The National Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) Chief Ayamba Ette Otun
had passed onto eternity in his native town of Mamfe, Manyu division, Cameroon. A granddaughter of Chief Ayamba is quoted to have said that the family is in deep shock and grief for a man who spend
all his life for Anglophone struggle with no date set for his burial. Chief Ayamba died in a hospital in Mamfe after a brief illness. He is over the age of 86 and eats neither meat nor
fish in his entire life time and adopted the motor of the “argument of
force and not the force of argument’’ to drive home the none violent
struggle for the independence of Anglophones Cameroons (Former British
Southern Cameroon) in Cameroon. Chief Ayamba is an embodiment of the
Anglophone struggle, inculcated in altruism and had spent his entire
life span fighting for the liberation of Anglophones in Cameroon. SCNC
leaders are reportedly meeting across Cameroon to consider the burial
arrangement of the leader. On 30th December 1999 HRH Chief Ayamba Ette
Otun, late S.N. Tita (may his soul rest in peace), Justice Alobwede
Ebong and Mr. James Sabum (leaving out S.N.Tita who dropped out of the
campaign for personal reasons) seized radio Buea and declared the
independence of Southern Cameroons; they automatically became front
liners in the bid for the self determination of the people of Southern
Cameroons. This move was immediately followed by the closure of the
border at the Mungo Bridge, under the watchful eyes of armed security
forces from the Littoral on 3rd January 2000. Later on H.R.H Chief
Ayamba Ette Otun, Emmanuel Doh Fongoh, Mba Chesami Stephen, Wilson Daiga
Fokum, Chofor Fru John, Sabum James and Alobwede Frederick Ebong (now
on self exile in U.S). who became front liners of SCNC organized a rally
in the Victoria centenary stadium to explain what happened in Buea in
the night of 30th December 1999 from where six (6) of them were arrested
and whisked off to Yaounde and were incarcerated for 14 months in a sub
human cell. Chief Ayamba had spend more than 520 days in detention in
his struggle for Anglophone independence than any other Known activities
and his deep sense of open mindedness and integrity had credited his
leadership with Nfon Ngala Nfon vice chair of SCNC. Repression of the
group increased significantly in 2001 when the organization was declared
illegal by Biya’s government and clashes with police at a demonstration
in Bamenda, Kumba, mamfe and Mutengene resulted in multiple deaths.[3]
As a result, multiple international offices and branches of the SCNC
have opened and engaged in political activities in the Diaspora with
other sprinted groups like Ambazonia all fighting to end the
marginalization of Anglophones Cameroon. In 2011 the BBC reported that
more than 400 SCNC activist where arrested and detained in Buea, south
west region of Cameroon in an anticipated event to mark 50 years of
Southern Cameroon independence under the leadership of Mola Njoh Litumbe
who was taken house arrest at 5 am another proponent of the Anglophone
independent struggle. Following declarations he made on Equinox tv in a
debate leading to the 2011 presidential elections where I was a guest
with Mola on what the presidential Candidates will do to concretized the
union between Anglophones and Francophones 50 years after the purported
reunification. Pressure was mounted on La republic to acknowledged
October 1st 1960 as the independence date of southern Cameroons, finally
the Biya’s government did and issued a statement to that effect,
unfortunately when Biya came to Buea in March 2014 in celebration of
Anglophone independence , Anglophones in government frustrated the move
and turn the celebration to a semi biya’s birthday instead of using the
occasion to articulated the marginalization of Anglophones. The question
now is, will the struggle die as its Leaders passes on, Certainly Not.
Adieu Chief Ayamba , the struggle will live on!!! He who has done his
best in his own time, has leave for all times. You are among the likes
of Nelson Mandela, unfortunately your dream has not been achieved in
your life time but it has built a foundation for the future of
Anglophones struggle. Our deep condolence is with the family of Chief
Ayamba. More info coming soon with contact and directives for those who
wish to be part!!!
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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