Drama at state funeral of SCNC Chairman in Mamfe

Chief Ayamba has been given state burial by Biya’s security forces??

The people of Mamfe in Manyu County will live to remember these two memorable days, July 25 and 26, 2014 as very historic ones.

Friday July 25 was the day programmed for the removal of the mortal remains of the National Chairman of the SCNC Chief Ette Otun Ayamba.

On this day, a high-powered squad of police from the Mobile Intervention Unit (GMI) Buea was dispatched to storm Mamfe. The squad, headed by a Five-Star Superintendent of police (names to be submitted to a special committee) surrounded the Ayamba premises; another took control of the mortuary at Bisongabang, while the third besieged the Hotel belonging to the main Organizer of the funeral, Ako Abunaw.

Over 300 Southern Cameroonians who had arrived and assembled at the hotel to get further directives were sealed inside the hotel compound. It should be noted here that Hon. Paul Ayah’s convoy that had taken off from Akwaya via Bahuru-Bamenda was blocked on the way. His story will be told in a different language.

All the Southern Cameroonian activists who had taken off from Buea, Kumba, Mutengene, Victoria were blocked at Batoke (hope I got it right!) Many who had been spotted entering Mamfe in groups were rounded up and detained.

At the other end, the special coffin prepared by the family and SCNC militants abroad and brought in through Ekok was blocked at Eyumojock. The police seized the coffin and confiscated all the burial and funeral materials flown in from Europe and USA. The Eyumojock population, provoked by this stupid show of bravado and overzealousness of the Manyu administration and security operatives, decided to storm the police station and curse all those who dared confiscate their Chief’s casket. Finally, the coffin was abandoned at the door step of the police with the promise that all of them will bury themselves in that coffin before Chief Ayamba’s flesh turns to dust.

On D-Day, July 26, 2014, all the vehicles entering Mamfe from the Bamenda or Kumba end were stopped and thoroughly searched. Anyone found with any writing or program or flag of Southern Cameroons was brought down, made to sit on the tarmac and later transferred to an unknown destination.

This reporter succeeded to sneak in 105 copies of Political Punch through these checks with very shouting headlines on the Chief Ayamba Funeral! God alone knows why they could not spot them. They are now circulating in the entire Mamfe. At the Ayamba compound at Banya, Mamfe, over three Lorries loaded to the brim, full of heavily armed police and soldiers was on the stand by. At the mortuary, there were mixed troops of police, soldiers and gendarmes guarding the area from the road to the hospital and beyond.

Some members said to be those close to the family were negotiating with close family members and advising them not to make any mistakes and let anything of SCNC “spoil the show”!

Of course, while this reporter meandered around with his”Mayor’s tag”, which permitted him to have the needed freedom, he asked questions that revealed a lot. Ma Ayamba, the widow insinuated that she was coaxed and obliged to sign an undertaking that there will be nothing of SCNC at the funeral, else the husband will not be buried.

She added that they forced her to make an announcement to this effect. As the corpse left the mortuary, five police, gendarme and BIR vehicles, loaded with heavily armed men followed, making the occasion a veritable official funeral indeed. Songs, dances and chanting, blasting of horns from bikes etc. characterized the convoy from the mortuary to the compound.

The drama proper began when one of the daughters took a photograph of Chief Ayamba, dressed in SCNC regalia and dashed to where the police commissioner was standing with his boys. She spat insults at the guys in uniform challenging them to come face her if they had the balls. She called them all the names reserved for Satan.

She told them the heroic deeds and acts of Chief Ayamba as a fighter, a statesman and a true patriot of Southern Cameroons. She poured even more venom on the LRC regime for daring to deprive her father of a befitting burial. As some cowards tried to stop her, she transferred some reserve to them.

All attempts by a certain family member to stop the family from reading Chief Ayamba’s biography hit the rock when Larry Ayamba (I believe I am right!) seized the microphone and speedily read out the Hero’s biography, skipping only sections that mentioned SCNC and Southern Cameroons. Everyone around deciphered the rest.

It should be noted that a few SCNC activists managed to get to the funeral. We met and chatted with Ma Mbinam; Tabi Charles, County Chair for Manyu; Alfred Sembe of the Revolutionary Council, Ngalim Felix who stole the show by mounting on the hearse and raising his hand throughout. We also note that the family finally succeeded in putting the Southern Cameroons flag on the coffin.

The Baha’i family made the interment prayers. Mr. Eyong who had also been blocked at the Abunaw Hotel met this reporter at the Mile 2 Park Mamfe. They have lots of stories to tell. While we process the photos and videos we could mange to sneak out with, we call for vigilance and swift action now to make the world see what is happening in Southern Cameroons. Even the dead have no freedom to be buried decently. It has crossed the line, people.