On Wednesday December 9th 2020, police in Cameroon’s city of Douala arrested social critic and activist, André Blaise ESSAMA, barely few months after he left prison.
This was after the colonial relic hunter erected the statue of renowned comedian, Jean Michel KANKAN at Rue Foch, in Douala, the commercial capital of Cameroon.
Jean Michel KANKAN is one of Cameroon’s celebrated satirist and comedian died on February 13th, 1997.
Andre Blaise ESSAMA, 44, believes local heroes are not given deserved honour and value in Cameroon.
In December 2016, Essama erected a statue of John Ngu Foncha – a figure in the unification of the British and French Cameroons, but it was pulled down by local authorities.
His aim is to replace them with Cameroonian and other African heroes, especially those who campaigned for “the good of humanity” and “justice”.
“We sing in our anthem, ‘Oh Cameroon land of our ancestors.’ How is it that our ancestors are not represented in public spaces?” revealed Andre Blaise ESSAMA in an interview.
In 1991, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya signed a declaration to rehabilitate the memory of the country’s heroes who had been denigrated because of their role during the fight for independence.
“Not much has been done since the law was signed,” Mr Essama said.
(C) Mimi Mefo Info
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