Victoria, Buea, Tiko: The 2009 Trilogy of Diaries Part 3

Victoria Down Beach Today (Wikipedia)

Victoria in about 1918

Louis Egbe Mbua

The shocking experience at Tiko had dampened my elastic hopes I had nurtured from the Buea positive experience. This, in some ways, triggered some discouragement and disillusionment for the next stage of the odyssey. However, I was determined to go to Victoria, where I was born, to see for myself what changes and transformations had occurred in both social and infrastructural development.

On this occasion, I didn’t go directly to Victoria. I stopped at Mutengene to visit a classmate of mine, whom I hadn't seen since High School days. As we waited at the drinking spot just off the junction that separates Tiko, Victoria and Buea, I could notice the rolling hills and forests to the West towards Victoria. The yellow sun was straight up in the sky casting pure light through the green leaves of the forest and then reflecting right down to the coasts of Cameroon. As the position was just up the hill north to Buea, I could see the creeks of Tiko and ships or tankers making their way to Douala – by-passing the now derelict Tiko port. As I watched, I noticed tankers upon tankers of vehicles, loaded with refined petroleum passing through the junction towards Tiko – most probably going to Douala in Francophone Cameroon. Surely, this is refined petroleum from the Cameroon National Refinery based in Victoria, I thought. After seeing my friend and other relatives, we got into the car and turned west towards Victoria.

The car sped, passing through the rolling hills. The roads were extremely well maintained. As we cut through the CDC plantations of oil palm grooves and trees, I could notice that they had hardly changed in nature apart from the fact that it appears that some of the oil palms trees have reached their full life span. Whether they will be replaced or not is unclear. However, it should be noted that the CDC, in conjunction with the regime in Yaoundé, have a tradition of carving out these native lands and selling them up corruptly with the the pretext that they are handing the lands to the native indigenes. There are reliable reports that corrupt Administrators from of Cameroon are now the biggest land owners in Victoria due to this land racket. As we were about to reach Mile 4 Bonadikombo, I could see the banner “Welcome to Limbe”. It has to be recalled here that the name of this City was arbitrarily changed from Victoria to Limbe without due consultation. It seems the Francophone regime in Yaoundé wanted to erase the identity of this historic city and replace the culture with ill-conceived French-speaking cultures which the inhabitants detested.

As we entered the City into Half Mile, I noticed the house that I was born at the left bank of the road, up the hill. It is still there. Furthermore, I realised this is one of the cleanest Cities I can judge as of today; and which I can discern. No speck of waste paper nor even dust could be noticed. As we entered the City, we passed through New Town, and drove to the Botanical gardens. It is interesting how this Green Park had been maintained over the years. It was so beautiful that one would not know the difference between this garden and possibly Kew Gardens in London. The only difference is that it is just off the Atlantic Ocean -- which may be viewed directly from any vantage point of the Garden. The shrubs, plants and trees were well pruned; and there were seats that one could take a rest after touring the Gardens. The natural aromatic smell of green vegetation was heavy in the air like a naturally manufactured perfume.

After this experience, we went on to visit the Saker Baptist College. Interestingly, the coconut trees and serenity of the place has been kept as they were; and as was known – a bit of a shame about the road leading to the College. This is surprising knowing that the Cameroon elite have their offspring and siblings educated in the institution. Overall, the atmosphere appeared conducive to good learning and social development for girls.

Having, made the flying tour, passing through the banking districts in Down Beach, I went to Down Beach proper for a cooling down period; and from where the Atlantic Ocean stretched from the shores of Victoria to the endless horizon; and from where one could easily turn around and have the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and hills that form part of the Chariot of the Gods. The view is further modified by the more than a century old German classical colonial buildings.

Ordered roasted fish fresh from the Atlantic complete with a bottle of Cameroon beer; and quickly quenched my appetite and thirst. It had been a very long time since one had been treated with “green fish” fresh from the ocean of one’s own land.

The seaside restaurant was extremely clean; the people welcoming and the waiters of exceptional standards. In my view, there was something missing: a landscape very familiar to me; and which used to stand about 200 metres into the sea. In its place was what looked like two to three desolate strips of land but with the lush green forests gone. It would seem to me that this was the result of global warming and hence climate change that is affecting sea levels causing it to rise. On the other hand, I thought, why is that Down Beach itself has not been flooded by the rising sea? After everything, the entire Victoria City itself is just a few metres above sea level on its beaches. I therefore ascribed another reason for the disappearance of the Island. This may be due to the constant eruption of Mount Cameroon and the tremors that accompanies these geological events –1982, 1999, 2000. Thus, it appears, there are multiple or a combination of reasons to explain this strange phenomenon. This intrigued my mind so I asked a man sitting next to my own table:

“Where is Bota Island that used to be seen from here?”

“It has disappeared into the sea”, he replied with a knack of confidence.

So what happened to the indigenes who used to live on the Island; and who came to the mainland by canoes? I requested to know.

When the sea covered the Island, the indigenes were evacuated to the mainland by the government was his answer. So, where they provided with accommodation and some kind of compensation to start a new life in the mainland? The man explained that all he knew was that they were evacuated from the Island and resettled on the mainland – Bota Land. Nevertheless, I could see a number of settlements just off the shore on the other side of down beach – houses that seemed to have been built recently; and which looked like those put up by the indigenes. Although the topography where these buildings stood was more elevated, they appeared to be dangerously close to the sea. Pointing to the direction of the settlement, I inquired:

“Who are those living in those houses on the hills just off the sea?”

They are the indigenes said my new acquaintance. Are they not conscious of the rising sea levels, I asked? He appeared to be surprised by my question. He took a sip of his beer, a bite of roasted fish and answered: The indigenes are mysterious in this respect. They have the power to control the sea and the wind. More importantly, they have the capabilities of bringing in the sea and the waves to attack their enemies. For example, they can call up the wind and destroy the property of those who steal their land and are unjust to them. In this process they will not be affected. How is that? Well, I cannot explain, he said. But we have known it to happen and it will happen again if they are cheated as is the case now – if it continues.

Now, tell me, I composed, I understand there was a raid in Down Beach; that Commandos arrived from the sea with speed boats, took over the banks here in Down Beach and then varnished into the Atlantic with a huge sum of money. Are you aware of that particularly audacious incident? My acquaintance seemed shaken. Nevertheless, he gathered himself and began to narrate what I came to consider as an outstandingly delivered oratory:

The Commandos arrived at Victoria a day before in Pajeros. They toured the City, looked around and visited all parts from Mile 4 to New Town. They appeared to have visited Down Beach as well were they had something to eat. Then we looked around but they had all but vanished. We just thought they were tourists who came to visit us. As many different people arrive at Victoria every year and century, we took no discernible notice. The next day, in the early hours of dawn we heard heavy Gun fire such as has never been heard in this city before. It appears those guns do not exist in Cameroon. They fired in the air for at least 2 hours. The entire Victoria was frightened. There were some citizens who had been out enjoying themselves that night and were caught up in the fire. The fire then intensified and we thought a huge war has arrived Victoria. By the turn of the day the entire Victoria was as quiet as a grave yard. Not a soul was seen. The Commandos then went inside the City and cut off Down Beach by blocking the entire Sappa at gun point while others advanced into down beach. I can’t actually say what happened next because every person was afraid and nobody came out.

Good, I said. But what did the Police and army do to stem or contain the Commandos? I asked.
He laughed, took one more sizeable sip of beer, put down his glass in a gentle bang. Again took a bite of his roasted fish, sighed and then answered with laughter:

The Police and the army put down their guns and ran.

You mean that the Police fled? I seek clarification.

Yes, they put down their weapons and away they ran.

So, it was everyman for himself then? I added rhetorically.

Everyman for himself, he exclaimed? Well, if you say so. All I know is that the army and police ran away for their dear lives.

Why was that? I questioned. My acquaintance was startled but gave this reply:

If you heard the sound of gun fire, you would not ask that question. Such a gun fire has never been heard in Cameroon. When they went to Down Beach to attack the banks, the security guards also ran away and vanished. So, it was not actually everyman for himself but no man for himself since the entire city was deafeningly silent and defenceless. In short, the Commandos could do what they liked. When they had finished their bank operation, they again fired into the air for another one hour spreading more terror with the deafeningly resounding sound. The sound could be heard as far as Tiko and the surrounding regions. They then jumped into their speed boats and disappeared into the Atlantic. After they had gun, the army made a futile attempt to pursue them but their endeavours came to nought: it was like chasing a darting shadow.

How many of them were involved in the operation? I investigated.

We can’t say for sure but reports say they were about thirty of them. Furthermore we saw what looked like fifteen to twenty strangers the day before when they “visited”.

I see. Thirty people taking over a city of about 100,000 people and nobody to defend. What about the Gendarmes in SONARA? They didn’t do anything? I pressed on with my questions.
He looked at me scornfully and said: I went there some time ago to seek employment but was greeted with scorn and arrogance by the guards at the gate. One of them demanded in French:

"Que-ce que vous voulez ici? "

“I am looking for a job here in SONARA,” he answered back

“Est-ce qu’il y ait quelqu’un ici, une connaissance alors?”

Before he could reply, the guard slammed the gates in his face, he narrated with the dejection of finality. This has been the case for the past thirty years, he complained bitterly. Anglophones have been discriminated from this state company for 30 years. As recently as about a few months back, they employed more that 20 people and never bothered to take in any inhabitant of the South West Region. Even inhabitants of Victoria were never considered; not even the indigenes of Victoria. Furthermore, there was a time when the company went to Francophone Cameroon and brought in Bassa indigenes from Edea and the surrounding areas of Douala to do the manual jobs here despite the fact that there is local labour here in Victoria. We understand that tribalism is the norm of the place.

We also understand that the Company pays its local taxes to Douala in the Francophone region rather than here in Victoria. We are really suffering Apartheid discrimination in this country just because we are Anglophones. The entire Victoria now is becoming a Francophone City. We are now strangers in our own land.

Now, do you have any qualifications that warrant you to work in SONARA, the refinery? I asked the acquaintance.

Yes, I did welding in OIC in Buea, he replied with pride. I have my certificate with me.

This is a snap shot of the sinisterly concocted discrimination that is being replicated in the entire Southern Cameroons by the installed junta in Yaoundé. Discrimination o f the Anglophones all over Cameroon and in walks of life is a policy that has been instituted since the plebiscite in 1961 when Southern Cameroonians freely voted to form a federation with French Cameroun. The entire international civil community must not allow the regime in Yaoundé to get away with these crimes against humanity. Only when this discrimination ends will Cameroon become the paradise it is supposed to be. At the moment, the human and natural resources, their energy, is being sapped, to fight against this ideological darkness.