By Kini Nsom
There has been growing pressure on President Paul Biya to repatriate the corpse of his predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo.
President Ahidjo, who handed over power to Biya in November 1982, died and was buried in Senegal in November 30, 1989.Since then government has done nothing to bring back the corpse of the former President.
One NGO, More Justice, has been mounting pressure on Biya to repatriate Ahidjo's corpse for a befitting burial. The latest move of the NGO was a recent call on the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, to mount pressure on Biya to repatriate Ahidjo's corpse.
The idea of the repatriation was first mooted when the French television channel, France 24, quizzed Biya on the issue. He said he had no problem with the repatriation of his predecessor's corpse and said it was up to the family to decide.
The opposition SDF party immediately faulted Biya, noting that the repatriation of the corpse of the former president cannot be the responsibility of the Ahidjo family alone.SDF Chairman, John Fru Ndi, indicated that it was incumbent on Biya; that it is his sole prerogative as chief executive to start negotiations for its repatriation, starting with the Ahidjo family, then Dakar authorities to the rest of the countries in which the corpse would be flown over.
State interment, nevertheless, warrants a presidential decree prior to
presidential negotiations with all the parties involved, political
analysts told The Post in Yaounde.
The matter died down for some time and only resurfaced in the news last
March 31. Biya had received the former President of Benin, Emile Derlin
Zinsou, who raised the issue.
The duo is said to have discussed the issue at length, including the financial stakes of the repatriation of the corpse.Zinsou, who is the Vice President of the Francophonie Higher Council, was reported to have told Biya to set the stage for the repatriation of Ahidjo's corpse by giving back some of the assets that the state seized from the former President after he fell out with his successor.
But after Zinsou's departure, silence fell over the issue as government has not yet pronounced what measures it is taking for the repatriation of the corpse.This persistent silence cropped up in the wake of allegations that Biya is at loggerheads with late Ahidjo's wife, Mrs. Germaine Habiba Ahidjo.
It is due to these reasons that More Justice held a meeting in Garoua last April.Among other things, it resolved to lobby some personalities close to Biya to mount pressure to repatriate the corpse.
That is why members of the NGO, including Aboubakar Ousmane Mey, Francis Kwa Moutome, Yves Epaka, Barrister Alice Nkom, Joseph Marie Eloudou, Maurice Diwouta Zeth, Ali Yousoufa among others, contacted the former Senegalese President, Abdou Diouf, who is said to be a close friend to Biya.
Sources close to Ahidjo's family said the former president had wished to be buried in his native village near Garoua where his mother and first wife were buried. It was because of this that the NGO led by its leader, Aboubakar Ousmane Mey, sought to have audience with Prime Minister, Chief Ephraim Inoni, recently.
They are said to have waited for the Prime Minister to respond in vain.The imbroglio surrounding the repatriation of Ahidjo's remains is the hangover of the protracted conflict that rocked Biya and Ahidjo when the latter was still alive.
After handing over power to his constitutional successor, Biya, in 1982, Ahidjo was later accused of organising a coup plot against the former. Ahidjo saw that he was no longer safe and went into exile in Senegal. He was later judged and sentenced to death in absentia.
Did u get the News,
I learned that when Pop John Paul was about to die and lying on his dying bed, he called Paul Biya and Omar Bongo to come and see him. When they came (Biya and Omar), Biya was sitting on his left side while Omar was sitting on the right. They sat for like two hours and Pope John Paul said nothing, then suddenly, Omar asked the Pope his reason for calling them without saying anything. Then the Pope replied them saying "When Jesus Christ died, he died with two thieves, so i have decided to die with you guys because i believe you ...". Before the Pope could finish what he was saying, Biya had already escaped. Dammn
Posted by: Galabe | Saturday, 07 June 2008 at 08:42 AM