By Ali Dan Ismael, Editor‑in‑Chief
When the annals of Southern Cameroons are finally penned, it will not be the Oxford diplomas or Fellows with badges that endure—it will be the courage of conscience.
For more than six decades, Ambazonia’s brightest minds—armed with world-class education—have too frequently stumbled at the crossroads of principle. Diplomas aren’t the problem; moral weakness is.
The Credentialed Who Compromised
Eric Chinje (Syracuse) – now the regime’s milquetoast “moderator,” retrofitting CPDM narratives into civic discourse.
Dr Simon Munzu (Oxford) – former UN envoy turned advocate of a sterile, compromise-federalism that keeps tyranny alive.
Peter Mafany Musonge (Stanford) – civil engineer turned CPDM grandee, once hailed for technocratic brilliance, now remembered for steering the Prime Minister’s office as a loyal servant of centralised oppression and cronyism. His record includes presiding over widespread embezzlement in CDC, and enabling the marginalisation of Anglophone professionals in key state enterprises.
Prof. H. Sama Nwana, Prof. Dorothy Njeuma, Prof. Paul Nchoji Nkwi, Dr Nick Ngwanyam, Victor Mengot, Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, Prof. Diane Acha‑Morfaw – each boasting enviable credentials, yet all aligned with a regime that rigged ballots, moved ballot boxes by night in Libielem, and institutionalised one-party dominance.
Acha‑Morfaw, once vice-president of ELECAM, oversaw the removal of over 600,000 names from voter rolls—and now sits as a CPDM surrogate in election operations, transporting ballot boxes under the cover of darkness in Libielem itself.
These individuals had the training to lead—but the courage to resist never came.
The Guardians of Integrity
In stark contrast stand Ambazonia’s moral titans—those whose convictions outran their fear:
Albert Mukong – endured torture, imprisonment, and exile rather than surrender.
Prof. Bernard Fonlon – resigned from power, forged moral governance, and championed authentic bilingualism.
Dr Emmanuel Mbella Lifafa Endeley, Dr John Ngu Foncha, Dr Ngwang Gumne, Henry Fossung, Paddy Mbawa—each a bulwark of principle, refusing to bow even at great personal cost.
Desmond Tutu nailed it: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
These were never neutral.
What Must Change
End the title cult. We must prize valor over vanity. A courageous teacher in exile for adoption of our cause trumps any silenced academic.
Expose betrayal. Every time an elite shields a war criminal with credentials, the record must go public.
Teach character. Exile schools must make Mukong, Fonlon, Gumne, and Mbawa required reading.
Honor bravery. A diaspora-funded Order of Moral Courage—honoring those who pay the greatest price—must emerge now.
Final Word
This struggle isn’t being lost for lack of PhDs—it’s being lost for lack of backbone. Paul Biya’s most effective weapons are not guns—they are titles, job offers, and late-night ballot boxes moved under cover.
Nelson Mandela warned:
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made…”
Ambazonia needs patriots—not professors; heroes—not heralds; integrity—not Instagram-ready résumés.
History doesn’t remember diplomas.
It remembers decisions.
And Finally: Make Ethics Foundational
To ensure the next generation does not repeat the failures of the past, ethics must become foundational—not optional—in our collective renaissance.
In school curricula, moral leadership, civic courage, and historical case studies must be taught alongside science and arithmetic.
In government departments, anti-corruption ethics training must be institutionalized and publicly monitored.
In the private sector, codes of conduct must go beyond compliance and reflect a genuine commitment to national rebirth.
A republic without character is only a colony with flags.
Let our freedom be built—not on credentials—but on conscience.
Ali Dan Ismael
Editor-in‑Chief, The Independentist
For Truth. For Justice. For the Free Ambazonia Yet to Be.
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