By Elah Geoffrey Mbongale
The Bar Council General Assembly president, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle has ramped up his crusade to ensure the liberation of Anglophone detainees arrested in the ambit of the current socio-political crisis that has engulfed the two English speaking regions of the country for some months now.
The legal luminary cum peace crusader is calling on the president of the republic, Paul Biya to use his magnanimity as the guarantor of peace, national unity and national integration to grant amnesty to the detainees and call off the investigation of others so that those who have fled the country and others who are in hiding can return for genuine dialogue on the Anglophone problem to be held.
“Peace is the most precious thing in every nation, that is why I am pleading and praying, as a peace crusader, that the head of state should extend his magnanimity as he has already shown by announcing those salutary measures to the lawyers and teachers and the restoration of internet in the North West and South West regions”, Barrister Nico Halle told The SUN through a telephone interview.
He furthered that the unconditional release of the Anglophone detainees and an end to the crackdown of others who have either left the country or are in hiding will automatically ease the current tension and give room for genuine dialogue that will enhance national unity.
“I am on bended knees, praying and begging the president to use his prerogatives as the chief executive to grant general amnesty to all those who were involved in this crisis. If this happens then those who have gone on exile will return and those who have gone underground will surface and then, we will be able to genuinely, inclusively and honestly discuss the Anglophone problem and other problems that are plaguing the nation for a better Cameroon.”
Nico Halle insisted on the need for dialogue as the only means to peace. He blamed the current situation on accumulated frustration by the Anglophones whose grievances are legitimate. He stressed that anybody who doubts the legitimacy of the Anglophone problem is a hypocrite and should be doubted.
“The Anglophone problem is constitutional, institutional and national and should be solved as such; that is why I am making this peaceful plea to the powers that be so that we can return to our culture of peace not only in the South West and North West regions, but also to the North where our soldiers have been doing a wonderful job to eradicate the terrorist sect Boko Haram.”
“I am calling on all Cameroonians to go on their knees and pray that God should grant us wisdom, a sense of patriotism and love for one other and a return to peace in this our nation that is blessed with very huge natural and human resources; the average Cameroonian is very intelligent, God fearing and law abiding. So I pray that we consolidate the peace that we have enjoyed over the years by telling the truth and having a genuine dialogue.”
Nico Halle however stressed that for peace to exist in any nation or community, there must be justice and equity and so, prayed Cameroonians to be patient for these values to be used for the betterment of the nation. He also added that all these can only be achieved through peace which he stressed is a weapon for the strong.
As to government’s efforts so far to solve the Anglophone crisis, Nico Halle during another outing with a Douala-based Newspaper, Nouvelle Expression, saluted measures announced and put forward by the government as a sign of good faith and solutions to certain demands. He however said that these measures are insufficient to bring about calm and appeasement. Like Oliver Twist and as a peace crusader for over 25 years, Nico Halle postulates that a general amnesty for all the detained Anglophones will bring down the tension; “schools will reopen, shops will reopen and ghost towns will end.” He said.
“We cannot negotiate with people who are in prison, in exile or in hiding, which is why I have not slept since January and will not do so until they are released. I have made several trips to Yaounde and to the affected regions to talk with stakeholders to find a peaceful path out of this problem and thank God the government has started making some efforts; notably the restoration of internet in the North West and South West.” The Bar Council General Assembly president added.