Four days after the fire that ravaged more than 150 shops in the Congo market in Douala, Paul Biya finally reacted. The head of state sent his minister of territorial administration (Minat) to inquire about the situation with financial support of 32.5 million CFA francs to the victims. Paul Atanga Nji, accompanied by the governor of the coast and his staff, toured the market consumed in the presence of some merchants affected.
"The Head of State sent me here to comfort you after the fire that ravaged your businesses," said the Minat to the traders. Before adding that an "accurate inventory of businesses and victims, and a deep diagnosis should be established by the authorities, to take adequate measures to ensure that such a disaster does not happen again."
The Head of State, reassured Atanga Nji, is attentive to your concerns and will provide a lasting solution to the repetitive fires of this market whose businesses are built of temporary materials. Accompanied by the 162 tradesmen registered until then registered, the Minat went to the banquet room of the Urban Community of Douala to give them the funds granted by Paul Biya. Each trader received an envelope of nearly 200,000 FCFA Minat, who said it was only a first gesture of the Head of State.
The small fry, say several traders who say they have dozens, or even lost hundreds of millions of FCFA in this fire whose causes remain to be elucidated. This is the umpteenth fire in this market, the most serious of which produced in 2012, had consumed about 600 businesses, causing losses of more than one billion FCFA.
Source: cameroon-info.net