Bamenda Main Market fire incident: NW elite hand 75.5 million FCFA support to victims.

The support, which amounts to over 75 million FCFA, with an additional 500,000 FCFA from the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, was handed over to the victims on June 7, in Bamenda.

It was during a ceremony to officially hand over the cheque to the victims. It brought together elite like Minister Mbayu Felix, Minister Mbah Acha Rose, Achidi Judith, Senator Regina Mundi, Hon Njingum Musa and other personalities.

The money was raised months ago, thanks to Minister Mbayu, who launched the fund drive, days after over 292 shops were completely consumed by fire at the Bamenda Main Market.

While handing the cheque of over 75 million FCFA to the committee put in place to handle the disbursement, the victims were told that all of them will receive the same amount.

The over 439 victims, who were carefully identified and registered during the damage assessment, were told to visit the OPSECS bank, located at Commercial Avenue, for identification and collection of their share of the money as from tomorrow June 11.

Support to act as seed capital for fire victims

Speaking after the event, the Minister of Delegate in the Ministry of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth, Mbayu Felix, called on the victims to use the money properly and see how they can bounce back into their businesses.

"After the fire incident, it became evident to us that the loss was enormous. But it's not the enormity of it that guided us, it is the determination to reduce that pain even in a very small way. This is because we know compared to the loss, what we managed to collect, cannot compensate, but it could assist, because what we are doing is assisting, not compensating,” he said. 

“We did that with good heart and with all the blessings. We hope that this money we are giving them would be seed money for them to re-bounce and basically that's why we engaged in this," Minister Mbayu said.

For her part, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of the Supreme State Audit Office, Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam, reiterated that the initiative was done because of the love and value they have for the people of Bamenda and the market. She added that the Bamenda Main Market is very strategic for the people of the North West Region, and there is no way that it can be left in that situation.

Plea for market to be rebuilt 

The occasion was also an opportunity to remind the elite and authorities that the victims, despite receiving the support, do not yet have shops where they can invest the money.

While pleading on behalf of the victims, the traditional ruler of Mankon, Fon Angwafo IV, whose village hosts the market, and Muluh Zacheus, president of the Bamenda Main Market traders, called on the elite and authorities to do everything possible for the market to be rebuilt without delay.

"I am happy because of this gesture; it is a way forward. The only thing I need is that they should help us rebuild the market so that if they get something like this one, they will put it into the sheds so that they will do something better," Muluh said.

Preparations to rebuild market gaining steam 

During the event, the Senior Divisional Officer of Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh, revealed that a meeting was recently organised, where he signed a deliberation for the Bamenda City Mayor to go ahead with preparations for the reconstruction of the market.

Immediately after the Bamenda Main Market got burned in February 2024, the City Council, with the help of Edge Construction Company, cleared off the debris of the fire.

During an extraordinary session in March, councillors of the Bamenda City Council approved the sum of over 6 billion FCFA for the reconstruction of the market. The money is expected to be obtained as a loan from the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No 3138 of Tuesday June 11, 2024