The Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinard Ngoh Ngoh announced the presidential decision in a statement Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

“The Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, informs the public that due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the measures prescribed by the Government of the Republic, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, has decided to cancel the public celebrations of the 2020 editions of Labour Day and National Day,” read the statement.

On March 17, 2020 Cameroon’s government took measures to curb the spread of the virus, including shutting schools, closing borders, banning mass gatherings, and encouraging people to strictly follow hygiene rules. The compulsory wearing of masks among other measures came to tighten anti-coronavirus restrictions.

Cameroon-Info.Net recalls that Labour Day and National Celebrations in Cameroon are always marked by thickly attended matchpasts at ceremonial grounds across the country, with the President of the Republic presiding over the May 20 National Day military and civilian parade at the Yaounde ceremonial ground.

Cameroon’s 48th National Day will however unfold under the theme: “United against the COVID-19 Pandemic, to resolutely steer Cameroon on the path of resilience, peace, stability and Economic Development.” The theme was made public April 20 by Joseph Beti Assomo, Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defense.

The solemn reflections on May 20 will focus not only on the COVID-19 pandemic, but on other biting national challenges including the ongoing armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions as well as the fight against the jihadist fighters belonging to the Boko Haram group.

The May 1 Labour Day also comes at a time when jobs are not only scarce, but exisitng jobs are being lost due to unrest in parts of the country.

With about twenty thousand contracts of employment and a related monthly wage bill of about FCFA 2.5 billion, the crisis in the North West and South West Regions is taking a heavy toll on the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.

Workers have been maimed in the plantations, while others were pulled out of their homes and gravely injured. The rubber, banana and oil palm plantations have since not been attended to. With crop production nose-diving, the factories and mills have also had to shut down with only the mill in Idenau working above 50 per cent.

PAMOL Plantations in Lobe, Ekondo Titi Subdivision in Ndian Division, another major agro-industrial concern in this part of the country, equally finds itself at the crossroads. Like the CDC, its operations have been grounded, and her workers suffering a similar fate. All that is obvious is that, it is the population of this part of the country that bears the brunt of this “senseless war”. It is only now struggling to pick up, but the financial loss is enormous.

The country lost hundreds of billions FCFA when some production units at SONARA went up in flames on May 31, 2019.

It is now hoped that the funds initially set aside for the Labour Day and National Day feasts will be channeled to other projects that will benefit the masses.