Simon Achidi Achu, first Anglophone Prime Minister to serve under regime of President Paul Biya has died at the age of 87. The elite of Santa subdivision is said to have died Tuesday 4 May 2021 in California, USA following protracted illness.
News of the death of the statesman who helped calmed the political storms brought about by the introduction of the multi-party politics in the country in the early 1990s has been received with shock and consternation with many prominent personalities paying him homage.
“We learned about the passing away of PM Achidi Achu with regrets and sadness. He was a very kind man with a very big heart…part of his tenure in this office was under very difficult circumstances but he sailed through because of his good nature. He was very good to people. He liked the ordinary people and was very good to them. He was always with them. Even when he retired from active service, I visited him a few times in his ranch in Santa and it was with a lot of kindness that he treated me. It is a big loss for Cameroon. He transcended all barriers…he is going to be missed by all Cameroonians,” said PM Dion Ngute Joseph.
Frontline Santa CPDM elite, Fru Jonathan in a homage described the fallen Achidi as one who took all Cameroonians as his child and worked tirelessly for the country’s togetherness.
“He worked tirelessly to put us together as his children and took every Cameroonian as his child…he worked for democracy, peace and unity in your country. We remember his activities in the 1990s and how he calmed down the storm that came about by multi-party politics in the country by using his policy of ‘njangi’ politics,” Fru Jonathan said.
Born 5 November 1934, Achidi Achu goes down as one of those who have made significant contributions in fashioning modern day Cameroon. He was appointed PM 9 April 1992, a position he held till 19 September 1996.
His reign as PM was marked by turmoil of the multi-party politics, post-election uprising but he used his administrative experience and political savvy in helping the President of the Republic to steer the country from the troubled waters.
He served as magistrate from October 1956 to 1966. Though best known for his stint as PM during which he came up with the famous “Politics na Njanji; scratch by back, I scratch your own” slogan, Achidi Achu, was the Minister of Justice of the First Reunification government formed in 1972.
The former student of CPC Bali student served as State Inspectorate in 1968, served as Secretary General in the Ministry of Civil Service in 1971, Minister Delegate for State Inspection and later Minister of Justice in 1972.
He was elected Member of Parliament in 1992 shortly before his appointed as PM by President Biya. The diehard CPDM party bigwig and member of the party’s central committee was appointed Chairman of the National Investment Corporation in 2003 and in 2004 served as member of the national commission for the coordination of President Biya’s campaign during the presidential election.
He was elected Senator in 2013 and later got the post of Vice President at the Senate Bureau. He credited for playing a pivotal role in the creation of the General Certificate of Education, GCE, Board after facing pressure from Anglophones who wanted him to preserve the Anglo-Saxon education system.
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
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