The three-day ghost town that was announced by political lunatics who claim to be the supporters of ‘’president-elu” ISSA TCHIROMA BAKARY kicked off yesterday with a massive failure as Cameroonians continued to go about their activities normally. The diaspora spin-doctors who invested time and energy to paralyze Cameroon are now resorting to violent invectives and name-calling based on lies and imaginary crisis in Cameroon.
When President PAUL BIYA said that “Cameroonians are mature politically and will do whatever it takes to protect their sovereignty”, many thought it was just political sloganeering. The number of times Cameroonians have refused to obey ghost-towns or other lockdowns has demonstrated their maturity and free spirit. A people resolutely turned away from violence, dedicated to the development of their country and solidly behind their newly elected president.
As end of year festivities are on the horizon, food is abundant in markets and sellers and buyers are engaging each other. Many do not even remember the presidential election again talk-less of obeying a ghost-town that has nothing to do with their day-to-day activities.
Motor-parks and airports are buzzling with travelers as economic activities are booming. The volume of internal and external trade has reached levels that have not been seen before. Many Cameroonians are excited and expectant as President PAUL BIYA has started exposing his program for the new seven-year mandate. The GHOST-TOWNS are even considered by many as mere provocation which should be ignored. Some have even vowed that any hoodlum who will try to impose any ghost-town or lockdown activity will be dealt with or handed over to the forces of law and order. Others have even created vigilante groups to make sure no criminals attacks shops/boutiques in the name of ghost towns.
Parents, village chiefs and other quarter heads have been sensitizing their children/compatriots/subjects to stay away from any illegal activity in the name of ghost towns. Many have even been heard encouraging economic actors to do more.
The doomsayers and other political analysts with no knowledge of Cameroonians have once again been shamed. All their predictions that this new round of ghost-towns will paralyze Cameroon have come to nought. The Sunday-morning tv show programs “experts” and their gutter “expertise” have been exposed for they are, political charlatans who think they can manipulate their way to power through fake-news and ghost towns. The foreign media alarmist reports have been debunked.
Today, (a day that was supposed to be ghost-town) Cameroon even organized the regional elections in all ten regions of the country hitch-free. Both national and international observers, local and foreign journalists and even ordinary Cameroonians have reported that the election was peaceful, free, fair and transparent. Echoes from the ten regions only showered praise on the election organizers and participants. Many Foreigners living in Cameroon stated that few African countries have Cameroon’s stability. Many of the voters who were interviewed after the election confirmed the reports of a free and fair process.
As Cameroonians ignore ghost-towns and await the results of the regional election against a background of preparations for end of year activities, PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA’S calls for a peaceful mandate has been hugely adhered to. 2025 is coming to an end and 2026 is coming soon and Cameroonians, their institutions and those who incarnate them have proven their worth. The electoral cycle is following its normal course, and the institutions are functioning ghost-town-free.
There was no ghost-town in Cameroon this today and this week and there won’t be any in the future. Cameroon is open for business as investors are coming from all continents. Cameroon is open for tourism as they come in their thousands this December. Cameroon is open to the future as education, roads, schools, mining, energy, electricity, agriculture, water, forestry, fishing, and other projects kick-start this end of year.
With a majority youths’ population that has rejected ghost-towns, political violence and showed their maturity, their hard work, patriotism and energy, Cameroon is becoming a place of stability that can only lure investors and partners. Ghost towns and other political violence have been defeated in Cameroon, and it is now time to work-together. Those who were misled during the election should realize their mistake and join the new Cameroon that is emerging.
Welcome to Cameroon a land of peaceful hardworking dedicated people who have obeyed their president (PAUL BIYA) to refuse all forms of political violence including ghost towns. A true giant of AFRICA, CAMEROON.
