Judith Yah Sunday Achidi on Sunday June 13, 2021 revealed that the Head of State had saved the statesman’s life some fifteen years back.
“I want to sincerely thank the Head of State, Paul Biya, for his unmatched gesture of 15 years ago that saved the life of our husband, and father, ” she said while responding to the galore of encomiums from traditional rulers. Cameroonian traditional rulers had come to pay their tributes to the late former Prime Minister, Simon Achidi Achu, who died on May 4, 2021 in the U.S.The event took place at his Yaounde residence on June 13, 2021 ahead of his final funeral on July 3, 2021. All the speakers at the ‘tribute evening’ had deep words for the late statesman.
Fon Teche Njei of Ngyen-Muwa, former President of the the North West Fons’ Union Nowefu said traditional rulers had lost their number one “Nchinda”- messenger. Fon Teche Njei called on the ‘aborigines’ of the North West Region to give Simon Achidi Achu a memorable burial in July. The late former Senator hails from Santa subdivision. He also advised the family of the late renowned farmer [Simon Achidi Achu] to fall behind one of the wives Mafor Judith Yah Sunday, also General Manager of Camtel. He said, “We are behind you”. On his part the initiative-bearer, Fon Chafah Isaac XI of Bangolan and Senator said his late friend was a humble and generous man. He shared an advice the former PM gave him: “Whenever you have the opportunity to do good, do good, don’t wait for the future to do good”. Senator Fon Chafah believes that Achidi Achu’s wife will carry on the legacy of the husband. “The legacy of Pa Achidi can’t be buried as long as you live. Pa was the father to the fatherless, you have to take up that function now as the father to the fatherless,” he told Mafor Judith Yah Sunday.
The spokesperson of the North West Queen mothers, Mafor Kisob shared the life lesson she learned from Achidi Achu. “You must understand the problems of the people to be able to solve the problems of the people”, she told mourners. To the representatives of the North West fons, South West chiefs, chiefs from the South and Centre regions, Achidi Achu valued human life and relationships, and fought hard to put a smile on people’s faces irrespective of leanings.
Responding to the diverse speakers, the wife Judith Yah Sunday Achidi thanked the crowd present, especially traditional rulers who had come with a royal gift for the bereaved family. She said: “We have realized that Pa did not belong to us alone, he belonged to everyone. I thank the family for accepting to share him with everybody.” Traditional dances graced the funeral event.
Jude VIBAN
