Bonu’s death has created a big vacuum - Bar President

The President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Francis Sama Asanga has, in an exclusive interview with The Post, described Barrister Innocent Bonu’s death as a big blow to the Bar and the Cameroon Judiciary.

He regretted that since he became Bar President, he has buried 18 lawyers, two of them including Bonu, dying while processing the Bar exams in the Secretariat of the Bar. “He was not just an ordinary colleague; he was my back bone, my representative in the Southwest and he was a friend, brother and my main support at the Bar Council. We entered the Bar Council at around the same time.”

According to the Bar President, on April 10, he worked together with Bonu and a host of others who, since February, got permanent residence to ensure that Bar Council exams are marked and published on time. It was the next day that he called Bonu’s phone at 9.00am, 10.00am and 2.00pm, but he would not pick it.

“I thought he had just stepped out of town to Buea, until at 4. 00pm that his driver called that Bonu collapsed at home and has been rushed to hospital where he spent 7 days, in a comma. “We mobilised all lawyers and the entire Judiciary family, every hour, the medication doctors prescribed were bought in FCFA millions and, if it were money to save his life, he couldn’t have died.

When medical doctors assured us two days to the ‘Holy Thursday’ that he has improved, we had hopes, only to be greeted by the shock of our lives. Since his departure, my blood pressure has risen too high and my doctors have told me to have enough rest. I am only granting this interview to The Post on the strength of the relationship I and Bonu have had with your paper.”

Barrister Sama, said Bonu, while alive, successfully managed one of the biggest law firms known as Liberty Law Firm with more than 15 lawyers. Though from Bambui in Tubah, Mezam Division in the Northwest, Sama said he was known as a ‘Limbe boy’, but would not fail to attend to the sick or assist at any burial of a friend, colleague or relative.

“I am very convinced that the loss of his first son, who was a young lawyer last year, must have brought a lot of depression but Bonu managed himself too well and was so courageous and worked tirelessly,” Sama said adding that, Bonu was in the Northwest some three weeks before he died, for the burial of one of theirs, Barrister Tantoh Azu in Bamenda.

As the Representative of the Bar Council President in the Southwest, Sama said Bonu was about fine-tuning preparations for the Bar Council General Assembly at the end of May to be hosted by Buea.

“I and Bonu, together with French lawyers, were to leave for France, Britain and USA, after the rich experience he recently brought from his trip to Nigeria on law; we were going to run a complete Law School. Recently, I held fruitful discussions with the Ministry of Justice on the creation of the Law School in Cameroon, plans of working with Buea University on same issue, notwithstanding.”

Sama said it was through Bonu’s encouragement that the Bar Council bought a parcel of land next to Yaounde Omnisport Stadium on a surface area of 2,000 square metres where they intend to construct a giant Bar Council Hotel of 100 rooms and a conference hall. “I pray God to keep Bonu under his bosom and for the Bar to push on stronger from where he left. There is no doubt that we shall give him a befitting burial.”