How the Southern Cameroonians – Ambazonians were robbed by France
HISTORY: John Ngu Foncha’s 1995 Interview on the decline of Southern Cameroons’ administrative authority
In a 1995 interview, former West Cameroon PM John Ngu Foncha recounted how administrative authority was gradually stripped from Southern Cameroons.
He explained that, initially, the Gendąrmes were not supposed to be present in Southern Cameroons. They came merely to assist the Southern Cameroons Mobile Wing, but over time they established themselves throughout the territory.
Foncha further stated that the territory effectively became annexed when the Southern Cameroons House of Assembly and the House of Chiefs were dissolved.
He noted that the Cameroon Bank had outgrown all other banks in the French-speaking regions. Businessmen from Douala and Nkongsamba turned to the bank for loans, as it was the only institution granting loans above 5 million FCFA.
Before 1970, in French-speaking Cameroon, obtaining a loan of up to 1 million FCFA required approval from France, and the highest loan amount available was 500,000 francs. Through the Development Agency, efforts were made to provide loans to farmers and businesses.
The Nangah Construction Company competed successfully with firms in French-speaking Cameroon. It built the Prime Minister’s Office for 45 million francs ; a project Foncha claimed would have cost around 150 million francs if handled by a company from the French-speaking regions under Ahidjo. According to him, this demonstrated how Southern Cameroons had managed to curb br!bery and corruption.
Foncha also revealed that President Ahidjo abolished the Santa Coffee Company, which contributed to high coffee export.
The Office of the Prime Minister was left without any real function and was eventually dissolved. He remarked that if one held a position as an assistant in Yaoundé, it was merely to receive a salary and follow the President’s orders or resign.
The United States had granted 10 m!llion dollars to support technical education in Cameroon. Foncha said he proposed that part of the funds be used to transform Ombe college into an advanced technical institute and CCAST Bambili into a technical university. However, President Ahidjo diverted all the funds to projects in French-speaking Cameroon.
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How the Southern Cameroonians – Ambazonians were robbed by France
