Samuel Wazizi: Cameroon Journalists Trade Union, SNJC reply Army spokesman

The responds from the SNJC points out that the army spokesman Cyrille Serge Atomfack Nguemo inadvertently tried to disguise the position of the organisation during his interview with Equinoxe Tv.

The syndicate reveals that Col. Atonfack was accusing them of trying to prevent the justice system from undergoing its activities pressure free. In a text published on the internet, the SNJC disputed numerous claims that were made by the military spokesman concerning the arrest and detention of Samuel Wazizi and recently arrested Douala based Anglophone journalist, Njoka Kingsley Fomonyuy.

SNJC states that “the outing of the Head of the Communication Division of the Ministry of Defence shows that the SNJC is on the right path and is waging a legitimate fight. He tried to disguise the position of the SNJC which is that of seeking the truth about the case of the detained journalists and in no way preventing the justice system from playing its role,” said Charles Nforgang, SNJC’s communication secretary.

SNJC had also disputed the Ministry of Defence’s version of the circumstances that led to the arrest and detention of Samuel Wazizi with the essential thesis that the journalist died at the Yaounde Central Hospital of a severe sepsis.
It also strongly rejected the allegations that Wazizi was in contact with his lawyer and several other people both physically and on phone.

They equally frowned at what they say is a false claim made by the army spokesperson when he alleged that the family of the deceased journalist was contacted soon after the demise of the Buea-based Journalist.
“The members of the SJNC would never have hesitated to carry out a more dignified funeral for him. This will be the case when the time comes,” replied Nforgang.

Regarding the arrest of Njoka Kingsley from his residence on Douala, the SNJC denounced the arbitrary arrest and the unbearable conditions that the journalist has been kept under despite the denial of any ill treatment by the army spokesperson.

“Once again, the report drawn by the NGO, Mandela Centre published everywhere describes in detail the conditions of Kingsley’s arrest, the tortures suffered by him and his family. He was held incommunicado and only received minor considerations after multiple reports. To say that adorned in exotic costumes in the cauldron of Kondengui is absolutely untrue,” maintains the syndicate.

Mimi Mefo Info