By Mirabal Azangeh Tandafor
The one time daily rumblings and roaring sounds of the popular Ndokotti Roundabout 'market' are no more. In the evening of Tuesday, May 17, some agents from the Douala Urban Council came round; demolished, gathered in hips, and burnt up to ashes all temporal market shelves.
All these were done in the faces of the desperate-looking vendors, who did nothing but to throw insults at the over 100 Council Agents, The Post learnt.
These agents have since then been loitering around in their orange uniforms with the words 'CUD' (meaning Commune Urbain De Douala in French or Douala Urban Council in English) inscribed on them. These same persons patrol every angle of the enlarged intersection to prevent anyone from resettling for trade.
The road angles leading further into Bassa, that going to Logbaba/ Logpassi, that to the Douala International Airport/Bonanjo, that leading to the Douala Central market, that going to Mboppi/Camp Yabassi, and that leading to Ndogbong and Cite SIC now have conspicuous signboards warning anyone from settling there to sell anything, nor matter what it is and for what length of time he or she is going to be there. They also state that anyone caught doing these would have to face the law.
Drama In The 'Market'
Some older women who, before the demolition, sold at the former SOTUC (unprivitised version of SOCATUR) park have since then been playing the game of hide-and-seek with the agents, who from time to time, interrupt them from exposing their food items, okrikah clothes, bags and shoes.
But on turning their bags, everything retakes its shape. Elsewhere in front of the Brasseries Du Cameroun Football School, almost every one, who still cares about selling, has become a hawker.
Women, men and children who formerly sold there now hawk, alongside their wares, one or two chairs with which they can quickly and briefly install themselves before they are chased away again. On the stretch of road leading to either Ndogbong or Cite SIC, it is another story.
This reporter witnessed some traders who took refuge in front of the Ndokotti Court premises, being chased out rashly on May 19. The traders briefly exchanged blows with the agents before the traffic police stepped in.
Further down on the angle leading to the Douala International Airport and Bonanjo, no one dares, presumably because the agents occupy an office there. Motor-bike riders now have enough parking spaces, despite their numbers.Meantime, occupants of permanent structures have not been touched.
Authority Talks
In reaction to questions about the unprecedented demolitions and permanent surveillance of Ndokotti by Council agents, the Ndokotti Concessionary, Jacob Kiari told The Post on May 19 that the Ndokotti Roundabout, despite its vastness, was not meant to be a market.
He, however, admitted that, some traders occupied the reclined portions for which they accepted to pay a daily market tax of FCFA 100. "But," he lamented, "disorder came in because women who sell in bigger markets in town started selling here without anyone's permission."
He said this was worsened by the fact that when most of them leave their habitual markets after closing hours, they take up positions on the thoroughfare and even part of the road to expose their goods in Ndokotti; thereby blocking traffic and causing congestion.
He added that by poorly exposing edible items on the floor has also contributed to the deplorable sanitation and hygienic conditions of the area, which always leaves the area filthy. "We also took these measures to enhance the hygiene and sanitation condition of this area," he said.
Undertakings Before Space
As to the permanence of the idea, Kiari revealed that to resolve the problem of congestion, tight traffic and enhance hygiene and sanitation around the popular roundabout caused by anarchical trading, the Douala city Council decided to demolish the improvised structures that ever existed, and to thereafter, repartition those reclined areas of the Roundabout to loyal occupants.
But, he added that each willing trader would have to sign two undertakings to get a portion, failure for which he or she would have to face justice. The first, he stated would oblige the trader to always stay where he was allocated, and the second would be obliging each and everyone who has agreed to settle in Ndokotti to always pay a daily market fee.
By press time, The Post learnt, the anarchy set in, and is likely to persist despite the measures, because the landlords of the area called Ndokotti are the ones simmering disorder for the sole reason that they believe the land is theirs and not the Council's. A source hinted us that the headquarters have vowed to see no move taken by the council, succeed.
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