For something like four months Hon. Joe Wirba, Parliamentarian, MP, from the Jakiri constituency in the Northwest Region was reportedly in hiding, following a tip off of an imminent arrest. This followed his passionate call for justice for marginalized English speaking Cameroonians which he made in parliament on December 2, last year.
This morning, and when it was least expected, the MP not only abruptly appeared in parliament; he seized the rostrum and addressed the house in the exact forceful manner he last did before going under months back. A visibly confused House Speaker, Cavaye Yegue Djibril, sought to stop Wirba from putting across his message to no avail. Overtaken by the MP’s sheer resolve and eloquence, Cavaye resorted to insinuating and insisting outright that Wirba had abandoned parliament for months and opted rather for the marquis.
Undaunted and determined to make his point for justice for Anglophones Wirba screamed on:
“Where else should we say these things? If we belong to the National Assembly then Mr. Speaker, you must hear me out. Mr. Speaker, you will hear me out. With all due respect Mr. Speaker, I have been chased through the bushes for the past three months. I cannot come here and you are discussing…
“Our children are out of school, our lawyers in jail and all that is happening in West Cameroon means nothing to you. Where is your standing order to suspend for us to discuss issues that have to do with the people of West Cameroon? You tell me because you don’t seem have an agenda for us…
“Mr. Speaker, I am now telling you that the person who ordered for my arrest… tell him I am here; he can come and take me out of this National Assembly and the people of West Cameroon will know that they don’t belong here…
“The representatives of the people have the power to say it as it is at any time. I mean, we come here and you shut us down… what should we do? I should have waited for them to bring my head to you. That’s what you would have wanted. I simply say NO!
Mr. Speaker, can you now on this floor, give us where this National Assembly can discuss the issues that have to do with the people of West Cameroon? Because it is more important than anything you have discussed in this Assembly from independence. Can you tell us? Because if we cannot to talk about these things here, where are we supposed to talk about them for God’s sake? “You keep humiliating us like this, every time, it is the same thing. Get to the church leaders, we are humiliated, get to the lawyers, we are humiliated. We come here to represent our people and you tell me that I cannot talk about my people then, you will need to shut my mouth with death.
Can I have the time when we will talk about the problems of our people? If you have no space here for that it means that the country completely excludes us from its programme and I do not want that to be. You are supposed to make sure that we come here and represent the people, talk about their problems so that you understand the problems.
“I am happy that I am coming here when the Minister of Territorial Administration is here and I am wondering because Mr. Minister I said here on the 2rd of December that the reign of terror over in West Cameroon is bringing down the country and nobody seems to listen and then I come here and we are told that we cannot talk on behalf of those people? It is the right of the MP to represent his people, Mr. Speaker.
“I am not bringing any disorder. If you let us talk on our problems, nobody will be wasting this time because I have a full file here to discuss about the problems of my people, so can you give me space to talk about it? If I don’t have it, then you are saying and with the order on my head that I should be arrested for representing my people. You are saying that the last remnants of anything we call democracy has died in this country. If an MP cannot talk, who else? And if an MP for the country is not safe, who else is safe in this country…?”
Observers who saw Wirba pop up at the Assembly, likened the MP to a modern day Sumanguru, the war lord, who, following his perceived defeat after being shot with an arrow with a white rooster crest – the only weapon to which he was vulnerable disappeared. But when his enemies least expected it, Sumanguru reappeared.
But whereas Sumanguru reappeared with mystical powers, Wirba returned with oratorical powers, practically setting parliament in confusion with House Speaker, even more confused and just babbling inanities, unable to contain the persistence and eloquence of the SDF MP.
Nester Asonganyi
Rambler Newspaper
13 comments
Warrior Blood, Warrior Spirit, Warrior people.
We don’t do that evil of oppressing other, In Southern Cameroon we always do things the cheapest and least costly way, TALK and RESIST.
The puzzle is slowly taking its shape, more to come.
Joseph Wirba is great. My deepest respect to him. Biya’s regime look now like foolish idiots. In able to arrest him. He came right now to the centre of evil to defend our struggle.
#ProudToBeAmbazonian
I have no doubt the evil la republic are now planning to kill him. Mark my words.
If Biya kills him we immediately start an unstoppable uprising. Hon. Wirba knows that. He is already an icon. Does nobody see how week the regime of East Cameroon is right now? They have no plan only foolish tactics. We’re winning.
He is a representative of his people in a true sense of it. He brings the concern of his people to the parliament. Where is bloated Mbah Ndam and others. Who will they pretend to represent when current mandate is over?
Hon Wirba asked pointed questions in an attempt to exume their burried conscience. All I can ask is for God to bless him and protect him from the wicked lrc gov’t
More like him and I rather all our MPs from Fako to Donga Mantung Counties pack their bags, quit an return home across the Mungo.
NI JOHN FRU NDI. hide your face !! WIRBA is around .
Hon Wirba is truly what we call a son of the land. A man who is not afraid to die because he finds the suffering of Southern Cameroonians to be totally unacceptable. How can he be the only one to be so empathetic while the other Southern Cameroonian MPs see no problem frolicking with the demons of LRC?
And that retarded imbecile called cavaye has the audacity to call Hon Wirba a terrorist. Like the say, do not think that if you put a gold ring on the nose of a pig, it will stop digging mug. I am sure that the likes of cavaye cannot understand why people like Hon Wirba are so proud to tbe point of refusing to be second to anyone.
Good one there from Wirbaforce.
Cavayé is merely depicting what the LRC government has in heart concerning us. They aren’t there for any substantial good with respect to us. We encourage the other MPs from our various counties to conspicouosly cue-up with the spirit of the struggle.
we need to vort our word be for saying becouse cameroon belong to people and we need to respect government and sent our children to school i love cameroon is astart of law to all people i choji isaiah gwain say
What do you expect from Cavaye, a former headmaster cum disciplinarian. He sees himself as the “headmaster” of that body. Only a paliament with a majority of retarded dinausours like lrc paliament can have a jerk of his caliber as a speak. Southern Cameroon has dumped them. Period
It is one thing for hon.wirba to gather the courage to go back to LRC and talk on behalf of us all..it is another thing for him to bring solutions as reguarded the strike action..we can all call him all superhero names because he went and talked and we all are excited..but if the threats and burnings and disorders continue then it means hon.wirba would have just added hes part to motivate more destruction..let him bring solutions..thats whats needed..but still i applaud his courage not many are those who can do that