BARRISTER MBAH ERIC ELECTED BAR PRESIDENT.
Ambazonian-born Lawyer, Barrister Mbah Eric Elected Bar President and Ambazonians feel betrayed. Barrister Mbah Eric has been elected new president of the Cameroon Bar Council. He was elected today Monday June 20, 2022 in Yaounde. Mbah Eric becomes the country’s 13th Bar president. He takes over from Late Barrister Tchakoute Patie.This is a high portfolio. Why are Ambazonians vexed? Let's take you down memory lane on what was described, The Anglophone Dilemma in Cameroon. The lawyers began a general strike in October 2016, and formally created the Cameroon Common Law Bar Association (CCLA) on November 4. After the earlier protests, the colonial government officials in the historically Southern Cameroons banned some lawyer associations, and imposed restrictions that Contra Nocendi challenges as clear human rights violations.
Anglo saxon lawyer protests in 2016 reflected wider social injustices. The lawyers' inspired demonstrations escalated in Bamenda and across the entire southern Cameroons within a very short time, there were rounds of clashes that erupted between forces of occupation, and the lawyers groups, teachers and citizens joining them who demanded changes to the historic Anglophone systems. The violent demonstrations followed protests in early November 2016, in the cities of Bamenda, Buea and Victoria, according to Contra Nocendi, a human rights organization investigating the earlier clashes.
In a statement issued in 2016, the group described intimidation and harassment of lawyers who say they want to ensure equal access and treatment in Cameroon’s common-law courts, rather than supporting a system they say is failing. Those calls resonated with teachers who saw similar disparities in Cameroon’s educational system and joined the protests, as well as angry citizens with wider social grievances.
The tensions between Colonial administration and the Southern Cameroons minority have existed for decades, at times it led to calls for complete independence. For the two years, that's from 2016 into 2018 lawyers from Southern Cameroon’s Common Law community sought-after to address perceived marginalization in the courts, and what they say is interference with the Anglo-Saxon system of law.
You would want to ask, has that changed? The answer is an emphatic no! Here's the provoking news. Barrister Mbah Eric Mbah has been elected as the new president at the Franco-Cameroun General Assembly of the National Bar Association of Cameroon which has been held since Saturday June 18, 2022 in Yaounde. “We are stronger together. my victory is a victory for the Bar” Barrister Mbah Eric Mbah said after his emergence as the new President of the Association. Eric is Advocate at Law from Momo County of the Midland zones.
Barrister Mbah Eric emerged the new president of the Bulu/Beti National Bar of Association of Cameroon with a purported democratic polling of 1285 votes out of around 3000 cast, while his major opponent, Barrister Memong Phillippe, received 969 votes. His appointment completed a process that included the election of 15 members of the Bar Council, as well as the President of the Cameroon Bar Association’s General Assembly, Barrister Kless Yves Patrick Kouanou, and Vice President, Barrister Gbaka Ernest Acho. It is reported that the new executive has a two-year term limit.
It is worthy to highlight that Ambazonians have not taken this comely; a certain individual thinks that the government spokesman, Dr. Mungwa should come out immediately. To inform the world on the stand of the Interim Government concerning the election of the so -called Anglophones lawyer as president of Cameroun bar association. To amplify his frustrations, he said "this event is the most painful and the highest betrayal in the history of Southern Cameroon Ambazonia. These lawyers are the people who started the ongoing war in Ambazonians. They initiated the deaths of close to 40 thousands men, women and children. Today they are with the same government they told us to destroy our country, our future and everything. This is quite touching. Star, what do you think?
It is heartbreaking to see how these lawyers, learned comrades could be so self centered. Again to express his frustration this same individual said "These people (the lawyers) must be declared openly as enemies to the people. Tomorrow when we get Ambazonians they will want to be magistrates and lawmakers in Ambazonia. We must declare a death warrant to all lawyers. Be it my brother or sister who is a lawyer is an enemy and partaker of the bloodbath of our people. I raised my case." In holistic manner Barrister Timothy Mbeseha wrote in response,
"My brother, I think history doesn’t forget things, it’s used to shape the future. No doubt that lawyers and teachers started the struggle in 2016. Agbor Mbala and Eyambe were Presidents of the Fako and Meme Lawyers association respectively. Niba Fontem got there because of his connections with the University of Buea Teachers Union. Off course Deacon Tassang was the leader of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union. Many things have changed dramatically since 2016. As predicted by the so-called LRC Minister of Justice the lawyers have since gone back to the courts led by no one else than Agbor Mbala."
"To make a bad situation worse there’s no visible evidence that the lawyers are collectively and pro bono defending the victims of savagery that has been unleashed on the population. The so-called election of the President or Batonier has nothing to do with Ambazonia. The individual or individuals concerned know that they are being elected to work for LRC. The name Cameroon Bar speaks for itself.We’re Ambazonians not LRC. I don’t think that it’s something that our Communication Secretary should bother himself with. The Batonier is one of the 15 members that constitute the Bar Council. There are only 3 Ambazonians in the whole Council." I think La République du Cameroun enhances just to provoke situations.
Let's move on the Esu right after the break
