Kamto Strikes Government Over Neglect of Idabato DO

Maurice Kamto, the President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party, has fired a missive at the government neglecting Mr Ewane Roland Ekwe, Divisional Officer (DO) of Idabato who was kidnapped almost two months ago.

The government said he was kidnapped by pirates from neighbouring Nigeria but has not provided any updates on what it is doing to secure his release.

Since the South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, gave the pirates 72 hours to release the DO, the government has maintained silence ever since.

The administrator was whisked off alongside a worker of the Idabato Council. Their kidnappers have conditioned their release on the payment of a ransom of over FCFA 1 billion.

The captors released a disturbing video a few days ago of the civil administrator and the other captive subjected to inhumane treatment.

In what Kamto refers to as breaking the silence, he questioned the seriousness of the regime in the face of the delicate matter involving the disappearance of the representative of the Head of State.

“A representative of the President of the Republic, DO Ewane, was kidnapped from his area of command, while carrying out his duties, and nearly two months later, the President of the Republic remains strangely silent, as if he were in no way concerned by the fate of his representative,” said Kamto Maurice in a statement.

He added that serving in a conflict zone was an act of ‘bravery’ and sacrifice to the state from the DO.

President Paul Biya has been granting audiences to diplomatic envoys, “but did not find a minute to send a word to the family of the kidnapped DO, nor to receive his wife in distress.”

“So who does he govern and is President of whom or for whom, if not for Cameroonians, human beings, including the family members of DO Roland Ewane today plunged into indescribable distress?” the opposition leader questioned.

He said the silence of the regime is a bad signal “to civil servants and other servants of the State who could also find themselves in such a situation”.

Kamto wondered: “In which other country in the world can a representative of the State, and moreover of the President of the Republic, be kidnapped and tortured by his captors without this moving the Head of State?”

After the DO was kidnapped, South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, issued a 72-hour ultimatum asking the local population to produce him face consequences.

Describing the Governor’s outing as nonchalant, Kamto said, “This is a distressing amateurism on the part of people who are supposed to assume high responsibilities.”

The captors in late October this year made demands as conditions for his release – the sum of FCFA 1.9 billion, 10 generators, 200 Yamaha horsepower flying boats and the release of their colleagues detained at the Buea Central Prison.