By Christopher Fon Achobang
The State burial for Winston Ndeh Ntumazah, mythical terrorist and President of the Union of Populations of Cameroon, UPC, took place in Cameroon from 25 to 27 March 2010. His mortal remains, flown in from London, were received at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport, and after inspection the coffin was draped in the Camerounian national flag.
From the arrival of the corpse in Yaounde, government hijacked and whisked it off to the Cite Verte parish church for an all night vigil.
From Yaounde, the corpse was driven under military escort to the Ntumazah Hills at Ntarikon Bamenda where it was viewed in State by the population of Bamenda, UPC members from across the Cameroons, old friends in arms, and State agents. The corpse was driven to the Bamenda congress hall on 27 March 2010 for military honours and National decorations with the medal of Commander of the Order of Valour, highest ever earned by any opposition leader in Cameroon.
The corpse was borne to the ceremonial ground by 10 senior officers of the Cameroon police force. A large effigy of Ntumazah was carried around for the inspection of four detachments of a guard of honour made up of the police, gendarmerie, Air force and the infantry. At the Congress Hall, hundreds of UPC militants, sympathizers, party leaders ( John Fru Ndi of the SDF, Frederick Koddock of UPC, Ben Muna of APF, John Beigheny Ndeh of CPDM) and dozens of press organs assembled.
Lamentably, the protocol excelled in disorganization. Traditionally, palm fronds will be a permanent reminder of the magnitude of a fallen hero being honoured. Unfortunately, after hijacking the occasion, government failed to set the stage for a dignified State burial. The floor visibly showed signs of neglect, as it was not mopped after the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement (CPDM). Some broken chairs threw their occupants to the floor before they were taken out.
The wreath presented by the Head of State and wife bore only their names and no mention of Winston Ndeh Ntumazah. Just anybody could equally confiscate it and claim it was destined for their late relative. It will seem, beyond the presidential decree granting a State burial for Winston Ndeh Ntumazah, President Paul Biya was still afraid of calling the name. As Ndeh Ntumazah jokes in his Conversational Autobiography, Biya has always been afraid to receive him for he might be caused to disappear. In this case, Biya could have been afraid to see the name flashed on a wreath for Ntumazah.
Eulogies and Sermons
An ecumenical panel of serving and retired pastors conglomerated on the podium to sermonize for Ntumazah, who believed only in African gods and never worshipped within the walls of any Christian church. As he confessed, God was found in the heart and not in a building. Not normally done during sermons, loud applause was drawn from Pastor Njuh who took an incisive bite at the system in a sermon meant to castigate greed, corruption and embezzlement. “If people loved their neighbours as themselves, why will people be so greedy as to be blind to the suffering of others?” Pastor Njuh questioned.
Fosso, an old friend of Winston Ndeh Ntumazah, amidst sobs and tears said his passing was a great loss to him as a bosom friend, and to Cameroon at large as someone who loved the country more than himself. He reminisced on their activities through the days of fighting in the bush to remove the yoke of the colonialist from the shoulders of the Cameroonian, to exile and to the return to the Promised Land. Fosso prayed and hoped Ntumazah’s name will never again be considered as a terrorist.
A royal convoy from the Bamoungoum chiefdom presented the eulogies of the community and expressed great loss at the passing of Winston Ndeh Ntumazah. The representative of the UPC highlighted the pioneering role played by Ntumazah in the unification and independence of Cameroon. “These are people who believed that unification and independence was like achu (cocoyam paste eaten with yellow soup) and the soup. You cannot eat the achu today to drink the soup tomorrow. Both go at the same time.” He said. He therefore hoped nobody will ever consider those fighting for the rights of their people as terrorists.
At the end of the State burial, Frederick Koddock, UPC Secretary General expressed disappointment at not receiving any financial package from the government. He wondered aloud why the State did not provide money for the party or the family of Ndeh Ntumazah. He hinted that maybe somebody is embezzling the money assigned for State burials.
Winston Ndeh Ntumazah was then buried in a private ceremony at his Ntumazah Hills residence in Ntarikon, accompanied with gun salutes. The traditional groups took over from the State agents and performed the last rites for their transited chief priest. Ntumazah is compared to a prime minister in Mankon land.
Fon Christopher Achobang
Department of Linguistics
Faculty of Arts
University of Buea
P.O. Box 63 Buea
its a gift to be simple, its a gift to be free, its a gift to be where we ought to be...
Pater ave atque vale
Posted by: neutral one | Wednesday, 31 March 2010 at 01:34 PM
Ndeh Ntumasah was a Southern Cameroons traitor.
You can see how La Republique Francaise du Cameroun is honouring him for selling Southern Cameroonians into slavery and recolonization.
I WILL NEVER SHED A TEAR FOR NDEH NTUMAZAH.
Infact I will spit on his grave.
A+
Paa Ngembus
THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS SHALL BE INDEPENDENT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
Posted by: Paa Ngembus | Wednesday, 31 March 2010 at 01:50 PM
And what will spitting on his grave earn you? Will you also spit on Foncha's grave or that of Endeley or Muna? The place is awash with self gratifying bufoons, yet, just because a window dressing rehearsal takes place to fool the Bamenda people, you take your anger out on a dead man. Ntumezah came at a time when brain washing in Cameroon was at its apex. He took up arms against the French. He did not have to do it because the French could not enter West Cameroon. He believed in freedom, and in standing tall with a brother in time of need. He was not consumed by the kind of greed running amock in Cameroon today. Every tiny village wants its own independence. Our inequities are always blamed on some one else. Leave Ntumezah alone. I would rather have one Ntumezah than fifty John Fru Ndis. You want to spit on a grave, spit on Biya first and let me see how brave you are and how committed you are on gaining Southern Cameroon independence.
Posted by: Che Sunday | Wednesday, 31 March 2010 at 11:11 PM
Town Crier aka Professor Minister Chief Ailing Dip'oko
Paa Ngembus is a great Southern Cameroonian. Southern Cameroons is not about tribes but about citizens. People with ancestors from la republique can be great Southern Cameroonians just like people with ancestors from Europe and Africa and Asia can be great Americans. Then, there are excrement eating dogs like entrepreneuronline.
Posted by: Va Boy | Thursday, 01 April 2010 at 11:16 AM
Ya, with his divide and conquer tactics. A dusty one bedroom apartment does not make him less patriotic. If anything, you are the traitor.
These spies/agents of the Biya regime spend time in this forum with different screen names, pitching us against each other and trying to twist the truth with lies.
The government has to provide campaign contributions to all parties. Why should CPDM use state funds to run their campaigns and all others are left out. That is the kind of government educated men like u support and advocate.
You are the real buffoon because u are yet to overcome the most primitive mamal instinct, feed yourself first before the rest can eat.
Posted by: njimaforboy | Thursday, 01 April 2010 at 08:56 PM
Pa Mandengue Ngembus, dont mind them, being a sothern cameroonian is of the heart and not the origins, its a matter of where one believ
es he belongs, for sure if one were to go by lopsided and limpy arguements put by the crier cum black legs and chichidodo, then Obama is not an American per se, consequently he is not supposed to be the president<;
Thank God we are out of the dack ages, town criers are no worth. So dont mind them. I rather give you a big hug and spit on a so called born and bred southern camroon whom because his father has been appointed a fifthenth deputy secretary general and fooled with some few cars, decided to throw the cause in mud.
Man you are one of us
Posted by: Badambora | Friday, 02 April 2010 at 02:57 PM
What part of the concept of respecting the dead do you find difficult to comprehend? To speak ill of the dead shows a complete and utter lack of self preservation and a dignified upbringing. I am in awe at paa ngembus' lack of judgement and ill-founded comment. Your passion for the Southern Cameroon course is apparent but that does not absolve you of common decency. I am not old enough to know much about Mr. Ntumazah, but from what I have read, he was a Southern Cameroonian patriot who put his head above the parapet and made his presence and opinion count. Cameroon will be a better place if more of us had his courage. Just because his views differ from yours does not give you the right to denigrate him. It will do you good to learn about diversity and the power therein when fully harnessed and wisely exploited.
Cameroon will take giant strides forward when us Cameroonian learn some humility and accept that people have different views and opinions and those different views and opinions can amalgamate into a very strong force for a better Cameroonian society. I have a friend who has been ostracised by his father (who subscribes to SCNC) because he dared to support a different political party. How utterly pigheaded and childlike!
I for one hopes Ndeh Ntumazah rest in perfect harmony in the knowledge that his sacrifice has helped humanity in general and Cameroon in particular.
Posted by: alpha2omega | Monday, 05 April 2010 at 11:18 AM
Unless I am missing something. If Ntumazah was in bed with Biya, why won't Biya meet with him? Can someone explain this?
Is the reason Biya allowed his corpse back with military honors that he wanted to be sure it was really a dead Ntumazah?
--Gan Charles
Posted by: Gan Charles | Wednesday, 07 April 2010 at 10:26 AM