The Senior Divisional Officer of Kupe Muanenguba, Mungambo Ekema William has sealed administrative offices and over fifty shops in Bangem for civil disobedience.
The SDO descended to the field in a special inspection visit, September 9, 2024 to evaluate the start of the 2024/2025 academic year and to combat the phenomenon of ghost town.
He was accompanied by his First Assistant, Djaone Mougium, the Divisional Officer of Bangem Sub Division, Dairou Saly and the forces of law and order.
At about 9:30am, Mungambo ordered the sealing of all shops found closed in Bangem. While the shops were sealed, the SDO said the population is projecting ghost town on Mondays by refusing to open their shops and sending their children to school.
He said parents prefer carrying children to the farm on Mondays rather than sending them to school. According to the SDO, this has contributed to poor results of class and official exams in Kupe Muanenguba in the last academic year.
Mungambo said obeying to ghost town is civil disobedience insisting that the shops will be closed for three days.
After supervising the sealing of shops, the SDO then instructed the DO and other members of his delegation to supervise administrative offices and schools. He told them to seal all offices whose doors were closed.
The team executed the SDO’s orders and about four divisional delegations were sealed because neither the divisional delegate nor any staff was present.
To delegates and service heads who were present, Saly conducted roll calls and ordered the delegates to also issue query letters to absentee staff.
School Resumption
DO Saly and his team visited Government Teachers Training College, GTTC Bangem, Government Practicing Nursery School, Bangem Town, Government Bilingual High School, GBHS Bangem, Government Technical High School, GTHS Bangem and Brain Ladder Institute, Bangem.
In all the schools visited, some administrative and teaching staff was present, but no pupil or student was found in all the campuses.
The DO ordered the principals and Head Teacher to immediately issue query letters to all absentee staff, with a forwarding copy to the SDO and his office.
The inspection visit to schools continues on September 10, 2024.
Divisional Treasury, Kupe MuanengubaVictims React
Speaking to The Ultimate, Emade Cecilia lamented that her shop has been sealed at Squares. According to her, she was afraid to open her shop because of threatening messages of ghost town. She pleaded with the SDO to have mercy on them and open their shops, promising that they will never close their shops on Mondays again.
Delegation of Commerce, Kupe MaunengubaNgide Elvis said though Bangem is safe and peaceful, the fear of the unknown always made them to lock their shops on Mondays. He said with assurance of maximum security from the administration, they will always open their stores on Mondays.
By Ahone Jessy
