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| Here lies A True born Journalist |
On October 14, 2017, thousands of people from all
walks of life gathered at the Ndu Council premises to pay their last respect to
Fon Martin Yembe, 1st Deputy Mayor of Ndu Council who had left the
scene on October 2, 2017. The body of Martin Luther Jr', as commonly called,
was kept at the Ndu council for the population of Ndu town to pay their last
respect. Just the fact that as the crowd moved towards the council to view the
departed soul, a colony of bees wept in the sky, an indication that “a great
man is gone”. In fact a man whose dexterousness won him several traditional
titles in Mbum land ( Shey Lontum, Shey Witang). A
sea of humanity-from newspaper vendors to reporters, buyam-sellams to traders,
commoners to political leaders, bike riders to vehicle owners, trade unionists
to teachers, editors to publishers. Lawyers to farmers etc wanted to pay homage
to a renowned politician, freedom fighter, teaching teacher and communicator.
Both the readers of Political Punch and The Frontier Telegraph, friends, and
family friends, were weighed down senselessly as tears keep running on the
faces of everyone. Those who did not want to be noticed weared dark glasses as
the uncountable number of people, including quite a good number who came from
far distances could not hold back tears.
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| Fru Ndi addressing the crowd at Ndu council premise |
SDF National Chairman
Ni John Fru Ndi, SDF National 1st Vice Hon. Osih Joshua, the MP for
Nkambe cum Quaestor at the National Assembly Hon. Hon. Awudu, about 20 mayors (deputy
mayors) as well as other prominent politicians and business leaders who were
buried in the crowd traveled to Ndu to pay their last homage to the departed
politician, human rights defender, jpurnalist, Fon Martin Yembe. Addressing the
crowd at Ndu Council, SDF Chieftain Ni John Fru Ndi lamented the departure of
Martin. He said God knows why and called on the population of Ndu municipality
to pray for the departed soul. To Ni John Fru Ndi, death is evitable. He told
his own life story and how he lost his first wife and even the second wife to
the cold hands of death. He concluded his address to the people of Ndu by
asking God to bring forth comfort in a special way to their hearts. To Martin’s
family Fru Ndi said “Please accept our heartfelt sympathies on the very sad
demise of Mr. Martin. We will always remember him and his heroism”.
As the corpse left Ndu
town for Ngarum, thousands trooped in. Emotions went high when the hearse
approached his village. From the young to the old, everyone was shading tears
of agony. The St. Peter and Paul Catholic church was full to capacity. Speaker after speaker described Martin as a
great man. To the mayor of Ndu Council, Martin was a hunting dog and a
strategist for the Ndu council. He described his departure as a big blow to
humanity. In his homily the Reverend
Father presented a vivid biography of the departed hero. He went further to
reveal that he was Martin’s spiritual father before his departure.
Fon Martin was born at BBH Kumbo on March 4, 1968 into the
family of Pa Simon Yembe Njobara (
Njiyong) in Ngarum village. He attended
primary school at GS Sabongari where he obtained the Fisrt School Leaving
Certificate and moved to Mankon where he obtained the GCE Ordinary Level. He
enrolled at the then GHS Nkambe where he obtained the GCE A Level in flying
colours. After he acquired the required certifications that facilitated his
desire for further education (FSLC, GCE “O” Levels and Advanced levels
respectively), Martin got admission into the then University of Yaounde where
he graduated with a degree in linguistics (English and French). While in the
University of Yaounde, he became a member for the famous “Parlement”. When he graduated
in 1990, he joined politics and he became a very strong militant of the SDF.
The strong desire for him to
articulate on issues made him to occupy several positions in the SDF party,
ranging from District secretary to Provincial chairman. At the time many thought he was at the peak of
his political career, he made a u-turn to step down from the prestigious
position of Provincial chairman of the SDF. When he stepped down from the
position of Provincial chairman, he moved to Nigeria where he studied political
science and journalism
Martin’s life as a politician was as
controversial as the controversies that surrounded the formation of the Social
Democratic Front-SDF party on May 26, 1990. As a social and political
scientist, he emerged Fon Martin Yembe became a visionary leader of the Mbum
people, a dream of his aspirations and expectations. As the 1st
Deputy Mayor of Ndu, his contributions are immense. He lived and died as a
strong advocate of decentralization and democracy.
When he returned to Cameroon, he
created Global Information Network- Globinet (a media firm that published The
Frontier Telegraph and The Political Punch). At same time, he served as the
Manager of Millennium TV and Savanah Frontier Radio-Nkambe. Martin also
occupied several positions in the journalists associations like CAMASEJ
Northwest Chapter, CUJ, Commonwealth Journalists Association, CANPA, DOMAJ etc.
Besides, it should be recalled that
having graduated with a degree in linguistics, Martin had acquired enough
education and certificates which enabled him to teach in the secondary segment
of the education. He taught at NIAST Nkambe, EEC Azire, CHS Akum, GBHS Nkambe
and GBHS Ndu.
Many say he was an activist, but
rather I would prefer to describe him as a human rights defender. His primary
syndrome of defending the rights of others emerged when he became the Secretary
General of Southern Cameroon People’s Organization-SCAPO. Martin was one of the
few who could articulate on issues about the Anglophones after the All
Anglophone Conference II that led the birth of SCAPO. He was passionate about
the issue as he could do for Biblical things as well. Furthermore, he was a
member of the Martial of West Africa and devoted most of his time fighting
articulating on the Southern Cameroons struggle. As Martin was laid to rest,
eulogies were pouring in from all direction of the globe. Hon. Esther Ngala
Ntala who at the moment was in the USA expressed her heartfelt grief for the
great lost. Simon Tamfu who too was out of the country also expressed his deep
heartfelt grief for the lost Ndu has recorded. In fact, as someone puts it: God
alone is master and Martin went at the time the Fon of Ngarum had disappeared.
Fon is he was named, followed the fon.Dessa, in the song "The Man I knew" wrote one of the best lyrics ever and it goes: "I have seen my name in light, I have seen my name in papers". In fact Martin is gone but his name will remain in papers due to his trappings.
How
Fon Martin Will be Remembered
The
Career Politician
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| Hon. Awudu representing eulogy before burial |
When Martin joined the
Social Democratic Front, he was elected District secretary for the Ndu
Electoral District. The dexterousness in which he handled party activities
attracted a lot of applauds. He was then elected Provincial Organizing
Secretary. In 1998, Martin was elected Provincial Chairman, a position which he
held until 2003 when he decided to step-down. When he was Provincial chairman,
the SDF won the highest number of councils and Parliamentary seats in the North
West. In fact, many thought Martin was the next MP for Donga Mantung Centre;
given that as Provincial chairman he had an upper. He dropped the idea and
invested Tansa Jones candidacy in Ndu. No
other politician would have done that yet Martin did it. Many thought he would
resign from the SDF after the incident that led to his stepping down from the
prestigious position of Provincial chairman, but being a socialist and democrat
by conviction, he preferred to use the experience he had gathered in politics
in carrying out political consultancy. Though a political consultant, he did
not quit the SDF. Even when rumours made rounds that he had joined JDP, Martin
stood his grounds. He knew the art of
politicking to his finger tips. In the 90s and the early 2000, after Fru Ndi,
the names that featured on every lip were Fon Martin Yembe, Marget Nyah or
Akonteh. Writing the history of the SDF without mentioning Fon Martin Yembe
will be tantamount to cooking pepper soup without pepper. When Martin succeeded
Madame Nyah Marget as Provincial Chairman, he worked hard for the SDF to win 19
Parliamentary seats and 29 councils in the North West.
In 2013, Martin decided
to bounce back into frontline politics again. During the 2013 Municipal and
Legislative elections, he was the political strategist for Ndu and at the same
time listed on the council SDF Council list (as councilor for Ngarum). When SDF
emerged victorious and during the council executive election, he was
overwhelmingly voted 1st Deputy Mayor. During the last
reorganization of the basic organs of the party, Martin was elected Donga
Mantung Coordinating Secretary. Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian did not hide his
feelings when he told thousands at Martin’s burial that he (Martin) would be
remembered as “A Great man who committed his life for the service of everyone.
He showed what Jesus set an example to us mankind” and compared him to Martin
Luther King Jr. to Hon. Njong Evaristus, Martin will be remembered for
inspiring leadership, hard work, dedication and pro activism. Martin he said in
his eulogy “worked with great faith and hope to implant the cardinal principles
of democracy, justice and development”. In 2013, he was voted as the Most Resilient
Politician by readers of The Eye Newspaper.
The
Rights Defender/Freedom Fighter
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| view of the cross-section of mourners |
Writing about Martin’s
views as a fighter or rights defender is like putting down some sensitive
phrases of the Satanic verses that would automatically lead to divine sentence.
As the Mayor of Ndu, Bunyui Emmanuel puts it; Martin was a “stentoric oracle”
and one who believed in himself. A human
rights defender/ fighter, whose traces into activism could be pictured as far
back as the early 90s when he was a member of “Parlement” at the University of
Yaounde. When Martin graduated from the
University of Yaounde he was elected as Secretary General of the Southern
Cameroons People’s Organization-SCAPO. As SG of SCAPO, he was one of the few
that would articulate on the Southern Cameroons issues and matters. When SCAPO
was fractionalized and transformed into a political party, Martin took his
advocacy into the pages of newspapers. Those who have had the opportunity to
read The Political Punch or The Frontier Telegraph would agree that Martin was
historical book. His activism made him to join the Martial of West African
countries and he became one of the influential members. As Secretary General of
SCAPO, Martin believed “in a young nation coming soon” and was not indifferent
to the socio political upsurge in the North West and South West Regions. When
Martin visited TB Joshua, he came back to Cameroon with one item, (the belief
in a young state nation). In most of his write-ups, even on facebook, he would
keep reminding people of the fact that the pact will expire in 2017. And that
was the prophetic message that he brought from TB Joshua.
His activities as human
right defender did not only limit at SCAPO and the Anglophone problem, whenever
he saw that the rights of someone were dampened on, he would take the issue at
heart and follow it without fear or favour.
He fought for salaries
for mayors and deputies and like his name Yembe (he saw it approved and did not
live to enjoy). Today, mayors and deputies are enjoying thanks to the crusade
launched and articulated in the media by courageous men like Martin. As Hon.
Njong puts it: Great men like Martin don’t tread the earth for long period. What
they do within God’s assigned time remains indelible.
He fought several
fights like the privatization of the Ndu Tea plantation and the Ndu incident
that has remained memorable in the lives of the people. He was allergic to the
word marginalization and would spare no effort to voice it any time. He was the
voice of the voiceless. He had the passion to do God’s work reasons why he was
always in variance with injustice. Martin could easily be compared to Turpac
Shakuh, who many called freedom fighter, and the voice of the community. As a
politician, he gave his all to others who gave him little or nothing in return.
At one point, when everyone knew he was the sure parliamentary candidate for
Donga Mantung Centre (Ndu) he surprisingly decided to remain with the position
of Provincial chairman. In fact, it can take days and even weeks to write about
Fon Martin Yembe, the politician.
The
Journalist
October
14, 2017 will remain a memorable day for journalists of the North West Region.
That was the day heaven loosened and descended on media practitioners as they
all bit farewell to the man who was popularly known as a media prophet in
Cameroon as founded of Global Communication Network-GLOBINET drops his pen to
travel to the world beyond. Fon Martin Yembe was a refined writer and would be
remembered for his historical write-ups. As CEO of GLOBINET, he was publisher
of The Frontier Telegraph and The Political Punch. Many would remember how some
years ago, Martin spent most of his time in the courtroom in Nkambe than in the
newsroom in Bamenda after he was sued to court by one of his political ally. He
was a go-getter and an investigative journalist.
After
studying journalism in Nigeria and back to Cameroon, his “magnanimity” in the field
of journalism could also be pictured through his contribution as member of
various journalism associations. He is former Vice Chapter President of CAMASEJ
NW, Vice President of Union of Cameroon Journalists (UCJ), Executive Member of
the Commonwealth Journalists Association, Adviser of DOMAJ, Editor of DOMA
Forum etc.
The Teaching Teacher
His
happiest moments were when he was in the classroom. Fon Martin Yembe was a good
teacher and he loved teaching. When he was elected deputy mayor, he decided to
offer his skills to some schools free of charge. Hardly in our contemporary
society do men of his caliber do offer such favours to their communities but he
did it with a lot of dexterity. Besides,
it should be recalled that having graduated with a degree in linguistics,
Martin had acquired enough education and certificates which enabled him to
teach in the secondary segment of the education. He taught at NIAST Nkambe, EEC
Azire, CHS Akum, GBHS Nkambe and GBHS Ndu and many other schools in the region.
Pictures
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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