After municipal police blunder leaves two dead in Y’de: MINAT boss swings into action.

The member of government swung into action and dished out the instructions while chairing a crisis meeting in Yaounde, Thursday. 
The meeting was prompted by a blunder of municipal police agents of Yaounde I Council, which caused the death of a commercial motorbike rider and his passenger, at the Etoudi neighbourhood in the nation's capital.
The incident had provoked bike riders and other irate city dwellers to stage a protest, condemning the highhandedness of the municipal police agents and their poor treatment of citizens. 
Thursday's crisis meeting was attended by the administrative authorities of Mfoundi Division, led by the Governor of Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea; municipal authorities, led by the Yaounde City Mayor, Luc Messi Atangana; and leaders of commercial motorbike syndicates.
It was aimed at reminding all stakeholders of their individual roles in ensuring order reigns in the sector and beyond. 
Minister Paul Atanga Nji emphasised to all stakeholders present that the municipal police is by the decree of August 9, 2022, supposed to help and not jeopardise public order.
“The SDO is the supervisory authority in the Division. Any activity or control in the Division, by the municipal police must have clearance from the SDO. The municipal police should not exercise violence of any form on road users, traders or citizens in our towns,” he stated. 
Atanga Nji instructed mayors to henceforth recruit municipal police agents in their respective councils, strictly on the basis of good conduct, morality and sound training.
“The mayors must put in place proper mechanism to control the activities of the municipal police in order to avoid the abuse of power, extortion of funds from traders or motorbike riders,” he instructed.

Warns biker riders’ syndicate leaders 
The minister warned syndicate leaders of motorbike riders to be vigilant of their sector. He regretted that the sector has been infiltrated by those who commit crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, rape and theft. 
He urged them to intensify identification, reminding them that they are partners of peace. 
“I urge motorbike riders and the municipal police to be law-abiding, so that we can collectively protect people and their properties, which remains the cardinal point in the work of administrative authorities,” he said. 
Atanga Nji, however, warned motorbike riders to be disciplined, reiterating that the State machinery, which grinds slowly, but will be left with no option than to take draconian measures to protect social cohesion, if they continue threatening the security and safety of civilians and the State. 

The minister also urged the bike riders to strictly respect the decision banning their activities in some parts of the capital city. 
Among other issues discussed at the crisis meeting was the training of municipal police agents and the issuance of Category C licences. 
The minister instructed the SDO of Mfoundi to hold a meeting with stakeholders, during which zones banned for the circulation of commercial motorbike riders within the capital city will be announced. 
Speaking to the press after the meeting, the mayor of Yaounde II Council, Yannick Ayissi, said they shall sensitise all stakeholders concerned in the transport sector, on what the law says about the existence of municipal police agents.
For his part, the National President of the Motorbike Riders' Syndicate, Mbazoa Tsoungui Jules-Marie, urged his peers  to comply with the regulations in place and advocated the recruitment of trained personnel as municipal police agents. 
“I call on all motorbike riders to respect the unauthorised zones and not ply them. I also call on my peers to get identified in their respective municipalities. The problem we face is the arbitrary harassment and arrest of some of my peers. 
We call on mayors to recruit only trained personnel as municipal police agents,” he said.