Varsity lodging crises: Lack of fair play in Fame Ndongo’s mediation

Landlords in the student residential quarters of Bonamoussadi, Yaounde feel victimised by the rents fixed by committees supported by the Higher Education minister

By Ewota Jemea, Yaounde (landlord of a hostel in Bonamoussadi)

A radio announcement on CRTV last Saturday 4 April that Higher Education minister Jacques Fame Ndongo was to visit the Bonamoussadi student residential area to follow-up on the implementation of homologated rents was welcome news to landlords.
Although it is neither ministers nor prefects who follow up on such matters, it was good news that he was being accompanied by the technical group (Brigade Spéciale) and the control group (Antenne Locale). The prefect of Mfoundi and the rector of the University of Yaounde 1 were also among.

Landlords who had turned out in the hope that the homologation exercise would be carried out on the field for once, had their hopes dashed. The minister’s announced “Brigade Spéciale” turned out to be six police officers and his “Antenne Locale” comprised four students dressed as municipal garbage collectors whose role was to guide the team to suspected defaulting landlords.
The episode at the premises of the “Chef de Bloc” was quite pathetic. The minister accused him of expelling tenants from his house. The prefect asked for his documents and confiscated his professional card with the threat of sending him a summons.

The minister’s choice of Saturday for his visit meant that the real members of the Brigade Spéciale and the Antenne Locale could not be present as they were enjoying their weekend.
It was hoped that the minister’s visit would be to restore confidence between tenants and landlords, re-establish legality and order by letting the constituted legal bodies viz the Brigade Spéciale and Antenne Locale carry out the ratification and correct the abuses which students’ homologation had caused to the disadvantage of house owners.

The wait and see attitude of the minister of Higher Education and his resort to the use of police and prefects is a bad omen for all the partners involved. Particularly, the lopsided decisions fixing rents in neglect of landlords is very unfair.
Enthusiasm for Fame Ndongo’s enterprise is eroding fast, so too are facilities and services to the tenants. Even if the Chinese or South Africans are going to be called in to construct modern hostels, let us be careful not to throw away the baby with the bath.
This situation of dog-eat-dog is untenable. The honourable minister should end his campaign of disinformation and usher in fair play and justice.