Nguelemedouga & his experience as sub district officer of Couseri ( part 3)

He started by instituting suitable border control services, in order to control the bustling smuggling business between the Republics of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. The epicentre of smuggling business was in fact Couseri .The institution of control services to monitor and control smuggling in the sub district also ignited an out cry. But since their petitions to Yaoundé was not having any effects on Nguelemedouga, the family heads and rich merchants of Couseri, decided one day to visit the sub district officer with different kinds of gifts. Nguelemedouga was surprised and was also very happy. And that day, they signed a pact of non aggression and it stipulated that, they will continue their smuggling business and instead to pay taxes to the government, they will pay directly into Mr Nguelemedouga’s pockets. The direct payment made to Nguelemedouga as custom-duties were in different forms. It could be cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, camels and cash.

Mr Nguelemedouga, the sub divisional officer of Couseri was a character. He knew that the people of the sub district reviled him. And he was therefore surprised, when the local business dignitaries decided to visit him in his office and also offered to corrupt him, in order to circumvent the law on the control of cross border trade, which was thriving in the region and controlled by grand smugglers families in Couseri. When the local dignitaries, who were the heads of the local smuggling ring and also representing the interest of others in neighbouring countries offered to bribe him with money, goats, sheep, cows and camels, he (Nguelemedouga) accepted. But said he will accept only cash and not livestock. He asked his visitors: “have you ever seen camels or a southerner become a herder? All I need is cash and make sure; you pay some token to the state nonetheless”. The heads of the smuggling ring of Couseri, who are also the dignitaries of the town, respected their word. They bribed Nguelemedouga to a point that he never expected.