UB lecturer dies in car accident

Professor Micheal Yanou, a legal practitioner and lecturer at the Universities of Buea and Yaounde, died on Tuesday, January 27, in a car accident along the Edea-Yaounde road.

Barrister Anthony Tchana Yanou, Prof Yanou’s cousin, told The Post that he (Tchana), received a call on Tuesday afternoon, informing him of his cousin’s involvement in an accident in Edea.

“I received a call from a colleague who was also driving to Yaounde and saw that Yanou‘s car was involved in an accident. I immediately rang Prof. Yanou’s phone and was told, by one of the police officers at the scene that he has been involved in an accident. I immediately left home with the hope of meeting him, perhaps at the hospital receiving treatment. I thought that he may be in need of blood or some other things. But as I was descending Mutengene hill, I got another call from the police who told me Prof Yanou had given up the ghost,” Tchana narrated.

Tchana said Prof Yanou was involved in another accident, earlier on Friday, January 23, in Edea, when he was coming to Buea. The car was damaged, but he came out safe. He managed to get it to Douala where he left it for repairs and continued his journey to Buea by public transport.

Yanou’s driver, Joseph Ediaga, who sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Buea Regional Hospital, stated that he has been Yanou’s driver for years. He said he could not really explain the cause of the accident. He said, “I succeeded in giving way to a truck that appeared abruptly in front of me as I swerved back to my lane, it was like a dream, when I realised that the car was somersaulting in the bush.”

It is alleged that Yanou died a few minutes after he was removed from the car.

Reacting to Yanou’s death, Dr. Shu Fontem, his colleague at the University of Buea and comrade in the Higher Education Teachers Trade Union, SYNES, asserted, “It is a great loss to the academic community and to the University Teachers Union and even to the judiciary where he played several roles.”

According to Tchana, many people are going to miss Yanou’s great academic and inspirational ideas, especially the students to whom he was a mentor, lecturer and a supervisor. “He was one of the finest brains in Cameroon and as Lawyers; we will miss his experienced thoughts,” Tchana lamented.

One of Prof. Yanou’s students at UB observed he was one of the most committed lecturers and, even though, he was now based in Yaounde, he always came to give lectures. “He was in class on Saturday and Monday, where he taught effectively,” the student said. Before his death, Prof. Yanou was a Legal Practitioner, Lecturer and Director at the Ministry of Higher Education.

Barrister Prof Yanou’s remains has been sent to Buea Regional Hospital mortuary, pending burial arrangements.

Yanou left behind his wife and three sons.