Uproar in the North West as Part of President Biya's 2 Billion Package to Fight COVID-19 Reaches Bamenda

Uproar in the North West as Part of President Biya's 2 Billion Package to Fight COVID-19 Reaches Bamenda 

That was yesterday the 29th of April 2020 at the premises of the Governor's office upstation where four trucks surgeoned just coming in from Yaounde at about 2:30pm carrying a special package, call it North West's own fair share or consignment of the Presidential package to fight COVID 19.

The package rightly happens to be coming from COVID-19 fighting gadgets precured by Government using the just recently allocated 2 Billion frs CFA cough out by the Head of State President of Republic Paul Biya.

A gesture highly saluted by all Cameroonians at a time Cameroon's COVID-19 cases were rising exponentially to above 1700.

In the face of this high health needs, measures had to be step up in the direction of containment, mass screening and the multiplication of test and treatment centers.

Which according to the population was what the Biya's 2 Billion amount was to be used for in subsidizing Regional treatment centers, District health services, health centers and the press for mass media campaigns against the virus.

To the surprise of the North West media Family who were called to witness the reception ceremony by the North West administration, what was received was estimated to less than 50 millions frs cfa comprising of Buckets,  cartoons of soaps and hand tissue papers ment for the well over 34 councils in the Region.

The question on the lips of every Press man in Bamenda was why carry a scanty trucks to Bamenda? How the insufficient package will be shared? Why the 2 Billion fransc was not shared in cash for each Regions to better look for areas of priorities to combat the virus? Rather than investing on insufficient kids which are already in excess all over the Region.

According to the Media men and women present, what the Region need most are screening, testing and treatment centers, not buckets and soaps which basically each and every one has. According to them investing in the direction of buckets, soaps and hand wipers is a misplaced priority. 

Looking at the amount and even if govt was to share equitably to all ten Regions, each will bag home not less than 200 millions frs cfa. Which will be sufficient enough to support one of its major emergency health rescue needs and also help to support the meaningful actions carried out by the Ministry of health with the emergency solidarity funds launched one month ago by President Paul Biya.