The clouds were low in the sky but pockets of heat were trapped in the atmosphere. The heat hung ominously above the striking students. Most of them were sweating profusely. With his arms in the air, the Registrar of the University of Buea, Herbert Endeley, unsuccessfully tried to bring calm upon the disgruntled students;

"I know that you have a right to complain," Endeley told the students who waved green branches, rusty iron rods and other dangerous looking objects, and placards shouting; "Go back! Go Back! Go Back! We don't want you!"

"I too, have my own problems," he said."You don't have any problems! Kom ot!"Go and jot down your grievances and come back and we talk," the Registrar insisted, "one cannot become a God today and solve all your problems."

"You can become one now!" the students shouted back at the Registrar who took a swig of water from a Tangui bottle. A shower of stone missiles rained on the Registrar and the publisher/reporter of The Heron stopped one of them on his arm.

The placards the students wielded carried a variety of grievances including: "Njeuma must go!" "Ngoh must go!" "VC must be elected!" "We want toilets!" "Flour and stew in the restau!" "Better quality food!" "Food is too expensive!" "No Fees!" "We want all subjects to be on re-sit" "We want allowances!" and so on and so forth.

Verbally, they complained of excess fees that they have to pay, for instance when they have to go on excursions; they are compelled to hire buses using their own money.

The Post's photographer had been snapping the action scenes. But the sweet eye of the camera turned sour when irate students, frightened by the prospect of being victimised by the university administration or government agents, realised that The Post photographer had snapped them in action, barracking the Registrar, Buea University, Herbert Endeley.

At first, calmly, Orock Eta trod the grass growing over the rocks that surround the Open Air Amphi, then increased his steps. Agitating students ran after him and surrounded him and cried for blood. It was only after a long bargain that the students released the camera to The Post's Azore Opio.

Orock was beaten and pulled around by the striking students. One of them, a lady hit him on his back with a stick. "I am fighting for you people," Orock pleaded in desperation. The students accused him of being a spy to the University administration.

But the students said they would kill him.They also insisted on destroying film of the camera. In the process, Orock lost his mobile phone, National ID and keys. The students insisted on seeing his press card, which Orock unfortunately did not have on him.

In that heat and confussion,Orock discovered a press card in his chest pocket and though it was his.He pulled it out and presented to the crowd,it aggravated the situation for the card belonged to his female colleague(Effa). He was only released after his colleagues intervened with their press cards.

Earlier in that morning, The Post's Desk Editor Pegue Manga was almost lynched when he excitedly took photographs of the demonstrators marching out of campus. He was rescued by some friends in the group who identified him with The Post.

It was probably Orock that took the strike to the main gates of the University. For, shortly afterwards, Mrs. Ntunde, Head of Department of Law, drove in her white Mercedes Benz V Boot towards the gates. To her dismay the gate was locked and blocked by human bodies.

The students booed her. Unwillingly, she reversed away from the snarling crowd. A number of lecturers had by now abandoned their lessons and slipped out of the campus through the several mapanys (short cuts) to cool down their nerves in off-licences at a time when the anti-riot police were just beginning to battle with the students who had taken over the Buea 'boulevard' stretch up to the police post in Molyko, looting beers and food in restaurants along the street.

At the same time, a group of students had remained behind at the University car pool, directly in front of the main administration building, overturning the vehicles parked there, deflating their tyres and shattering their screens.

Some of them broke the door to the administration building and entered the offices. They didn't cause much havoc, but they intimidated some of the administrators that had bravely remained on campus.

The University authorities' SOS to the Buea police yielded little help. They had to contact the Delegate General of National Security, Alain Edgar Mebe Ngo'o.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister's office instructed the Southwest Governor, Thomas Ejake Mbonde, to use invoke the law and also use his discretion to bring the matter to an end.

	Copyright © 2005 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).