Family members of the departed UPC National President gave a press conference in Yaounde over the weekend.
The children and wife of Winston Ndeh Ntumazah, the late National President of the Union des populations du Cameroun (UPC) party, last April 2 in Yaounde, expressed thanks to the Head of State, Paul Biya for organising a State burial for the fallen nationalist on March 27 in Bamenda. Ndeh Ntumazah’s children, Dr Lum Irene Ntumazah, Mabi Marie Ntumazah and Felix Fru Moumie Ntumazah, accompanied by one of his wives, Fotchou née Ngonjiang Elisabeth also thanked the UPC family for the honour and assistance given the family. Winston Ntumazah, who died last January 21 at King’s College Hospital in London, United Kingdom, was one of the greatest fighters for a united and independent Cameroon through the nationalist party, UPC.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Dr Lum Irene Ntumazah regretted that despite the honour given the family and their departed father, an individual indulged in media bragging, insulting him. This declaration immediately provoked journalists to ask questions on why, Augustin Frederic Kodock, the Secretary General of the UPC was not allowed to speak during their father’s funeral. Dr Lum Irene said the family decided not to allow Kodock speak because since their father fell sick in 2005 and was evacuated to London, the UPC Scribe had never had any contacts with him. She added that even when Ndeh Ntumazah died last January 21, Kodock did not send any message of condolence to the family. She disclosed that in 2008, their father returned to Cameroon but once more fell sick. He was hospitalised at the Yaounde General Hospital for eight days but Kodock neither visited him nor send any message.

Felix Fru Moumie Ntumazah in an interview said, “under normal circumstances, probably, Kodock could have been one of the people to speak”, and explained, “I don’t think it would have been appropriate for us to say Kodock would be among other people who had been in contact with my father, to speak on behalf of my family or a political party”. The family, he said, worked in collaboration with the administration to decided who to speak during their father’s burial.

As to the position and future of Ndeh Ntumazah’s family in the UPC, Felix Fru Moumie said, “Our decision as Ndeh Ntumazah’s children not to allow Kodock talk during our father’s funeral does not mean that now we can go off and form a different political party”. Stating that he was born in 1962 when their father was in political exile in Ghana, he said, UPC was in their blood. “As foot soldiers in the UPC”, he said, they will continue to work for their father’s dream of a united and strong party to become a reality. “Each and every member of the UPC ought to come together because only the members like one could make a difference”, Felix Fru Moumie Ntumazah said