“Liberate Southern Cameroons from La Republique, Ambazonians wants immediate independence, we want freedom, Anglophones are tired of marginalisation, free us now, it’s either federalism or independence, we are dying of unemployment, we want arrested students released today …”
These and many more were the messages brandished on placards that ushered in Social Democratic Front, SDF, National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, to the rostrum to address close to 10,000 Cameroonians, who had thronged the esplanade of the Molyko Omnisport, Buea on December 5, to listen to the SDF Chair, Senators, MPs and Mayors.Fru Ndi and the party top notches were in Buea to condemn police brutality on the University of Buea students and to ask the Governor of the Southwest Region to release all those who were arrested in the wake of the strike action.
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| SDF National Chairman Fru Ndi - We Must Take Necessary Steps To Attain Independence |
“That is why we must take all the necessary steps to attain independence, if that is what we want,” he said.
During the event, Fru Ndi regretted that some oafs were hired to disrupt his party activities in Buea. “This is the second time I have been blocked here in Buea.
I want to tell all those who are doing this that even if Mount Fako erupts and kill everybody, I will still come to Buea because I might be able to rescue one child who will grow up and always remind me of Buea. No living forces can prevent me from coming to Buea,” he said.
The leader of the frontline opposition party said they were in Buea not for an SDF rally, but to show solidarity to their children who were molested, tortured, raped and robbed by the forces of law and order.
We have come to ask the Governor why he sent his forces to molest, torture, rape and rob our children and also to tell him to release all those who are held in police custody.”
According to Fru Ndi, “SDF totally supports the strike of the Common Law Lawyers and that of the Anglophone Teachers’ Trade Unions and urges Government to look into their grievances before things get out of hand.”
On his part, Barrister Valentin Clobert Njenje, said “the fight has just started.” According to him, the Government has for the past 50 years, taken steps to annihilate the Common Law System in Cameroon.
“Our courtrooms are flooded with Francophone Magistrates who do not understand a word in the English Language, how will they adequately dispense justice? It took Government over 50 years to start recognising the presumption of innocence,” he said.
To the legal practitioner, the lawyers have tabled three conditions for dialogue with Government viz; Federalism, Federalism and Federalism.
“Let us not be afraid to negotiate, but let us not negotiate out of fear. We have given Government three conditions for negotiation, which are Federalism, Federalism and Federalism and time is running out.
The time will come when the Government will be begging us for Federalism and we will refuse,” Barrister Njenje said.
Other speakers like Honourable Cyprian Awudu Mbaya, Mbah Ndam and others said they are lending their supports to the lawyers and the teachers.
They also asserted that they are equally determined to see that all the forces of law and order who committed atrocities on the students are prosecuted.
“We are talking here in Buea, the Capital of Southern Cameroons. We are not a conquered people. We will open our law school soon that is why we are asking all the Francophone Magistrates to pack their bags and go.”
Meantime, Honourable Nintcheu, Senator Tchoua-Tchoua and other SDF Senators from the Northern Regions said they were in Buea to show support to the teachers and lawyers.
“The problem is not between Anglophones and Francophones, but against Biya’s bad Government. We think that Federalism is the best form of Government that would allow people to choose their own leaders not this charade call decentralisation,” they said.
