Southern West Cameroon Revisited Volume Two: North-South West Nexus 1858-1972

Epilogue

195 Epilogue Below is the S Summit Magazine No. 16 April –June 2011 interview with Professor, Victor Julius Ngoh anchored by Kange Williams Wasaloko (Publisher, Acting Editor-in-Chief) Reproduced in full. “Fifty Years after Reunification: Southern Cameroons Had a Raw Deal Because of the Greed of KNDP Politicians. Foreword - The Reunification Gamble: Setting the Records Straight (sic) Professor Victor Ngoh epitomizes history, history of Cameroon, and especially the history of sentiments that are goading Cameroon’s English population. In featuring an exclusive interview with this unassuming but well-versed intellectual, we would be attempting to find answers to the numerous “why” that has cast doubts on the honesty of those we have referred to as the fathers of Reunification. In accepting the deals that were struck between Foncha and Ahidjo how much ofthe people’s interest was considered? Fifty years after Reunification, can anyone say that there was a balance in the negotiation leading to this union? There doesn’t seem to be any turning back now; but were you to bring back to life the Fonchas, Munas, Endeleys, Egbe Tabis, Fonlons, Mbiles and others, what account will they give to their people? Will they regret their selfish attitudes to the detriment of the people who heartedly hailed them? Or are they rolling in their tombs in total disarray for leaving their people in a disparaging mood? Why were the negotiations for the independence of Southern Cameroons as a separate and sovereign state torpedoed? Why were the constitutional talks in Foumban so one-sided as though the Southern Cameroons had no legal or constitutional experts? Why were our leaders so blind-folded as to say “yes” to everything that was proposed to them? 196 Why did they seem to have been so ignorant and exposed their fool- hardiness because of a larger morsel of bread? Why did they not listen to the counsel of some British experts who warned that they will be “swallowed” by the “locust-like” invasion from the East?. Why were negotiations not based on equal partnership? Why was the house of the negotiation so divided thus opening large loopholes for the other negotiator to manipulate their intelligence? Why did the name of the country have to change at every bat of the eye? Fifty years down the line these questions have continued to haunt us. The eventuality as is the case now is to “let the sleeping dogs lie” Those who could have given us a clarification have bowed out of the scene. All we can do today is to speculate. However, we feel blessed to be endowed with historians despite some controversies in relating the sequence of events leading to Reunification; give us some food for thought. Professor Victor Ngoh is one of them and we should benefit from his intellectual largesse. Peter Esoka (Editorial Adviser) 50yrs after Reunification - Southern Cameroons Had a Raw Deal Because of the Greed of KNDP Politicians Prof Victor Julius Ngoh is one of the few authoritative researchers in Cameroon history. At the time when Cameroon history is polluted by some writers who have used their cultural background to distort facts about our history, Professor Victor Julius Ngoh has always stood firm on the truth about the process towards reunification, laying emphasis on the role of southern Cameroons politicians at the time. His stand that the KNDP politicians placed their personal interest ahead of their followers did not auger well to some people who tainted his public image tagging him a persona non-grata in his own country. 197 However today his position is being amplified by even those who blackmailed him. Professor Victor Ngoh still maintains today that the greed of the southern Cameroons politicians was responsible for the raw deal in the process towards reunification coupled with the fact that John Ngu Foncha the southern Cameroons leader in the reunification struggle had struck a deal with Ahidjo that should the reunification process go through, he will be made vice president. Professor Victor Ngoh who is currently deputy vice-chancellor/research, corporation and relations with the business world, has written over twenty research publications on Cameroon Africa and the World. He is currently writing an essay titled” The hidden facts about the reunification of Cameroon. When we sat down to chat with him in his office at UB, the learned professor took time to release certain revelations amongst them was the fact that Foncha received material...