The arrival of the late Ni John Fru Ndi, the head of the opposition SDF party,’s remains in Bamenda has revived memories of the politician’s former glory.
In the late afternoon of Friday, July 28, 2023, his body touched Bamenda, the regional capital of the North West from Yaoundé.
During a rally held at the commercial avenue grandstand in Bamenda, an SDF militant expressed to MMI the significance of honoring the chairman and the exceptional nature of this occasion, as it provides an opportunity to commemorate the enduring legacy of this iconic political figure.
“I take today as a memorable day to celebrate an icon, to celebrate the legacy left by the lion king. I will call him a lion king because his braveness is compared to none. He was a man who stood by his principles of federalism and democracy. I can remember the 90s when the AlSDF was launched, was then a small boy in the secondary,” said Koti Joseph, an SDF militant.
Koti vividly recalls his initial meeting with the esteemed late chairman Ni John Fru Ndi, who was then a prominent student leader.
“I can remember my first encounter with the chairman in 1996 as an Anglophone students union leader at the University of Dschang. I can remember him touring the whole country three times during presidential and municipal elections,” he remembered.
In reflecting upon the demise of his political model, he expressed a sense of regret while at the same time acknowledging the opportunity to commemorate the principles and values championed by the deceased statesman.
“His death is a big loss for the SDF party but I will say it’s a celebration because he laid the foundation of positivism and that is what we are looking forth to today,” he went on adding, “That is why with all strength and zeal we are here to lay him to final rest.I know his spirit still lives around. That is why we had the showers of blessings when his corpse entered the town,”
In a heartfelt declaration, he expressed, “I must emphasize that the legacy and accomplishments of Fru Ndi have left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness.” The location where he came to a halt is a relay point. In politics, where your father stopped is where you started. With his own efforts, he has laid the foundation upon which we will build and rebuild. Some people believe SDF is dead no, it is another moment, another turnaround, and better days are ahead,”
Kate Bih contributed to this article
