President Biya Release 289 detainees
This is in a bid to resolve the crises in the North West and South West Regions.
Cynthia EFOPA
On December 13th, 2018, the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh made published a press release where in President Paul Biya instructed the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence to release 289 detainees charged with committing offences related to crisis in the North West and South West Regions. According to the release, military prosecutors charged with the hearings of these cases will discontinue judicial proceedings pending before their courts against the 289 detainees arrested for misdemeanors. Since December 14th, 2018, the concerned 289 persons were set free,110 in Yaounde, 49 in Bamenda, 99 in Buea and 16 in Bafoussam and after been with the Regional Governors of the concerned regions, they were handed over to their families where that now wish to continue the course of a life lived by responsible citizens.
During their reception by Regional Governors, the beneficiaries of the presidential clemency were advised not to get involved anymore in violence but to sensitize their brothers and sisters to stop propagating violence and drop down their guns so that peace could reign. Families were swept with joy as they watched their love once gained freedom. Fonakem Theodore is a released detainee “I am promising to be the best as I start a new page in my life. Upon been told in court that I am amongst those to be released, I was dumbfounded and got so excited because I did not expect it”.
This presidential action comes to beef up the commitment taken by President Paul Biya before the Cameroon people in his inaugural speech during his oath taking ceremony on November 6th, 2018. “I have no doubt whatsoever that the destiny of our compatriots in the North West and South West Regions lies within our Republic. With the support of the Cameroonian people as a whole and convinced that there is an honorable way out in everyone’s interest, I will strive to restore peace and calm in the two regions concerned, with due respect for the institutions of which I am guarantor”. This measure only comes to the panoplies of multifaceted measures the Head of State has taken to resolve the problems in the North West and South West Regions.
