The Limbe forum, chaired by Marafa Hamidou Yaya, aims at preventing disasters and identifying better management strategies when disasters occur.

The balance-sheet of disasters that have, in one way or the other, affected councils throughout the national territory, remains unenviable. Yesterday’s fire disaster that ravaged the  Bafoussam market, is a disturbing reminder of a recurrent phenomenon  that should be nibbed  in the bud. If experience is anything to go by, when such disasters strike, managing or handling them quite often leaves much to be desired.
The statistics from the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Marafa Hamidou Yaya say it all. “Over the past two years,  75 fire outbursts were recorded throughout the national territory. Of all of these fire outbreaks, those of Kumba, Limbe, Bafoussam, Yaounde, Douala, Tiko and Jabane markets were the most ravaging,” he revealed yesterday  February 17 in Limbe while addressing participants during a two-day forum on the theme “Councils Forum on Disaster Management”.
In a speech studded with facts and figures, he singled out the Littoral, Centre and South West as regions most exposed to fire disasters. “We cannot go on like this. Apart from these fire disasters, we are experiencing more and more buildings crumbling in our cities. We cannot sit arms folded for this phenomenon entails loss of  material and human resources. That’s why we are organizing this forum to bring together all stakeholders to find solutions to these problems,’’ the Minister of State said.
Cognizant that no region in Cameroon has been spared the ravages of fire, the Limbe forum has brought together stakeholders and councilors whose expertise will help find lasting solutions to this cankerworm. Working in committees, key topics delved on revolve on pertinent issues like the disaster phenomenon in Cameroon with emphasis on fire and crumbling buildings, national and international partnership towards disaster management, the role of municipal authorities in the strategy of  fighting market fire disasters, drawing up a communal disaster management plan, etc.
 Though this is the first ever forum to be organized, public authorities in general and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, which is responsible for civil protection issues, have given priority to prevention and the management of disasters. Reason why the government has taken concrete measures towards the prevention and management of disasters contained in Decree No 68/DF/7 of 15 January 1968.
The present Limbe forum is taking place when fire continues to ravage markets that are one of the main sources of income to councils and the livelihood of hundreds in cities. Against this background, Marafa  Hamidou  Yaya called on participants to come out with serious diagnosis of the dual phenomenon of fire disasters and collapsing buildings, to propose communal preventive measures and reflect on the creation of municipal fire fighting units.
Marafa Hamidou Yaya’s stay in the South West, was crowned by a visit to Tiko where he evaluated reconstruction work going on at the Tiko Main Market that was ravaged by fire in 2009. The forum on disaster management ends today.