Nfon VE Mukete, The Patriarch Dies At 103
The 103 years old Paramount ruler of the Bafaws was one of the few Anglophone Patriarchs who, despite his age could still muster the courage to carry out traditional and political duties, walking on paths where many escaped from. A Colossal icon, historical library, and traditional giant he was.
Many only started talking about him in 2016 after the outbreak of the Anglophone armed conflict because they thought that such a historical figure could easily dance in favour of either camp but that was not the man in him. Far from being a traditional figure, the eldest member of the Senate and a member of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party, CPDM, he will be remembered as the only man after the late Cardinal Tumi, who stood up and told President Paul Biya his mind on the ongoing crisis, enumerating points for a 10 state federation.
The late Senator Nfon VE Mukete was interviewed by Jeune Afrique, a French news magazine on issue number 2980 of February 18, 2018, where they misinterpreted his stands on the form of the State. According to the interview, the Paramount Ruler of the Bafaws, clearly said only a return to federalism will solve the Anglophone crisis but the French media outlet took out this aspect as saying he is calling for a separate state; thereby standing against the President and Chairman of the ruling CPDM party, Paul Biya.
The interview of the former Board Chairman of CAMTEL was unprecedented in the ongoing political impasse. No one, apart from him and the late Cardinal Tumi, has ever had the guts to tell President Paul Biya to this face what he or she thinks should be the way for peace. This is because Senator Nfon VE Mukete was bold enough though CPDM member, to tell Paul Biya, the bitter truth about Cameroons reunification and proposed workable solutions which to him will be a return to federalism. French-language media outlets in Cameroon were quick to make political gains out of this interview granted to Jeune Afrique, sabotaging the Paramount ruler.
All throughout this Anglophone crisis, major French daily newspapers have been hitting hard on Anglophones calling them all sorts of names and sending out propaganda in favor of prominent figures.
During his interview with Jeune Afrique, the eldest member of Senate said the Anglophone crisis would have been history if the root causes were handled at the beginning. He added that the Commission of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism came a bit late when things seemed to have gone out of proportion
He expressed his readiness to talk to President Paul Biya on the way out of this crisis, as someone who was present during the reunification process, “I owe him my part of the truth and must tell him before the end of my current mandate as Senator.” He told Jeune Afrique.
