Cameroon: Unwanted Police checks

By Mofor Samuel
After last February social upheavals that sent shock waves across the nation and within the ranks of the powers that be in particular, security road blocks and check points have taken a new twist and dimension.

Unlike in the past when the Biya administration used to blindfold the population into believing that they were doing everything possible to facilitate travels by checking the excesses of the men in uniform, this time around the check points have more than doubled with some only meters apart.

As someone puts it one can be an honest citizen in the eyes of the policeman but not in the eyes of the gendarmes and vice versa. There is even a third option whereby even soldiers are involved in the show, when some can barely read. With the new phenomenon of “apprentis sorciers” gaining grounds in the corridor of power, the powers that be are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to check and contain this phenomenon. Hence the need for mixed controls, and every Cameroonian traveling with particular bus agencies is considered without papers until they are presented

. When questioned as to why they have to ridicule people and make them walk for long distances on foot and why buses of certain travel agencies as well as private vehicles are not checked, one is simply told by these security agents that they are acting on instructions from above.

At times many buses arrive at a control point making it very difficult and cumbersome for the khaki boys to carry on their “checking”. Most often than not, they are overwhelmed with the task, coupled with the fact that the scorching sun does not give them any breathing space.
Things even get worst when it is raining torrentially. The whole thing comes to a standstill.

Permit me to present a picture of a scenario that took place in one of the several check points on the outskirts of Douala along the road to Yaoundé. I tell you it is very interesting going by what one sees unfolding. This check point was being manned by the elements of GMI No.II in Douala.

Having arrived at this check point while it was still raining or better still drizzling, the team leader and his members sought refuge in someone’s roadside hut. This narrator was able to perceive from the 70 -seater bus that there was a “njangi” going on with those without papers doing the contribution and the khaki boys the collection. The team leader was the president (police officer), the treasurer (senior police inspector) and the financial secretary (police inspector). Then the chief whips were the (senior police constable) and a simple ( police constable).
Any one, who could not go through the filter or sieve, meaning that the individual was not in possession of his/her papers, was conducted by one of the chief whips to the njangi house.

The chief whip upon sending a potential catch shouts with all overzealousness at the top of his voice to enable the team leader to know the number of persons sent. The fate of these potential contributors is decided upon by the team leader. Once in the hut as a matter of principle one had to contribute to gain one’s freedom. And that is how three passengers from our bus became victims since they were not in possession of their papers. Two did contribute to be set free.

One guy was abandoned for failing to comply since the other passengers in the bus also declared a war on the driver for wasting their time. Indeed, one could see how passengers were openly giving their bribes to one person to finally hand it over to the police.

Now, he meticulously counts them to make sure that the amount corresponds to the number of defaulters. All this is done under the watchful eyes of the Financial Secretary and President.
Interestingly, there was this old lady who had but the old National Identity Card(not longer in use). Her fate was to be determined by the young policeman- chief whip- as none of us knew what was in store for her.

Strangely enough, the young man never bothered to ask her any question. Either this young man was in a haste to run away from the rain that had suddenly moved from drizzles to torrential, or that he was hypnotized by the old lady one cannot tell.

Earlier around Bekoko, passengers were using several other means to outsmart the men –in- uniform. They just have to do with what they have in hand. This, because the amount of questions, comments, open attacks and scolding they receive from passengers divert their attention from the reality.

In fact the passengers of the bus taking us to Kribi really had some harsh words for these road policemen. Thank God, they never dared to ask anyone to go down in the rain or else the undelivered package that they had for the authorities of Jako Voyages would have been handed over to them.

It should be noted that passengers who arrived at the agency at 9 am with the intention of traveling thirty minutes later, finally left for Kribi at 2:30pm. The reason is that most of the drivers got drunk and were suffering form hang-over of the Labour Day Celebration. That too is Cameroon. Labour Day as we all know, is the day set aside for workers to demand better working conditions and salaries.

On the contrary in Cameroon, workers are celebrating since it is the only opportunity for them to wine and dine with their employers. That is how those of us passengers were grounded on that fateful Friday, May 2 ,until we had to impose the destination of the bus that came in from Yaoundé and was about to return there.

This coupled with the heavy downpour got most passengers infuriated and were just waiting for the slightest provocation to explode. Thank God the rain came and calmed down the temperature and tempers.
While the rain worked to the advantage of travelers, it actually had a message for the powers that be – that they had another serious battle to fight. If they do not want to surrender in disgrace, it is better they call off the controls before the rains eventually put an end to them thereby rendering them powerless and impotent in front of Cameroonians.