Pius Njawe: A Tribute
I write to pay tribute to Pius Njawe, journalist emeritus and founder/publisher of Le Messager, the most renowned private newspaper in the Republic of Cameroun and Francophone Central Africa. My first contact with Njawe was in 1993 in Maryland in the USA, when he came alone, or to cover the visit of the Chairman of the UNDP party, Bello Bouba Maigari. He located and interviewed me on why I resigned my position as provincial governor in Cameroun. From my knowledge of his paper, I dismissed the suggestion by some that he could be an agent of the regime and granted him the interview. Time proved me right.
By George Achu-Mofor*
Pius Njawe, was a voice for the voiceless people of the Cameroons and the people of Central Africa (former French Equatorial Africa, Cameroun and to some extent, the former British Southern Cameroons enclave). In spite of all the challenges and risks, acts of intimidation and persecution, he persisted like a warrior and died with armour on his back. He lived, stood up and died for what he believed. He fell on the battlefield of freedom – carrying out his life’s mission to help liberate his fellow man by informing and educating. His last battle tour was to the USA to report on the meeting of Cameroonian opposition political parties and associations and political activists. To do this, he did not hesitate to take the risk of crossing continents and oceans to accompany them in a foreign land more than ten thousand miles away where they could securely examine ways and means of bringing democratic change to their country. Pius Njawe, a fellow combatant, fell at the battlefront in a bid to bring down a neo-colonial and colonialist state that is on the verge of transforming the country into an imperial monarchy – after half a century of a farcical independence.
While Pius Njawe and other journalists such as Bibi Ngota in former French Cameroons fought and fell for their people, it is doubtful whether they did enough for the colonized and assimilated people of Southern Cameroons, lured into an association in which they lost their identity among the community of nations. And this was done on the false rationale of reconstituting a long dead German Kamerunian fatherland. The violations of law and abuses of all types committed to erase the identity of Southern Cameroons is not only a tragedy for these people, that of the Republic of Cameroun (French Cameroun), but a mortal disincentive to African Unity. Like Nazi Germany, the Republic of Cameroun’s hegemonic ambition to reconstitute the defunct German Kamerun on the back of the Southern Cameroons is the greatest blow to Pan-Africanism. This inordinate colonial pursuit is a scarecrow to those advocating for a United States of Africa – a Pan-African Union of self-governing democratic states, not of empires, kingdoms or autocracies with life presidents.
If French Camerounian journalist can use the foundation of combativeness for the public good laid by Pius Njawe to fight not only for their people but also for the oppressed people of the Southern Cameroons, there may be some prospect of the latter accepting to go back to the drawing board that was discarded in Foumban in 1961. From the evidence so far, it is an indisputable fact that no formal agreement of association was executed in or after Foumban – as intended by the UN, trusteeship authority.
The successors of Le Messager’s founder and other members of the media should recognize this; they should use the foundation laid by this great human rights defender as an anchor to extend media protection to the people of Southern Cameroons, Central and Continental Africa – in the overriding interest of the African people. The just and equitable resolution of the Cameroonian union quagmire will restore legality in the interest of African Unity (United States of Africa). If not, it will serve as a mortal blow to it.
To end, I wish God’s protection to the family of Pius Njawe and grease to the elbows of human rights journalists and activists as well as all those that have served, are serving or have suffered with him. The cause of justice for which Pius Njawe fought and died is much bigger than any one life. May his soul rest in peace. And the fight continues!
*Former provincial govenor, Cameroun
Human rights advocate
Culled from Ambas Bay Forum
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Leave a Reply