Mbanga: parents complain abandoned fallen poles put children in danger
The people of Mbanga in the Mungo division are pleading with the electricity supply company, Eneo, to adjust and change the poles in quarter 7, Mbanga. They worry about what could happen to their children who play around and go to the bushes sometimes with fallen poles all around.
“Its been two years since these poles went down with cables scattered around which is very very dangerous. You find cables on the ground in the bushes and our children play around. What happens if they mistakenly touch those cables? Children sometimes are hard to control,” Martins Ngu, a parent says.
“Some time ago, a child left home to get something at the road side but unfortunately never returned. The cables littered all around got that child and worst was the fact that it was rainy season,” Ngepcha Paulina, an inhabitant of the area recalls.
The people think the government is not the problem here and blame Eneo by stating that the company is negligent and deliberately fail to change old poles around not only in Mbanga but other towns in Cameroon and this has led to many deaths.
“Poles fall on people everyday in Cameroon and kill them. You will find a pole looking so old and even breaking. Some are almost falling on the ground with the cables but all Eneo knows best is how to add bills and cause meters to spin faster. This is a very serious issue and I think Eneo should be cautioned and put to order,” Jean Denis Dicap who is another inhabitant of the area says.
“Anything electricity is not something to play with and Cameroon is fun of abandoning electricity poles which is dangerous to the entire city. I mean you move around and just find poles on the ground. It is only here that one will find a single pole with thousands of cables all around it as though we lack wood. We produce wood in Cameroon so what exactly is the problem? Everyday is same problem and we cannot live without electricity. Eneo in particular seriously needs to sit up and only the government can handle their carelessness,” Albert Ngomba opinionates.
Low voltage is a major complain from the people of Mbanga as they find it difficult to use heavy appliances like fridges. The population even paid a visit to the Eneo branch in Mbanga but till now, nothing has been done.
