By Tata Mbunwe
The Bishop of Obala, Mgr Léopold Sosthène Bayemi, Sunday, May 5, led a mass to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the passing of Cameroon’s first Prime Minister, André-Marie Mbida.
The solemn ceremony held in the parish of Saint Anne, located in Obala, Lekié Division.
Organized by members of Mbida’s family, the Eucharistic celebration marked the culmination of a series of activities aimed at honoring the legacy and political contributions of this revered statesman.
André Marie Mbida served as the first Prime Minister of Cameroon from May 12, 1957, to February 16, 1958.
His tenure was symbolic as he became the second native African Prime Minister in the continent and the first de facto Head of State of Cameroon.
Mbida’s leadership was marked by his unwavering opposition to French white supremacy and his insistence on a gradual path to independence.
He argued that French Cameroon needed more time to prepare for self-rule and criticized the French administration for failing to prepare the country for self-rule.
However, his stance was met with opposition from the French authorities, who masterminded his premature removal from power.
He was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmadou Ahidjo, who later became the first President of an Independent Cameroon in 1960.
Following his ousting from office, Mbida faced several rounds of house arrest under the Ahidjo regime for his refusal to conform to the one-party system. He eventually passed away in France in 1980.
Born in 1917 in Nyong and Sanaga, Mbida’s journey to prominence began after attending the primary school of Éfok in the Lekié department.
He furthered his education at the minor seminary of Akono and later pursued a career as a Mathematics Professor.
Mbida’s success extended beyond academia, as he established himself as a prosperous business agent in Yaoundé and Ebolowa, accumulating wealth that would later fund his political endeavors.
