Landslide at Sisia II: Bamenda City Mayor orders Demolition in 24 hours

Sisia II Neighbourhood, scene of the incident

The City Mayor of Bamenda, Paul Achobong has ordered those living in the risk zone of Sisia to quit the area within 24 hours

He was speaking during a visit to area Wednesday, September 30 after the area recorded a landslide in the night of September 29, killing an 8 year old girl

The parents of Njong Blanche in their grief were ordered to leave the area before October 1, 2020

Quizzed where he wanted the victims of the landslide to move to, Mayor Paul Achobong said that was not the issue at hand now

"The question as to where the people should move to is not apparent at this moment because if they don't move, the only other option is the grave. They either choose to move or stay and move to the grave. We the authorities of this city do not want anybody to move to the grave" he remarked

"We are giving them a free hand within 24 hours to move somewhere else before the heavy rains wreck more havoc. We shall be coming back here" he promised

Remains of the collapsed building

Sisia quarter is one of the risk zones in the city, located on the highlands of Bamenda. 

Previous city board meetings had adopted deliberations to get the people out of the risk zone to no avail. 

Accompanied by Mezam Senior Divisional officer, Simon Emile Mooh, SDO noted that the land under which the houses have been constructed belong to the government

"The inhabitants are claiming that they bought plots of land here. From who? As you can see, this is government land. Who sold it to them? He asked

He called on the City Mayor and the Mayor of Bamenda III to implement the decision to demolish houses around the cliff

Residents of Sisia have expressed the wish to leave the area but wonder where they will carry their family to

"We were told there is a land allocated for us at Mile Five Nkwen. We don't know how to acquire this land" a resident told the Observer

"We do not live here because we like to. We are low income earners. Paying rents in a town as difficult as Bamenda is not easy" another resident told The Observer

Five years ago, they was a slump upgrading program sponsored by UN habitat to improve the drainage system and road network in the area. Till date, it is not known what has happened to the project

Abangoh in Bamenda I, Mulang in Bamenda II and Sisia in Bamenda III were all carved out as risk zones and the population told to desist from constructing there. New houses are rather sprouting up

By

Mokum Thomas