Wum Saga: Biya’s FCFA 700,000 tears victim’s family apart

President Biya has sent words of condolence to the family of late Lionel Ngong, the commercial bike rider who was stabbed to dead in Wum recently.

It all began with a soldier stabbing to dead Lionel Ngong during a scuffle with his girlfriend and this led to the burning down of the military warehouse and the heavy artillery.

An envelope of FCFA 700.000 that was handed to Pa Ngong (late Lionel’s father) by the two Government Ministers is reportedly tearing the family apart as Lionel’s father alleged only disclosed to his wife that he received but FCFA 300,000.

Pa Ngong who is alleged to have hidden FCFA 400,000 from his wife, for reasons best known to him, was jeered by those who saw him receive the whole sum presented in the public and his wife equally questioned whether he, Pa Ngong, had sold their son to death given his behavior with the money.

The family of late Lionel Ngong are beginning to raise eyebrows and camps are reportedly already cropping up over who gets what.

In the same vein, the Secretary-General at the North West Governor’s office, Absalom Monono, handed FCFA 500,000 to each of the four wounded soldiers currently receiving medical care in Bamenda.

Quizzed on the fate of the several hospitalised civilians wounded in the exchange with soldiers in Wum, the Monono said, those wounded and receiving treatment in Wum shall be provided daily meals and hospital bills would be taken care of by the state.

While in Wum, Defense Minister, Joseph Beti Assomo and Emmanuel Rene Sadi of Territorial Administration who came to evaluate the situation that sparked the rioting, called on the population to remain calm and be law-abiding.

Minister Beti Assomo wondered why Menchum Division without an industry or any serious income-generating activity should have youth spending so generously in off-license, drinking till daybreak. He also decried the fact that they carry personal matters right into the military camp.

The Minister of Defense assured the people of Wum that the said soldier has been arrested and would have to face the law following his action. Investigations, he said, has been opened to fish out the perpetrators of the burning of the military warehouse.

On his part, Hon. Walang Richard, MP for Menchum South, thanked the President of the Republic for his fatherly gestures in times of grief and called on the soldiers to always feel at home in Menchum in spite of the recent unfortunate incident and to avoid any form of provocation.

Hon. Walang pleaded with Minister Beti Assomo to dispatch some of his military road equipment to Menchum to grade the roads to enable more youths gain employment in the agricultural sector.