehicles and shall be transported in military gun proof cars. I pray we follow these instructions. Thank you.”
As the convoy drove off from the governor’s office in Bafoussam, other personalities that were not to use military vehicles from Mbouda could be heard grumbling and expressing fear for their security on the way to Santa.
Despite special security measures taken for ministers and other personalities, some of these members of government instructed their drivers to block their vehicle number plates.
“We do this to prevent attack. Amba boys always attack state cars with inscription CE,”a driver hinted a team of reporters in a low tune.
Meantime, others practically changed their number plates to carry the initial “NW” to give a false impression that they live in the North West.
Ministers schemed and practically tiptoed their way into an unsecured Santa to pay last homage to a state man, astute politician and a peace maker buried when peace is absent. What they returned to Yaounde and told their master president Paul Biya as concerns security many guess remains the old song “the situation is under control”.
Mimi Mefo Info.
