Chief Ayamba’s Demise: Can Mamfe And Eyumodjock Be The Venue For a New Emergence of The SCNC?

By Martin Fon Yembe

This man, who made SONAC Bamenda what it was, came to the limelight of the struggle for Southern Cameroons self-determination on December 30, 1999. This was when, in the company of Justice Ebong and Pa Sabum, they stormed the CRTV Provincial Station in Buea and declared the independence of Southern Cameroons.

Chief Ayamba Ette Otun

June 18, 2014 is the day La Republique du Cameroun will hate to remember very quickly given the humiliating beating of their national Football Team, the so-called Indomitable Lions. This day will as well go down in the annals of the Southern Cameroons as the day a great Southern Cameroons Baobab collapsed into eternity. That Baobab, the Lion of Eyumodjock, is Chief Ette Otun Ayamba.


We recall that he and his peers were arrested at the Centenary Stadium, in Victoria and detained at Kondengui for close to two years. On their release, while Justice Ebong escaped into self-exile to nearby Nigeria, Chief Ayamba remained steadfast and naturally sailed in as National Chairman of SCNC, replacing the late Dr. Martin Ngeka Luma who died on April 13, 2003. We recall that the interim SG, Mbunwe Patrick was assassinated on April 7, 2003.

Many learnt, with dismay and shame, of the rift and fissure between Chief Ayamba and his erstwhile lieutenant, Nfor Ngala Nfor (his Vice)! It was all a misinterpretation of action and misunderstanding of views following the famous Oslo meeting that brought to light the urge to put up a United Southern Cameroons Patriotic Coalition Front (PCF) that was made up of the Youth league, SCAPO, SCNC, and the Civil Societies in the struggle.

The designation of Mola Njoh Litumbe to handle the home front of this Front sparked off the fire that was to consume the leadership of SCNC and pull the struggle to a heavy slow gear. As soon as Nfor Nfor started collaborating with the Front, with Mola at the head at home, Chief Ayamba’s close aides wailed wolf! They claimed and continue to claim that there was a hidden agenda to sideline Chief Ayamba and usher in Mola Njoh Litumbe.

Lots of polemics were raised that have nothing to do with the struggle. Nfor Nfor, unwittingly accepted to take the mantle of leadership of the SCNC as national Chairman, and he alone became three in one: National Chairman, vice national Chairman and Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee!! In fact, some hold that after the dead of Prince Hitler Mbinglo and Pa Fidelis Chinkwo, he assumed the duties of President of the Northern Zone and Secretary General of SCNC all by himself!

Be it as it may, the SCNC is now worse than a deflated balloon and needs fresh air to fly high. It needs energetic wings to fly as high as the eagle and to go above all mountains with ease.

 Chief Ayamba is now in the past tense, and the future   is crying for salvation.

SCNC’s departed heroes

 Let us examine some of the great figures of the struggle that have so far gone. Dr. JN Foncha died on April 10th 1999 (on the birthday of Dr. EML Endeley). Two years later, in 2001, Pa S.T. Muna died. On April 13, 2003, Pa Luma left, and a few days after, Patrick Mbunwe was assassinated. Another big loss was Justice Njamnsi in 2003. As if 2003 was a black year for SCNC, Ma Regina Mankefor also checked out. In 2004, Albert Mukong kicked the bucket, while Pa Ndi Stephen, followed in May of 2005. Others include Pa Lamfuh and Martin Ekoge Epie. Many others are on the line up, and constitute a more formidable force up there in Heaven than down here on earth where leadership is crying for salvation.

However, when we examine the stewardship of Chief Ayamba at the helm of the SCNC, we lay hands on a number of achievements and exploits.

It was during the reign of Chief Ayamba that there was the completion of the merits of the Communication 266/2003, initiated by Gumne and Luma. He was still at the helm when admissibility was attained. He worked for the SCNC (through his vice, Nfor Nfor); to address the UN Human Rights Commission after forty-four years on the 30th of March, 2005, same as was the case when SCNC addressed the EU Parliament in 2006.

International recognition of the SCNC remained limited until the group became part of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization in 2006, when Chief Ayamba was in office. Under his leadership, SCNC was at the presidency of UNPO twice. He worked for the admission of SCNC as a member of the Trans-National

Radical Party in Italy.

 In 2008, Ayamba was at the head of a squad that stormed Abuja and the ACHPR in session at the ECOWAS Conference Centre, precipitating the release of the judgment/verdict of Communication 266/2003. In 2009, however, the African Union (AU), with a large push from Muammar Gaddafi, began considering efforts regarding the SCNC call for independence. In late 2009, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights recognized the SCNC's petition by declaring that Southern Cameroonians are a people.

It is said in Africa that hatches are buried during burials! We all must acknowledge the fact that the struggle for the restoration of justice in Southern Cameroons has been hampered thanks to the greedy and myopic leadership the SCNC has brandished all this while. The uncalled-for acrimony being perpetuated and inflamed by some activists between the SCNC and the SDF should be a thing of the past, given the recent wooing by the SDF.

It is unfortunate that there are some tendencies that keep seeing the glass as half empty, and never as half full. They will start pointing fingers here and there, and doing nothing to advance the course.


We trust that lovers of Southern Cameroons will seize this opportunity and embrace themselves and use the occasion to bury the nasty hatchets.


Let the South African example spark some note in many minds. Can Mamfe and Eyumodjock be the venue where there will be a new emergence of SCNC, a Renaissance SCNC? Let it be, for it can be! Adieu, Chief, Mr. National Chairman. Long Live, SCNC and the struggle!