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At NW Governor's Office as Governor
receives released detainees with handshakes
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It was an emotional Friday September
1, 2017 morning at the North West governor’s office as families and friends
showed up to receive one of theirs arrested for one reason or another during
the on-going Anglophone crisis. These relations either parents, children
brothers and sisters could be seen wearing a smile in the hope that they will
soon see the love ones who have spent several weeks and months in various
detention centres in the nation’s capital Yaounde. “I have come here to receive
by husband. Though I have been visiting him in Yaoundé, the feeling today is
different since I will be home with him again after seven months” a cheerful
wife of one of the detainees tells this reporter.
Shortly after this conversation,
North West Governor arrives and works straight to the families exchanging a
firm handshake and a smile with everyone especially children. Here the smiles
increased as if they felt the warmth of a concerned father
It will not be long before a long
white bus will show up before the heavily guarded gates of the Governor’s
office. It took a while for the bus to properly park to “offload” its precious
content. Security is tight and no one can move but as soon as Tim Finnian
publisher of the Life Time Newspaper and first released detainee to step out of
the bus will be spotted from a distance, no security could stop the running or
the shouts of joy from the family as they rushed towards Tim. It will be a
similar reaction to other released detainees as the appeared solemnly from the
transporter. “They look very healthy and strong. I am very happy.” One onlooker
remarked. . The very affectionate hugs that will last a few minutes gave way
for a handshake with the regional Governor.
In a general
address, The Governor urged the recently released to be forgiving. Reacting to
the 38 of the 54 released detainees within the confines of his office premises
as if he had listened to each one of the detainees, Adolph Lele L’Afrique pleaded
that this was not the time to personalised issues or the problems but to
forgive. While appreciating the Head of
State for sending them back to their families, the regional administrative head
encouraged the now free people to take good care of their health. “Continue to
work for nation building.” The Governor said adding that measures have been
taken by the state to ensure their security.
Tim Finnian, Bam Japheth and
Achigeh Standley will react to the guardian post stating that no condition was
given to them during their release. They will however express concerns over the
various reasons for which they were arrested and the way they were treated
while in detention. The fact that they were never heard while in detention for
as long as eight was also vexing. Bam Japheth leaving with mobility disability
told this reporter that his conditions were not different in any way from
others and challenging as well thus raising the need for the government to take
into consideration detainees with disabilities. He cried out on the walkways in
prison just like access to toilets.
Strong spirit and happy as they
looked, they all raised concerns about the fact that some of their brothers
have not been released thus expressing the wish for that to happen within the
shortest podible time so things can return to normal with all of them around.
Tags
Politics