Ghost Towns in Southern Cameroons – It is so Frustrating

Ghost towns are dealing a serious blow to the Biya Regime. It is so frustrating.

Can you imagine that you have the radio and television, you speak and show pictures but people decide to believe people who are nowhere to be found? It is so frustrating.

Have you ever thought of a tiny phone but with a genuine message conquering a mighty CRTV but with a fake message? It is so frustrating.

Can you imagine that you have the army, the gendarmes and the police but people with seemingly powerless weapons are controlling the town? It is so frustrating.

Just for once imagine the administration with all the financial resources but people in the hiding are controlling the lives of people? It is so frustrating.

Can you imagine that you can control eight regions without stress but two regions are like a bone in your neck? It is so frustrating.

Can you imagine people coming with huge amounts of money for bribes but with a dubious agenda and others come empty-handed but with the people’s concerns and the people listen to those with empty hands while those with huge amounts of money for bribes but with a hidden agenda are sent away with shame? It is so frustrating.

DOES GHOST TOWNS ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING?
Many people are asking? Since ghost towns have been going on, what have they achieved? The truth is that the ghost towns have seriously frustrated the administration to the point where they are really confused how to handle the situation.

Some people say the ghost town strategy should be changed. Why should you change what is working? You don’t change a strategy for changing sake. Do you know that even when the government is planning the activities of the week, they also respect the ghost towns? They cannot put any serious program on Monday because they know that Monday is “kontry Sunday”. Do you realise that when they were scheduling school resumption this week (a term that has resumed at least six times and it is maybe still planning to resume next week again) they chose Tuesday? Forget about the reasons they gave, the true reason is that they respect Monday as our “kontry Sunday”.

Never think that the ghost towns are not working. The administration may pretend as if it means nothing but do you know what that means to the international community? It speaks volumes. I was present at the meeting in Abuja where Africa Rising was giving their report about their findings in Cameroon, they said they have never seen such ghost towns in the whole of Africa. Permit me to shout it to your hearing – GHOST TOWNS SPEAK VOLUMES and it is very frustrating to the administration.

It is said that water wins the war over the rock not out of strength but persistence. Persistence they say wear out any resistance. Ghandi wore out the mighty United Kingdom through peaceful civil disobedience. Martin Luther wore out the majority White population through civil disobedience, the list is inexhaustive.

While in the South West, I saw how the colonial governor showed literal frustration as he used force, used intimidation, used radio and TV power, used bribes, used sell-outs but all his efforts were futile. It was really really frustrating. You could get it in his voice. Ghost towns are working and they will keep working.

Let’s keep frustrating the administration until they bend to our demands.

May God Save Southern Cameroons.

By Tem Martin,
For BaretaNews.