By Pegue Manga
Buea University Students clashed with gendarmes on Thursday, May 5, during the removal of the corpse of one of their mates, Gilbert Nforlem, shot dead by a policeman on Thursday, April 28.
Students fleeing from Gendamarie water canon
The students had insisted on escorting the remains of Nforlem, which were removed from the Buea District Hospital mortuary, as far as Mile 17, en route to Bamenda,
but the local administration was opposed to it. It was hinted that the students would be stopped at the Buea Independence Square (Bongo Square). A squadron of gun-toting gendarmes were deployed and a National Gendarmerie water canon truck was on stand-by at the Bongo Square.
The students were undeterred. They marched on, all dressed in black. As the cortege approached Bongo Square, the administration, headed by Southwest Governor, Thomas Ejake Mbonda, who had left the mortuary and taken up position at the Bongo Square grand stand, ordered for two buses carrying mourners to go ahead.
The water canon began to close in, while policemen, who had been called in to ensure security, took up position, some 100 metres in front of the students who numbered about 2000. The students had been helmed in. Tension mounted. The students besieged the hearse transporting the corpse. The canon unleashed the water.
The students initially stood their ground, and then took off. The hearse, escorted by a gendarmerie pick up sped off. The students rained stones on the water canon. Pandemonium set in. As the canon was spraying along, the students ran after it. They blocked the road around, using the yet to be erected lampposts placed on the ridge of the double carriageway. Stones, kiosks and tables were used to block the road.
Blackout
As the students made their way towards Molyko, they burnt tyres and the lampposts lying on the ridge in the middle of the highway. Huge stones were used to block the road. The police confronted them when they got to Malingo Junction. They used teargas to disperse them.
The students then ordered everyone living along the Buea main roads to switch off their lights. The entire stretch of the main road from Molyko up to Clerk's Quarters was engulfed by darkness and remained in the clutches of fear. Traffic rolled to a standstill.
As the demonstration gathered momentum, a police jeep was set ablaze at Mile 17, Buea. The mob, which had earlier attacked a Brasseries truck, was hinted that a police Suzuki Jeep had been hidden behind Jeannot Travel Agency. The jeep was carried to the road and set ablaze.
Deceased's Father Weeps
Speaking to The Post at the Mortuary, late Gilbert Nforlem's father, Pa Nforlem said his son was a good boy. "Gilbert was a very good, honest and hardworking boy, who followed all instructions. I have educated this boy from class one to master's degree level only for him to be killed by the police," Pa Mforlem, who is 61-years-old wept.
"It really pains my heart. I feel as to die, because he is the one to support his brothers but they have killed him. Now that I am old, who will support his brothers?" the old man asked, raising his arms towards the sky.
Pa Nforlem said he went to the Governor's office and asked him who will cater for his children, now that Gilbert was dead and he was told to wait after the burial. "May be he has sent me away, because these people tell a lot of lies.
He said Governor Ejake told him he did not know who shot Gilbert. Pa Mforlem revealed that the state is taking charge of the corpse. Pa Nforlem said Gilbert would be buried on Friday, May 6 at 2:00pm in Mberewa Quarters, Nkwen Bamenda.
Emergency Meeting
Earlier on Tuesday, May 3, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, Dr. Mrs. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma, chaired a meeting of administrative staff and lecturers. At the meeting it was resolved that classes could only resume in the University after May 20.
Njeuma reportedly told the meeting that she learnt of the strike in U.B while she was on her way to Rwanda from South Africa. She reportedly said she called the Prime Minister and the Minister of Higher Education and suggested that the school be closed down.
But the authorities had earlier announced that classes would resume on April 28.
Prof. Emmanuel Chia, Deputy Vice Chancellor, explained why. He said it was a collegiate decision that had the blessing of the Minister of Higher Education.Some lecturers said there was bad blood in the house. They said lecturers have embarked on a campaign to run down their colleagues.
Dr. Akam of the Chemistry Department alleged that students of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences started the strike. The students were said to have gone to Amphi 750 and ordered a lecturer, John Teke, to get out. But Prof. Cornelius Lambi, pointed out that some students carried placards stating that Akam must go.
This presupposes that the students came from the Science Faculty.
A six-point resolution was arrived at the end of the meeting. The meeting condemned the police for using live bullets on the students. The decision of the students to take the strike to the streets was also condemned.
Lecturers were urged to rethink their position. Participants wondered why students had to come out to challenge their lecturers. It was resolved that students' caution fees (FCFA 10,000) will be used to take care of the destruction on campus. Families of the slain students were asked to contact the university authorities
Njeuma Rants
Meanwhile, when The Post attempted to talk to Dr. Njeuma by phone, she invited your correspondent to her home. When this reporter arrived at Njeuma's Governor's Street residence, the Vice Chancellor accused this newspaper of trying to destroy the University. "Your newspaper and you in particular (she pointed at your correspondent) are trying to destroy the University of Buea."
Njeuma pointed out that The Post has not said anything about the University property that had been destroyed, though in its Friday, April 29 report, The Post presented the damages inflicted on the University by the students earlier on April 27. "You only carried pictures of police brutalising students," she fumed.
The Vice Chancellor remarked that she will pass away but the University will stay on, so The Post should not think it is destroying her. Njeuma said it was an insult for the Editor in Chief of The Post to sit in his office and send your correspondent to come and interview her. "Go and tell your Editor-in-Chief that if he wants an interview, he should meet me in my office tomorrow. I will not talk to you," she said.
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