By Chris Mbunwe
The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Social Democratic Front SDF, party, has chided the Cameroon government and its judiciary for not putting into practice the new Criminal Procedure Code, CPC, when it comes to prolonged detentions.
The NEC was holding in Bamenda Saturday, October 27, at Ntarikon at the backdrop of no ready judgment for the 21 SDF militants detained since May 26, 2006 in connection with the death of SDF militant, Gregoire Diboule. NEC expressed shock at the six-month extension for investigations to continue before judgment is delivered on retired Colonel Chi Ngafor and others.
Though the report from the Legal Affairs Department revealed that the SDF militants detained in Bankim, West Province, because of electoral violence, NEC is said to have expressed embarrassment over judicial and government flagrant disrespect of the new CPC.
"In a typical manner as usual, government has absolutely disrespected its own laws and policies especially the new Criminal Procedure Code which in several of its sections, it is clearly spelt out that there should be no undue long detentions without rendering judgment.
Was there any need for government to have spent huge sums of money, mobilised human and material resources in coming out with a Criminal Procedure Code only to ignore implementing it. Our militants are languishing in Kondengui just because the government can't respect its own laws. We are in a state of lawlessness," stated Mathias Ofong, Communication Officer, who briefed The Post after the NEC meeting.
On what assistance the party has given the detainees, Ofong said the SDF had been assisting them financially and materially. The last of such visits was two weeks ago when all SDF MPs thronged Kondengui Maximum Prison and donated some gifts and money for the detainees take care of their individual needs.
He said the Kondengui trip by MPs was to let the detainees understand that government is punishing them for a crime they never committed.The NEC also listened to a report from the Shadow Cabinet meeting of Friday October 26, where proposals of a series of seminars were been earmarked beginning January 2008 to educate Shadow Cabinet ministers to streamline the manner in which the ministries could approach their various portfolios.
Proposals from the Shadow Cabinet Ministries of Education, Health, Defence and Environment were tabled at NEC for possible implementation.As concerns the recent spate of civil unrest especially the killings in Bamenda, Abong Mbang and Yaounde, the SDF Communication Officer said NEC expressed total indignation, stating that there is no justification to any of the killings by the police.
So heated also was the fate of the sacked councillors who had themselves installed as Mayors in Nkambe, Ndu, Bafoussam and Babessi.The matter was handed to a committee that was set up to examine the administrative actions from the SDF structures regarding the behaviour of some individual councillors.
The committee has one month to handle the issues and tender its reports to NEC. However, NEC regretted the stalemate in the troubled council areas because the population would continue to suffer as long as the sacked mayors remain in place.
Ofong said there is no use for councilors who boycott the installation ceremonies of mayors when they (mayors) convene a meeting."Let them attend and make it impossible for the mayor to operate because as elected councillors they are representing their populations. Even if they are given their dues they should take," declared Ofong.
He made is clear that NEC will not back-peddle on its decision sacking the mayors.
In an earlier opening remark by SDF National Chairman, Fru John Ndi,
regretted the loss of the lone SDF MP for Kumba Hon. Palmy Nkele and
the mother of one of the Shadow Cabinet members, Kambiwa.
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