NW region threatens to go on fuel strike

Tension and uncertainty is now brewing in the north west after The Coalition of North West Civil Society Organizations declared on July 16 that, contrary to what government is making the public to know, there are many unanswered questions that have cropped up with the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products. The meeting which brought together civil society activists, trade unionists and human rights activists was attended by more than 50 different civil society organizations.

Speaking at the meeting, the president of the North West Syndicate of Hotel and Tourism Promoters, SPIHT, Awa Cletus Fobuzie who coordinated the gathering wondered how the government is claiming that the sum of FCFA 1,200 billion was spent in 2013 to subsidize fuel prices, yet the same minister Tchiroma also claimed that for the past six months, the state spent close to FCFA 157 billion to subsidize fuel. Transporters, he regretted were more interested in increasing transport fare to their benefits rather than for the good of all.

Accordingly, Awah Cletus observed that we cannot be talking of emerging when the GDP has dropped and at the same time the index of the country has dropped. “In fact I am afraid that our standard of living is rather dropping”. Awah Cletus concluded that if necessary measures are not taken to redress or put in place sustainable actions, it could lead to inflation, starvation and hunger” and since a hungry man is an angry man, peace could be in jeopardy.

On his part, the Coordinator of Organization for Consumer Sovereignty-OCOSO wondered whether the Head of State is always told the truth by his collaborators. “I have been to Yaounde severally on this issue, but unfortunately, I have observed that government is always very adamant and irresponsible to the plight of the common man”.

During deliberations, participants also observed that for over 20 years, nobody from the North West and South West Region has ever heard a Confederation of Trade Unions. As such they would not depend on people who are more interested in their stomach than the welfare of the population. They also observed that if it is that Cameroonians should be sacrificed for Vision 2035, it should rather be stopped. Participants also examined the declaration by Government Spokesman, Issa Tchiroma, requesting him to apologise to Cameroonians. At the end of the meeting, participants took a firm stand that Government should reduce the price of fuel by FCFA 100.

The Secretary General of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union-CATTU, Tassang Wilfred for his part said that the issue of salary increase is provocative. “Those who advise this government want to provoke a situation”. He decried that in Cameroon, 22 taxes are paid on every litre of fuel and wondered if government could cancel 10 of those taxes to stabilize prices. The trade unions are also working on a memo to forward to government which if their demands are not met, they will take to the streets after 21 days as provided by law.