Agbor Balla says his suspension is connected with an exam question on Anglophone crisis and his condemnation of human rights abuses by government

With online classes set to take off ahead of physical resumption of universities in the country on June 1st, teachers are expecting to commence course work soon.

Human rights lawyer, Nkongho Felix Agbor who doubles as a law teacher in the University of Buea will however not be joining his colleagues anytime soon.

The activist has been suspended by the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, a move the lawyer says is politically motivated.

“I know that is connected with my examination question above and my condemnation of Human rights violations by government” he explained.

“The anglophone crisis since 2016 was caused by the lawyers’ and teachers’ strike assess the validity of this statement” the examination question reads. Barrister Nkongho Felix had used the question for a course in the first semester examination for the ongoing 2019/2020 academic year.

“I have not been officially informed by the University of Buea. I will only react when served by UB” he explains.

The lawyer who heads the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA however, is not new to such challenges. He and other civil society leaders were arrested in January 2017 due to their views expressed through the now-outlawed Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC and only released when the president asked that charges against them be dropped. They spent a total of 8 months behind bars.

The minister’s move is seen by many as an attempt to not only stifle freedom of expression, but also to instill fear into other human rights activists in state institutions.

Mimi Mefo Info