September 13, 1958 – September 13, 2023! 65 years since Mpodol Ruben Um Nyobé, the summit of the equilateral triangle of Cameroonian nationalism, was assassinated near Boumnyebel, more precisely in the village of Libel Li Ngoy. This exceptional man knew how to mark his time with a noble and dignified struggle for the liberation of his people subjected by colonialism and French imperialism since 1916. Um fought against injustice, oppression until the supreme sacrifice .
Serge Aimé Bikoi notes that, despite the promulgation of a law in 1991 recognizing certain national heroes, there have been no concrete measures to honor their memory. He mentions the fact that African independence leaders of the time often governed their countries after independence, with the exception of Cameroon, where the colonial authorities co-opted those who were in favor of maintaining colonial supervision. Bikoi also criticizes the teaching of history in Cameroon, saying that the history of Cameroonian nationalists is deliberately omitted from school curricula. It highlights the contrast with other African countries which have dedicated streets, universities and other public places to their national heroes. Ultimately, he questions why Cameroon’s national heroes have not been honored in the same way and calls for greater recognition of their contribution to the country’s history.
Below, the entire forum
Commemoration/September 13, 1958 – September 13, 2023/ Year 65 of the death of Ruben Um Nyobe
The phobia of national heroes maintained by the Yaoundé regime
This Wednesday, September 13, 2023 marks the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the death of Mpodol Ruben Um Nyobe, former secretary general of the Union of Cameroon Populations (Upc), historical figure and father of Cameroon’s independence. Despite the promulgation, in 1991, of a law recognizing certain of our national heroes, the fact remains today that this text of law has remained at the stage of an announcement effect, or even of a declaration of intent. Social chronicle on the permanent contempt displayed towards the martyrs.
The promulgation of a law three decades ago recognizing some of our national heroes was never translated into concrete actions and its implementation remained questionable. Otherwise, how can we understand that more than half a century after his disappearance on September 13, 1958, Ruben Um Nyobe on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Félix Roland Moumie, Ernest Ouandie, Abel Kingue, Ossende Afana, Paul Soppo Prison, etc. have not benefited from special attention from their fellow citizens who preside over the destiny of Cameroon today?
The history of the decolonization of contemporary Africa tells us today that all African independence leaders, after the war of independence, ended up governing in their country with the exception of the Union of Populations of Cameroon (Upc), where the colonial administration, against all expectations, preferred to co-opt into power those who considered that Cameroon was not mature enough to achieve independence. This is probably what justifies the disinterest, even the phobia, maintained by current leaders towards national heroes, without whom Cameroon would not be what it is today. This is what, at the same time, explains the political obscurantism which has shrouded in a shameless veil the programs for teaching the history of Cameroon to school and university offspring. Even though the history of Cameroon is included in school and academic curricula, it deliberately fails to mention the efforts made by Cameroonian nationalists to extricate the country from the colonial yoke. Is this not the reason why a contemporary historian aptly observed that “unlike Kenya, where the “Mau Mau” movement is part of the colonial heritage and is glorified as such, in Cameroon, those who co-attracted and gave their lives for Reunification and independence are, today, only mentioned in populist speeches to be condemned.”
The question that then torments the minds of Cameroonians and generations after the Cameroonian liberation movement is the following: what odious and irreparable crime did these nationalists commit to deserve an implacable destiny having animated their posthumous offspring to erase their names from the history of Cameroon? Ruben Um Nyobe, Félix Roland Moumie, Ernest Ouandie, Ossende Afana, Abel Kingue, Ndeh Ntumazah, John Ngu Foncha, Endeley did they do wrong, by demanding, with stubbornness and temerity at the cost of their lives, Reunification and independence from Cameroon? Why this visceral hatred nourished against these founding fathers of the Cameroonian nation to the point of refusing, obviously, to immortalize them, by dedicating streets, boulevards, airports, universities, football stadiums, sports halls, monuments, steles and other public places to them on the national territory?
On the other hand, not far from us, other countries, which have been able to highlight the popular refrain according to which “To the great men the grateful homeland”, have dedicated, in turn, their universities, their streets, their steles and others public places to those who deserve to be distinguished by the entire nation. Thus, Cameroonians who had the opportunity and opportunity to travel to certain African countries discovered the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal, Abomey Calavi in Benin, Makerere in Uganda, Nnamdi Azikiwe in Nigeria, Omar Bongo in Gabon and Marien Ngouabi in Congo. In Cameroon, with the university reform of 1990, the Cameroonian university gave birth to seven state universities which, curiously, bear the names of the cities of establishment with a split in Roman numerals for Yaoundé I and Yaoundé II. Other state universities have sprung up in recent years. Until then, no baptismal names of the fathers of independence and Reunification. Can we conclude, in view of the above, that there was a lack of emblematic figures in our country or of events worthy of interest that have marked our history to be dedicated to our national heroes? Nay!
Serge Aimé Bikoi
2023-09-15 18:26:42
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