Fru Ndi, others, pour encomiums on late Prof. Asonganyi

Following the demise of Prof. Tazaocha Asonganyi, former Secretary General of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, who died at the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital, Sunday July 3, politicians, academicians and civil society activists have continued to pour encomiums on him, many of them describing him as “a true Cameroonian patriot.”

John Fru Ndi, SDF Chairman, who had not a too good relationship with the late professor in the last years of his life, didn’t hesitate paying gratitude to the late professor for all his service to the SDF while he was Secretary General.

“I was in Yaounde about two weeks ago and they told me that he was not feeling fine, but I could not go to visit him because I was very busy.” Fru Ndi regretted, adding that it is unfortunate Asonganyi died the way he did.

According to Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Political Scientist and Director of the CPDM Academy, “Asonganyi was a man of great convictions and an accomplished intellectual.”

Ngolle Ngolle described Asonganyi as a politician who cut across partisan lines when it came to political issues and stood out as someone who did not want to sell his conscience. “Asongangyi was objective.” He said.

“Our political arena needs men and women of virtue, politeness and courtesy like Prof. Asonganyi. He was a great mind and we can only wish that his soul rest in peace,” Prof. Ngolle Ngolle said.

Elizabeth Tamajong, Former SDF Secretary General, added her own voice, saying that Asonganyi was a good man. “I worked with him from 1995 to 2005 and I learned a lot from him. He was very calm and never took a decision when he was angry. We are going to miss him a lot.”

Benard Muna, one time SDF member and Founding President of the Alliance of Progressive Forces, APF, said he had a lot of respect for Prof. Asongangyi. “After his exit as Secretary General of the SDF and from the party itself, I flirted a bit with him about the formation of a new political party to no avail.

“Asonganyi’s idealism had taken a heavy blow. His disappointment for having spent more than ten years in the SDF, to no avail, filled him with bitterness but this did not make him loose hope about building a better Cameroon. He was just taking some time out. It is sad for us that the good Lord has also decided that it is his time out, in our cruel and faithless world,” Muna said.

Barrister Nico Halle, President of the Bar General Assembly said, Prof. Asonganyi greatly contributed to the socio-cultural and political evolution of Cameroon. “He was a fearless patriotic nationalist who called things by their true names,” Nico Halle stressed.

The Secretary General of South West Elite Association, SWELA, Joseph Moki Etukeni, told The Cameroon Journal the late Asonganyi was one of the very fine brains who systematically blended science with politics. Etukeni expressed the wish that other Anglophone academics will follow Asonganyi’s path.

When The Cameroon Journal visited the late professor’s residence in the Essos neighborhood in Yaounde, July 4, family members we accosted were still in total state of shock.

By press time, Asonganyi’s family was yet to react to the unfortunate incident. His funeral programme is still being awaited.