From Michael Ndi in Bamenda, Mua Patrick in Buea, Carine Takusi in Limbe & Njingang Godwin in Kumba
Ayah Paul |
The various factions of the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC will staged a historic constituent assembly in Mamfe, Manyu division, on July 27, 2014.
Officials say the reconciliatory assembly has been carefully planned to coincide with the ‘state’ funeral decreed by the movement for its fallen national chairman, Chief Ette Otun Ayamba. Chief Ayamba, it should be recalled, died on June 19, 2014 at the Full Gospel hospital in Mamfe.
The SCNC, The Guardian Post has been reliably informed, is currently touring all the sub-divisions of
the North West and South West regions,
not only to mobilise members to
massively attend Chief Ayamba’s funeral
but most importantly to take part in the announced constituent assembly
that will hold in Mamfe shortly after the former SCNC chairman’s corpse leaves
for his native Eyumujock sub-division
for burial.
Organisers have
put the expected turn out at the July 27, 2014 constituent assembly at over
10.000. Foreign dignitaries and SCNC Diaspora delegations, they claim, have already
indicated their impressive presence in Mamfe come July 27.
Asked what could
possibly be the major out come of the July 27 SCNC constituent assembly in
Mamfe, an insider who pleaded to remain anonymous hinted that not only would
all the factions be re-united but that most importantly, the former CPDM MP for
Akwaya who now heads the People’s Action Party, PAP, Hon. Ayah Paul Abine would
be given the leadership baton of the movement that has been spearheading
the campaign for the liberation and independence of
Anglophone Cameroonians.
He disclosed that though Ayah Paul has been
showing little interest in the SCNC top job, they would convince him to take
the movement’s leadership position for the interest of Anglophones in
Cameroon.“Not only must the SCNC national chairman come from the Southern Zone
( South West), Ayah Paul is for now the only Anglophone who has the mettle to
take over the SCNC leadership and free Anglophones from the fangs of the
authorities of La Republique du Cameroun,’’ the source sustained.
Meanwhile, Ayah
Paul just recently confirmed in an interview granted a Buea-based sister newspaper that there has been mounting pressure on him from
all leaders of the SCNC factions to take
over the leadership position of the expected united SCNC movement. In the
interview, Ayah simply said : ‘’ I don’t see how that can be possible because for now, I am
not a registered member of the SCNC…’’. He however quickly added that he would
not hesitate to take up any position that would liberate Anglophones from the
suffering and marginalisation they are
going through in Cameroon.
As for Chief
Ayamba’s funeral programme, a statement
states that he will be buried on July 28, 2014 in his Eyumojock native
land in strictly Bayangi tradition. In addition, he will be buried in Southern
Cameroons’ colours of blue and white stripes with thirteen stars in the middle
of the flag; representing the thirteen counties (divisions) of Southern
Cameroons.
Not only have
July 26-27, 2014 been declared “National Days” of mourning on the entire
Southern Cameroons soil, the Southern Cameroons’ flag, officials say, will fly
at half mast in all Southern Cameroons Local Government Areas (sub divisions)
and counties within the period of “national” mourning.
Officials say in
a determined move to revamp the movement’s activities, all SCNC factions have
not only entered into a serious negotiation to get re-united but would
reconcile on oath over Chief Ayamba’s corpse.
According to the
funeral programme, Chief Ayamba’s corpse will be removed and kept for viewing
at his Banga residence in Mamfe on July 26, 2014. July 27 has been set aside
for eulogies and “national” honours, from SCNC officials. His corpse leaves
Mamfe for Eyumujock on July 28 where he would be interred in strictly Bayangi
tradition.
The SDF, The
Guardian Post has been hinted, is already contemplating postponing its NEC
meeting that has been programmed for Bamenda on July 27, 2014. This is to
permit the party’s top officials to attend Chief Ayamba’s funeral in Mamfe that
same day.
Chief Ayamba
came to the limelight of the struggle for Southern Cameroons self-determination
on December 30, 1999 when in the company of Justice Ebong and Pa Sabum, they
stormed the CRTV provincial station in Buea and declared the independence of
Southern Cameroons.
He and his peers
were arrested at the Centenary Stadium in Victoria and detained at the
Kondengui maximum prison in Yaounde for close to two years. On their release,
while Justice Ebong went on self-exile to nearby Nigeria, Chief Ayamba remained
steadfast and naturally sailed in as the national chairman of the SCNC;
replacing the late Martin Ngeka Luma who died on April 13, 2003.
Chief Ayamba’s legacy
It was during
the reign of Chief Ayamba that there was the completion of the merits of the Communication
266/2003, initiated by Gumne and Luma. He was still at the helm when
admissibility was attained. He worked for the SCNC (through his vice, Nfor
Nfor); to address the UN Human Rights Commission on March 30, 2005, same as was
the case when the SCNC addressed the European Union parliament in 2006.
International
recognition of the SCNC remained limited until the group became part of the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization in 2006, when Chief Ayamba was
in office. Under his leadership, the SCNC was at the presidency of UNPO twice.
He worked for the admission of the SCNC as a member of the Trans-National
Radical Party in Italy.
In 2008, Chief Ayamba was at the head of a
squad that stormed Abuja and the ACHPR session at the ECOWAS conference centre,
precipitating the release of the judgment/verdict of Communication 266/2003. In
2009, however, the African Union (AU), with a large push from Muammar Gaddafi,
began considering efforts regarding SCNC’s call for independence. In late 2009,
the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights recognized the SCNC's
petition by declaring that Southern Cameroonians are a people.
It is apparently
in recognition of the brave and steadfast commitment of the deceased SCNC
chairman that officials of the movement have resolved to make his funeral an
unforgettable event, which they say will not only engrave his legacy in the
hearts of Southern Cameroonians, but will mark a turning point where all
differences within the movement will be buried alongside Chief Ayamba.
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