By Abongwa Fozo
Many parents with children or who intend to send them to Presbyterian Comprehensive Secondary School (PCSS)Azire located in the same compound with PC Azire have expressed strong reservation sending their children to the school after a contingent of the military took up residence in some classrooms in the school.
The occupation of the classrooms has been termed illegal by the school and church officials.
Rev. Gerald Acha, Parish Pastor of PC Azire in an audio message circulating online narrated that the soldiers stormed the school campus without any authorization and requested for keys to some classrooms. He told them it was not in his keepings but the soldiers forced their way into the classrooms where they are occupying till present.
“I went there just on that first day to register my son they told me no body is there till date I don’t know which direction me and my son are heading to now and part of the registration has been reduced and used for something else” a frustrated parent lamented in a WhatsApp group forum where City Web is part.
Others in the chat forum expressed their disgust with the actions of the security forces. “This is merely promoting school boycott because I can never send me children to this school if they are still on the campus”
“I pity the girl students” another wrote citing “GBHS Bamendankwe where several girls ended up pregnant” due to the militarisation of the school.
The online comments coincided with a military dawn raid at several neighborhoods in Mankon, Bamenda II on Sunday September 8th, where several persons were arrested by the security forces, bundled into trucks and taken to different police and gendarmerie stations for detention.
The situation in Bamenda is becoming very tense after separatist forces announced a ghost town to coincide with school reopening for 2024/2025 academic year.
As at now, the security forces have been tight lip with regards to their occupation of some classrooms at PCSS Azire. Some military sources City Web spoke to intimated the decision came from above not indicating who above they are referring to. But the sources said these were proactive actions taken by the military to preempt any attack on educational institutions and the population during this period of school reopening.
