HISTORICITY AND LEGALITY OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT
UNDAUNTED - ABC AMBA NEWS EDITORIAL
HISTORICITY AND LEGALITY OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT
(THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF AMBAZONIA LED BY DR. SAMUEL IKOME SAKO: A CONTINUATION OF Dr. E.M.L ENDELEY’S GOVERNMENT)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The ASSC II was historic, Ambazonians were revived and evidently ready to refire but the question of the historicity and legality of the Interim Government is worthwhile; the newsroom on this special report examines the interim government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia: A continuation of Dr. EML Endeley's government. Gab Ellison has a close observation.
FULL STORY:
As those not familiar with our history may erroneously believe, the current Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, led by Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako was rather Restored, and not ‘created’ on October 1st, 2017 by the then Chairman of the Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia Governing Council, Sisiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe. The Southern Cameroons or Former UN Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons under British Administration became a Self-Governing territory as early as 1953, when our founding father, Dr. Emmanuel Lifaka Mbella Endeley, in a courageous and historic move declared benevolent neutrality in the Eastern Regional House of Assembly in Enugu, and in a unanimous decision, moved our representatives to Buea, to create the first ever government for the territory. After recognition of this unanimous decision by our leaders, Dr. E.M. Endeley went on to serve as the first Prime Minister and head of Government of the Southern Cameroons from 1954 – 1959, when he was defeated by Dr. John Ngu Foncha in a free and fair election. It’s very important to trace these origins, so as to prove that the government that was declared by Sisiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe on October 1st, 2017, and presently led by Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako was actually a Restoration and a continuation of Dr. E.M Endeley’s government.
The Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia therefore was one of the first self-governing territories in Africa, with a proud and rich political history dating back to the early fifties, despite the fact that the government of the State of West Cameroon (Southern Cameroons) was illegally suppressed by the colonial and annexationist regime of French Cameroon in 1972. As mentioned earlier, through a free and fair elections, and probably the first in Africa, Dr. John Ngu Foncha succeeded Endeley, and was Prime Minister and head of government of the Southern Cameroons from 1959 – 1965, when he was replaced by Bobe Augustine Ngom Jua, who served as Prime Minister from 13 May 1965 to 11 January 1968. He was succeeded in this capacity by Hon. Solomon Tandeng Muna, who served as Prime Minister and head of Government from 1968 - 1972 when the government was finally dissolved by President Amadou Ahidjo of French Cameroon through an illegal referendum, in violation of Article 47 of the Federal Constitution that guaranteed the sanctity of the state of the Southern Cameroons. The Restoration of our government on October 2017, was therefore a logical step, following a series of political events going back to the All-Anglophone Conference (AAC-1) held in Buea in 1993.
It must be noted that the illegal dissolution and suppression of the government of the Southern Cameroons in 1972, at the inspiration on France, after the discovery of oil and gas in the Ndian and Bakassi areas of our nation, did not signal the end of Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia nationalism, or the abandonment of our inalienable right to Self-Determination and Self-Government. This is what sparked the creation of our first government in Buea in 1954, and led to the granting of Independence to the territory on October 1st, 1961 following the passing of Resolution 1608, article (XV) of April 21st, 1961, by the United Nations General Assembly. Prior to independence, a Liberal Constitution, The Southern Cameroons Order-in-Council had been adopted in 1960 by the people’s representatives in Buea, solidifying our political status as a nation-state in the making. All the structures of government, like a functional Executive Branch, Legislature, Judiciary, Police force, were all in place, making us a functional state already. It’s based on this history and experience that our people came out in their millions across the national territory on September 22 and October 1st, 2017 to reassert and declare the Restoration of the government of the Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia, as a direct continuation of Dr. E.M.L Endely’s administration, and presently headed by Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako, following the abduction and imprisonment of Sisiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe in 2018.
It must also be noted that a series of political events preceded this historic declaration, going back to as early as 1985 with the creation of the Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM), and the agitation of the Republic of Ambazonia (RoA), led by Fon Gorgi Dinka. It is said that a people who had once known Self-Rule can’t be permanently subjugated and recolonized, because they will always remember a time when they were a Free people. So the glorious quest to restore our nation and our governing structures has been long standing, being a natural right for every Freedom loving people. That’s why as far back as 1993, Southern Cameroons – Ambazonian nationalists gathered in a historical conference in our nation’s capital, Buea from April 2-3, in what was dubbed the All Anglophone Conference 1 (AAC-1). The main thrust of this grand conference was to revive our quest for Self-Determination for our people and the ultimate restoration of our statehood. Amongst the resolutions adopted, was the creation of the Anglophone Council. The AAC-1 also resolved, and stated to the government of Cameroons the cardinal demand for the restoration of the Federated State of the Southern Cameroons as the minimum condition for maintaining the Federated Union with French Cameroon, albeit which the Anglophone Council shall, ‘thereupon, proclaim the revival of the Independence and Sovereignty of the Anglophone territory of the Southern Cameroons and take all measures necessary to secure, defend and preserve the Independence, Sovereignty and Integrity of the said Territory”.
The march towards the restoration of our country and it’s governing structures was quickened at the All Anglophone Conference II (AAC-II) held in Bamenda in May 1994, where it was also resolved that, following the Proclamation of the Revival of the Independence and Sovereignty of Southern Cameroons, the Anglophone Council shall, without having to convene another session of the All Anglophone Conference, transform itself into the Southern Cameroons Constituent Assembly for the purpose of drafting, debating and adopting a Constitution for the Independent and Sovereign State of Southern Cameroons. This was what subsequently led to the creation of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), one of the founding member organizations of the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF), in Nigeria in mid 2017 that led to Southern Cameroons Governing Council headed by Sisiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe.
Following massive demonstrations by the peoples of the Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia on September 22nd and October 1st, 2017, the said Governing Council led by Sisiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe will go on to declare the Restoration of the Independence of the Southern Cameroons – Ambazonia on October 1st, 2017. Following his abduction, along with members of his government on January 5th, 2018, the Ambazonian people went on to elect Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako as the Acting President of the Interim government of Ambazonia, and subsequently as the President of the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. It must therefore be understood that the current Interim Government is but a continuation of the first government created by Dr. E.M.L Endeley in 1954 after the Southern Cameroons obtained Self-Government that same year, and Restored again on October 1sr, 2017. As we push on our struggle to liberate our homeland, we call for a spirit or collaboration and Nationalism from all Ambazonian patriots now, as was demonstrated at the just ended Ambazona Strategic Stakeholders Conference II (ASSC-II) in Washington DC, in the United States of America.
Long Live Ambazonia!
Short Live the Struggle!
