Speaking after an audience with Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, National Vice President of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ was categorical.
We want to say that it will not end here and won’t end today. We are bent in making sure that justice for Wazizi must prevail. If they don’t want to tell us what happened here In the Southwest, definitely Yaoundé is going to tell us” Davidson Maimo told the press
The Journalist flanked by about 20 others was speaking Infront of the Governor’s office after they had been told by the head of the region were Samuel Ajiekah, Aka Wazizi was arrested, to go plead their case in Yaoundé, Capital City.
The association, CAMASEJ, and the Cameroon Journalists Trade Union, CJTU had earlier drafted a Memorandum for the Governor after news of the dead of CMTV’s Wazizi broke out on June 2nd. Governor Okalia says he has no mandate in receiving the Memo because he cannot Question his bosses in Yaoundé.
The administrator however acknowledged that when the Journalist was arrested on August 2nd, 2019, his case had to do with “Terrorism”. He admitted that such cases are treated in Yaoundé and Wazizi had been deported to the Military Barracks there in good health.
These Journalists have already embarked on a legal and diplomatic offensive with the support of the Victim’s family, to bring the George Floyld kind of justice to Wazizi. They are promising harder days to the Government of Cameroon if the Corpse of the killed Journalist is not found.
Many have condemned the act including some Political leaders and parties like Kah Wallah, Michelle Ndoki , PAP, USDP and civil Society actors like Agbor Balla. The International Federation of Journalists as well as the International Committee to Protect Journalists are taking developments.
Equinox TV reports that Wazizi died same month he was arrested but the case had been in court till now. Since he was picked up from his studio in Muea, Buea, he had been incommunicado. He was accused of aiding Separatist Fighters for the Ambazonia (English Cameroonian) who had taken his farmland hostage, and therefore, termed a Terrorist.
According to the December 23rd, 2014, Cameroon Anti-Terrorism law, offenses like that of Wazizi deserves a death Penalty, (Chapter2, Section 2, Article 1). However, the truism of this could only be ascertain in court, making no room for extrajudicial killings. It is believed that the anti-Terrorism law was drafted to fight the Islamist Boko Haram in the North of Cameroon spanning from Northern Nigeria. Many have paid the prize of the law which legal minds say is obnoxious. Anglophone Separatist Fighters as well.
Many say Wazizi was a calm colleague. His corpse is not found yet. The Cameroon Government is yet to speak on this. Other Journalists like Paul Chouta, Awah Thomas, Mancho Bibixy in Yaounde and Wawa Jackson in Nkambe are victims of the poor judicial setup in Cameroon.
Late 2019, the CPJ declared Cameroon one of Africa’s highest Jailer of Journalists with about 34 cases then, only compared to Eritrea
