SDF member of parliament and Questor of the National Assembly, Hon. Cyprian Awudu Mbaya appeared to have gotten enough of the imperialism being lorded over Anglophone Cameroonians by the Biya’s regime. On Wednesday May 27, the Nkambe MP went on the rampage at the government-owned Ayaba Hotel in Bamenda, where he pulled down all signposts written exclusively in French. Awudu who had been lodging at Ayaba hotel since May 23 told the hotel authorities he was uncomfortable with the fact that almost every piece of information about the hotel was exclusively in French.
The manager of the hotel, Doume Zacharie, said the angry MP that he met things that way and that a restructuring process of the hotel was underway. But Awudu who saw no attempt being made to address his concerns for the close to one week that he had lodged there took offence. He then decided to vent his anger on the signposts bearing the inscriptions “ascenseur,” without the English equivalence of “lift” or “elevator” as well as another in the computer room on which was inscribed “lutte contre la corruption” without the English equivalence; “fight against corruption.”
Hotel employees and onlookers told noted that the MP would have pulled down another one which read “Piscine” translated as “swimming pool” if it were not too high for the MP who is not a tall man. Justifying his action, Hon. Awudu said it was provocative to see signposts exclusively in French in an establishment in the heart of Anglophone Cameroon. He said it was unacceptable that a government which claims to uphold bilingualism could exclude English from notifications in a hotel in the heart of Anglophone Cameroon.
Awudu vowed to continue with the act of vandalism on any such signposts anywhere in Anglophone Cameroon, including Nkambe where the SDO’s office there carries the inscription “Prefet” instead of “SDO’s Office.” His next stop-over after the North West, Awudu said will be the South West and that he would be taking up the matter to Parliament. “Francophones can’t be allowed to carry their assimilation policy right into the heart of my own region,” he said.
It is feared that Awudu may face the anti terrorism law should the matter be taken to court for criminal action. Section 2 of the anti terrorism law reads: “whoever, acting alone as an accomplice or accessory commits or threatens to commit an act likely to cause death, endanger physical integrity, cause bodily injury or material damage, destroy natural, the environment or cultural heritage with intent to: a) intimidate the public, provoke a situation of terror or force the victim or government and/or a national or international organization to carry-out or refrain from carrying out an act,
Ayaba Hotel Bamenda
adopt or renounce a particular position; b) disrupt the national functioning of public services, the delivery of essential services to the public to create a crisis situation among the public; c) create widespread insurrection in the country; d) shall be punished with the death penalty.
The director of Ayaba hotel, Doume Zacharie was not available for comment, Ondoa Francioise, his assistant refused to talk to the press.
North West governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique who was alerted rushed to the scene with his collaborators to assess the situation himself. He reportedly later discussed the issue with SDF national chairman, John Fru Ndi. Details of their discussion had not filtered to The Journal by press time.
The Cameroon Journal later gathered that the North West chief executive expressed indignation over Awudu’s behaviour, arguing that as a lawmaker, he should not be the one to champion acts of violence. “Hon. Awudu should have even called me to express his dissatisfaction. He has my number,” the governor is quoted as saying.
Anglophone activists who learnt of what happened have reportedly hailed the MP for what they said was a bold action. By press time Hon. Awudu was unrepentant, pledging he would repeat his action a thousand times over.
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