(It’s over 300days since the CMTV Journalist was detained. His family and close friends, who are in keeping of his Press and Voters Cards await the Cameroon government’s official statement. Until his disappearance, Samuel Wazizi was a Pigin News caster in Buea, Cameroon)
The Governor of the Southwest region, Bernard Okalia Bilai claims he has no answers related to the alleged death and disappearance of Buea based TV news presenter, Samuel Abuwe Ajiekha. He’s asked journalists to get answers from Yaounde; where he says the Journalist was sent to since August 2019.
He was speaking on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at an in camera meeting with representatives of Journalists Unions in the region, after journalists staged a walk to the Governor’s office in protest of the provoking long silence from authorities on the death of their colleague in costudy.
As narrated by Davidson Maimo, Vice president of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ), the Governor said Samuel Abuwe, commonly called (Wazizi), was arrested for links with terrorism not his profession.
“Our colleague was not related to any thing linked to journalism or communication, and so he said to the best of his knowledge, his (wazizi) was linked to terrorism, And so he doesnt have that power as the Chief Executive officer here in the Southwest region, to question anything as far as its linked to terroris,” Davidson narrated.
He further said “he (Governor) made it vehemently clear that it is only Yaounde that can answer any of our plea.”
The National President of Commonwealth Journalist Association Chief Nkemayang, also present during the in camera meeting, appealed colleagues “we must not relent in this issue. We must find out if Wazizi is truly dead, or if he’s dead, where is his corpse. I spoke in the Governor’s office in tears…”
Both leaders of the peaceful protest, said the Governor acknowledged that Wazizi left for the South West Region for Yaounde in good health.
Chief Nkemayang also revealed that the Governor refused collecting their memo since he cannot transmit it to or question Yaounde.
Meantime, the 6pm-June4 deadline issued in a joint communique of Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) and the Cameroon Journalists Trade Union (SNJC) for Government to shade light on Wazizi’s death, has expired without any official statement.
Several political leaders, civil society leaders and the international community have weighed in to support the press while condemning the arrest and torture to death of a journalist.
The 1st Vice president of Social Democratic Front (SDF), Joshua Osih has condemned the tragic death as no Journalist should be imprisoned tortured or killed for exercising his duty.
Another political figure, Maurice Kamto, president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party tweeted “Samuel Abuwe (Wazizi) was one of the many Journalist behind bars in Cameroon simply for doing their jobs…. Our country will never progress, never succeed until our basic human rights are respected.”
On his part, human rights lawyer and president of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), Bar. Agbor Nkongho has demanded government to show proof of life of detained Journalist Samuel Wazizi.
