Anglophone Crisis: Freed Minority Rights Leaders accorded hero’s welcome in Buea

Freed  Minority Rights Leader Barrister  Felix  Agbor Nkongho  arrived Buea on Friday September 1,2017  and is accorded a

hero's welcome by  cherring crowds.The activist(in suit) waves back at them in appreciation

By Christopher Ambe

Hundreds of people including rights advocates, on Friday September 1, thronged the residences of Barrister Felix Agbor  Nkongho(fondly called Balla) and Dr.Fontem  Aforteka’a  Neba , President  and Secretary  ,respectively, of the banned  Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium(CACSC), as well as the homes of 10 other released Southwest-based activists  to celebrate their release from  Kondengui Prison ,where they had spent eight months facing trials .

Barrister Nkongho and Dr.Fontem who were part of the coordination of peaceful protests to demand the rights of English-speaking minority in Cameroon, were arrested last January 17 in Buea and jailed in Yaoundé. They were charged, among others, for promoting terrorism, a crime that is punished, maximally, with death.

International and national pressure kept mounting on President Biya to order the release of all those detained in connection with the Anglophone rights protests.

And last August 30, President Biya ordered, through the Secretary-General at the Presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, “ the discontinuance of proceedings  pending  before the Yaounde Military Court against Messrs  Nkongho  Felix Agbor,Fontem Aforteta’a, Paul Ayah Abine and some other persons arrested in relation to the violence committed in recent months in the North west and Southwest Regions”

Of the 54 detainees released, who had been arrested in the Northwest Region and Southwest Region 12 are residents of the latter region.

The freed activists were driven to the two Anglophone regions, guarded by armed security men, on board two 70-seater buses.

In Buea, Southwest Governor Bernard Okala Bilai officially received the twelve freed detainees, in front of his office, amid shouts of joy and cheers from the crowd that had turned out to see “a dream come true.”

The Governor, who was accompanied by the DO for Buea,Wokam Paul, told the freed activists  that, they were lucky to have benefited from the discretion of President Biya.

He urged them to promote peace and work towards building a stronger and united nation. The Governor then advised them not to slip into such a predicament again.

From the Governor’s office, the freed activists, accompanied by their fans, friends, well-wishers and families were driven to their various homes, where wining and dining greeted their arrivals.

At the residence of Barrister Agbor Nkongho in Federal Quarters the mood was festive; same was the atmosphere at the residence of Dr.Fontem in Santa Babara Quarter.

The two officials of the banned Consortium are yet to make press declarations.

                    Lawyers’ Reactions

Reacting to their release to this reporter at the residence of Barrister Agbor Nkongho, the Southwest Regional Secretary for the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Christopher Tambe Tiku, said: “Our position has been clear from the day that they were arrested- that they were innocent and that the rule of law should be respected. I am happy that the Head of State used his wisdom -and may be based on advice from some goodwill Cameroonians that these people were innocent.

A cross section of lawyers and rights advocates at freed  Barrister Nkongho 's Buea residence

“The people clamored for the release of their leaders because they thought that they were innocent and for obvious reasons the Head of State had no option than to listen to them, and ordered the discontinuance of judicial proceedings.

“So what is important now is for us to engage in genuine dialogue. We cannot pretend to say that the Anglophone crisis has been resolved.

 “Now that the enabling climate for dialogue is there, let us not compromise the education of our children. Our children must now go to school. I am a lecturer at the University of Buea.I have been teaching other children and I see no reason why mine should be at home instead”

According to Lawyer Samuel Eboa,Fakla coordinator of Buea-based advocates, who was one of the first people to welcome the freed activists when they arrived Buea early Thursday morning, “I am quite elated that they are back home after eight months in isolation..”

Freed Barrister Nkongho with journalists
at his Buea residence on Sept.1,2017

In his reaction to the discontinuance of proceedings, Barrister John Kameni,a close friend of Felix Agbor Nkongho,said: “First of all I want to thank the Almighty God for having  mercy on people who seek justice. I want to thank President Paul Biya who has been used by God to give instructions for there to be peace in this country. I equally want to thank all those who took care of my brother Balla during his incarceration. I want to thank Balla for his calm and resilience while in jail-he was not carried by emotions or excitement. He made his point very clear: that he is working for the Cameroon, and not for himself.

To Barrister Ajong Stanislaus, their release is indicative of the President Biya’s acknowledgement “that Balla did not commit any crime. We have taken note”

Also reacting, Lawyer Enow Benjamin said he was happy that Balla is back home.” We hope he would continue the struggle for the rights of citizens of this country.”