French brewery cartel known as Les Brasseries du Cameroun reportedly pressured President Biya to undermine Cameroon’s Health Ministry lockdown provisions against COVID-19 exposing the government’s total ineptitude in dealing with the crisis, Cameroon Concord News Group has gathered from concordant sources in Yaoundé.

The pandemic is now sweeping across Cameroon, overwhelming hospitals, and leading to the surging death toll but the Head of State has ordered all pubs, bars and breweries to operate as usual. While in mother France, pubs are only permitted to either deliver drinks or allow customers to pick them up.

The French brewers threatened Etoudi with severe consequences if the regime failed to put an end to the lockdown. Officials at the Ministry of Public Health have blatantly refused to criticize the government for downplaying the risk of coronavirus spreading in beer parlours.

The Biya decision was put into practice without any proper consultation with Cameroonian trade bodies and civil society organizations. A cream of Cameroonian clergies have raised fingers against the move on social media with a prominent Man of God stating that “The reopening of bar is DANGEROUS. When the FLOOD subsided after 40 days, Noah did not RUSH OUT. He sent a bird out and it was after the 3rd bird did not return that he knew it was TIME to STEP OUT.  Please do not join the multitudes that are rushing out because they are tired of staying at home. A lot of people have already been infected and unknowingly will keep infecting others. Let us be wise like Noah to OBSERVE for many more days inside our own ARK, OUR HOMES before taking any action.  May we and our loved ones be preserved and protected from this pandemic in Jesus mighty name. Amen.”

By Chi Prudence Asong