Chief Ayamba buried amid security clampdown!

-       Hundreds arrested and later released

-       11 SCNC activists under detention

-       Gov’t confiscates Ayamba’s original coffin

-      Family forced to publicly renounce SCNC 

Chief Ayamba Ette Ottun, former Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, has been finally buried in Banya Quarters in Mamfe. He was interred, Saturday, July 26, by members of his immediate family at his family compound amidst tight security.

The mortal remains of Chief Ayamba were supposed to be removed from the Mamfe Mortuary on Friday, July 26. But tension and a security swoop on SCNC activists who had gathered in the town led to the ‘sealing’ of the mortuary by Manyu administration.

Over 300 mourners were reportedly arrested and later released miles away from the funeral that was restricted only to members of the Ayamba family.

The mortuary remained heavily guarded most of the day on Saturday as security tightened to wade off any form of activity by members of the secessionist movement, the SCNC to which Chief Ayamba was leader.

At Eyumodjock, a special coffin prepared by the family and SCNC militants possibly in Nigeria and brought in through Ekok was confiscated. The police seized the coffin and impounded all the burial and funeral paraphernalia flown in from Europe and USA.

Despite the stiff resistance mounted by the Eyumodjock local population, the might of the police prevailed and without any other option, they abandoned the coffin with the men in uniform.

At press time, late Saturday, all vehicles entering Mamfe from Bamenda, Ekok and Kumba ends were still being rigorously stopped and searched. Those found with any writing or program or flag of the Southern Cameroons are brought down the vehicles, made to sit on the tarmac and later sent back, denying them access into Mamfe.

Back in Mamfe, Chief Ayamba’s widow, Gladys Ayamba, told Cameroon Headlines Ca in a telephone interview that the corpse of her husband was released to the family only after they were forced to make an undertaking before the Manyu administration to the effect that the conduct of the funeral was going to be a private one.

Mrs. Ayamba insinuated that she was coaxed and obliged to sign an undertaking stating that participation of the SCNC at the funeral was not going to be allowed; else her husband will not be buried. She added that they were forced to make a public announcement to this effect.

“We were told to denounce Chief Ayamba’s membership with the SCNC. We were forced to put up an announcement on radio this morning dissociating ourselves from the SCNC and promising that no SCNC member or article will be at the funeral grounds,” Mrs. Ayamba told The Journal, Saturday night, in a wobbly voice.

Though there was disagreement among Ayamba’s children as to whether or not to sign the undertaking, Cameroon Headlines learnt that the children and close family members who had flown in from abroad insisted that the commitment be taken.

Once the undertaking was signed, security at Chief Ayamba’s home tripled, with three trucks load of soldiers, gendarmes and elements of the Mobile Intervention Unit (GMI 5 from Buea) stationed right in front of the compound.

At the Mortuary

Chief Ayamba’s house in Banya Quarters, Bessongabang Road, Mamfe, is located about 300 metres from the Mortuary premises. The program that accompanied the convoy that was blocked from entering Mamfe from Ekok indicated that there was going to be a parade with the corpse around Mamfe town before the planned “State Burial.”

At the mortuary, however, there were mixed troops of police, soldiers and gendarmes guarding the area from the road to the hospital and beyond so that no such parade could take place.

Some people said to be immediate family members negotiated the removal of the corpse without any SCNC interference or participation. And the corpse was eventually released to Chief Ayamba’s widow at 11:30am, Saturday.

As the corpse left the mortuary, five security vehicles loaded with heavily armed men followed the funeral procession, making the occasion an authentic state funeral, sort of - though not the kind the SCNC would have loved to have.

After prayers from the Baha’i Holy Book, Chief Ayamba’s biography was hastily read with the reader skipping sections that mentioned the SCNC and Southern Cameroons. Everyone around deciphered the rest.

Chief Ayamba’s remains were lowered into the grave at 4:15pm still amid tight security. Those who witnessed the burial were made to present proof of relationship to the deceased.

Family sources hinted The Journal that the coffin in which Chief Ayamba was buried was provided by the local administration in Manyu; the original coffin having been confiscated for carrying SCNC insignia.

Enter Manyu SDO

The inability to take out Chief Ayamba’s corpse from the Mortuary until 11:30am on Saturday was blamed on the overzealousness of the Senior Divisional officer for Manyu, Peter Tieh Ndeh.

In a telephone interview, Tieh Ndeh refuted allegations that he sealed the Mamfe mortuary. He also denied declaring a state of siege in Manyu, even when restrictions of movement served as a pointer. He denied banning the SCNC constituent General Assembly that was supposed to take place today, Sunday, July 27.

“What do you call a state of emergency? Manyu is not a Republic and so Manyu cannot declare a state of emergency. If it was declared, you should have heard it over CRTV because it is a presidential decree that declares a state of emergency. You could have just come to see if you have difficulties entering into Mamfe. I was not invited to Chief Ayamba’s funeral. I don’t know anything about his burial. If you have anything concerning the mortuary, you should find your way to the hospital, not the SDO. I’ve been in my house all day. I’ve not gone out. I only went for sports in the morning across the town. I did not see any trouble in town. There is no problem in Mamfe. What is SCNC? Is the SCNC a political party that they should hold a meeting in Mamfe? In any case, it is not the competence of the SDO to suspend a public meeting. You can verify if meetings are holding in Mamfe or not from the DO for Mamfe. The SDO doesn’t give authorization for meetings and so the SDO cannot ban them. I think I have cleared your mind on that issue of the corpse of Chief Ayamba. I don’t want us to talk about it again.” The SDO told Cameroon Headlines .

Frustrations

Ayah Paul Abine, Secretary General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and former CPDM MP for Akwaya expressed frustrations at the whole state of emergency thing in Mamfe in a telephone chat with Cameroon Headlines . He was blocked from entering Mamafe from Akwaya through Bahuru.

“I’m now in Buea. I was prevented from entering Mamfe. I returned to Bamenda and later came back to Buea. I was blocked from entering Mamfe by security forces. I was later advised not to insist; else I would be rough handled. I’m informed that security forces ransacked the hotel I booked. The owner of the hotel was put under house arrest.” Ayah said.

Quizzed on the fate of the SCNC and the constituent General Assembly that should have taken place today, Ayah said, “No such constituent assembly of the SCNC will hold.” However, he observed that “no one should say this is an end to the SCNC. Arresting a corpse and putting Mamfe under security siege does not mean an end to the SCNC.”

Ayah insists that he has made no statement on whether or not to become SCNC chairman, “but I have been called by many people to become. I’m going to consult with top SCNC officials for the way forward.”

11 arrests confirmed

Though over 300 persons had reportedly been rounded up at a hotel in Mamfe, they were later released after a thorough search.

Ako Abunaw, Chief Organizer of Chief Ayamba’s funeral told Cameroon Headlines that he was under house arrest at his hotel in Mamfe. He said two other SCNC officials were also under house arrest, while eight others were behind bars at the Mamfe police station.

Though we could not confirm the figures with the Divisional Officer for Mamfe, security sources who opted for anonymity said those arrested or put under house arrest will be freed by Monday evening at the least. He hinted that their mission to Mamfe will end on Tuesday.

An SCNC official hinted that the security siege on Mamfe prevented SDF Chairman, Fru Ndi from attending Ayamba’s funeral, even after the SDF NEC meeting earlier planned for Bamenda, July 26, was postponed.