Douala supermarkets also contributes war efforts

Cereal collection drive and other foodstuff are ongoing in the economic capital.

The fight against the dreaded Islamist sect that is causing havoc in the Far North Region of Cameroon has left no one indifferent. First, it was the State alone that supported the population by dispatching soldiers, the support later became a sub regional affair when the Chadian soldiers trooped in, now, the African Union is training some 8,700 troops to fight the sect in Cameroon and other African countries.

Given the gravity of the situation, groups and organisations are carrying out support march on major streets denouncing the terrorist act.

Today, economic operators in Douala have resorted to giving foodstuff and other basic needs as their own support to the soldiers at the war front. Tonnes of vegetable oil, sugar, rice, mineral water, canned food were contributed on March 13, 2015, alongside the sum of FCFA 207 million for the soldiers.

During the special operation to raise funds and collect foodstuff, some individuals like Jean Ernest Ngalle, who is also SOCATUR’s General Manager, gave one tonne of rice, one tonne of vegetable oil, 500kg of sugar, 1,000 canned sardine fish, and 30,000 bottles of mineral water.

The company producing vegetable oil donated 500 cartoons of vegetable oil with each cartoon containing 20 bottles of one litres of the oil. Some economic operators especially wholesale and supermarkets bosses have also pledged their support to the defence forces by sensitising and opening a foodstuff collect drive in their various business centres. The mechanism of the special operation is simple; a customer after shopping drops either money or foodstuff in the boxes as his/her contribution.

According to Littoral’s Regional Delegate of Trade, Simon Omgba Belinga, his delegation staff takes stock with staff of the over 10 supermarkets and wholesale shops involved in the drive on a daily basis.

Once the boxes are full, each supermarket seals them and either sends to Yaounde or directly to the war front through the Douala International Airport. To the delegate, the public has been reacting positively and the process is going on smoothly. He reiterated that donors should not have second thoughts because the goods will reach its destination intact.

Though the volume of collection differ from one shop to another depending on how big it is, the results so far is satisfactory, Omgba Belinga poised. At certain supermarket in Akwa neighbourhood, persons of good will were seen contributing in cash and kind and its Manager who refused to be named confirmed that all is well.