Death threats persists, Bamenda City drowns in garbage, City Mayor spits lava

The current situation of Bamenda

For months now, the City of Bamenda, capital of the North West region has been drowning in pools of garbage following dead threats and attacks from armed men preventing the cleaning of the town.

Hysacam the company in charge of waste management and transportation has faced stumbling blocks in their attempts to perform its contracted duties. The aforementioned company have had her workers shot by armed men, trucks, front head loaders and other equipments burnt.

Areas such as Ntarinkon Market, Food market, Entrance to Behind Che, Old Church junction, beside Public security, around the main market and other areas have heaps of dirt, preventing free access to road users, reducing market space for vendors. Flies now roam around these areas like bees on a nuptial flight

The early days of Mayor Paul Achombong

In an attempt to transport the waste, the Hysacam workers have met stiff resistance from armed men forcing a situation whereby forces of law and order got engaged in the waste disposal business.

On Wednesday 20 April 2022, workers transporting garbage at Ntarinkon Market were attacked, halting the process. Weeks later Saturday 7 May 2022, the waste management company was attacked at Old Church junction leading to a cross fire leaving bikes burnt and lives lost. 

Bamenda City Mayor 

Bamenda has become a mélange of  heap of dirt coming at a time when the country is plagued with cases of Cholera. The City Mayor to Bamenda City Council Paul Achombong says anyone who stands against the dirt transportation process is giving slow poison to the population. 

“Garbage has never been a friend to urban settlement, neither has garbage been a friend to people who are in this contemporary age. Whosoever thinks that garbage can be his/her friend then you are failing. Those who think garbage should not be cleaned from the streets of Bamenda, they are actually injecting the population with slow poison. If there is an outbreak of cholera in this town, it will not distinguish those who are for or not, everybody will pay a heavy price.“ Mayor Achombong Paul opined

He went ahead to caution city dwellers that the cleanliness of the town is the responsibility of all.  Therefore collective effort is the best way to save the City of Bamenda. 

“I am appealing by this to all that garbage is collectively the effort of everybody and every attempt to stop garbage transportation should be stopped” the City Mayor appealed. 

Attempts to keep Bamenda clean met a stiff resistance with armed separatists

Months after taking over office, the City Mayor was actively involved in the cleaning of the town, assisting in the cleaning of the streets but it has become unsafe. 

Should the garbage continue mounting on the streets of Bamenda, there is likely going to be a cholera outbreak and other catastrophes which may hit Bamenda. 

By 

Anye Nde Nsoh