Cameroon: Outspoken musician jailed

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

One of Cameroon's outspoke musician, Lambo Sanjo Pierre Roger, a.k.a Lapiro de Mbanga, will from Wednesday ,September 24^th 2008 spend three of his remaining years on earth in jail and pay a fine of over FCFA 200 million in compensation for damage.The sentence was passed in Nkongsamba last 28th September,2008

Lapiro, who is also a traditional ruler and SDF scribe was arrested and detained since April this year for inciting youths to revolt during unrests last February.
The jailing of Lapiro is a reminder to all Cameroonians that freedom of speech has its limits in the country and anybody who think he/she can write, speak or sing what he likes must be ready to pay a price. Lapiro, who is also known as “Ndinga-Man, has been an ardent critic of the regime and particularly against the recent amendment of the country's constitution that will allow President Paul Biya who has been in power since 1982 to seek re-election in 2011. The president is showing no sign of leaving before his death. Unfortunately, Lapiro will only be released after the 2011 presidential elections.

Soon after his arrest, Lapiro was briefly held at the Mbanga prison before being transferred to Nkongsamba at the behest of the state prosecutor. But was later transfered to Mbanga at his request. His trial, begun last 8 July at the Nkongsamba High Court where he started defending charges that he instructed droves of protesters last February to raze banana plantations and some companies in the Mbanga area.

His lawyers, led by the SDF’s Augustin Mbami, rated as sharply contradictory evidence emerging against their client at the last court hearing. Meanwhile, during a lengthy 15-hour- cross examination during one of the sessions, a total nine witnesses including the mayor and DO for Mbanga, heaved particularly incriminating evidence against the Ndinga-Man.

Pierre Monama, a staffer with the Societé des Plantations de Mbanga [SPM], which was razed during the February protests, said the company managers rang Lapiro, imploring him to pacify raging rioters who had besieged the company premises. The mayor of Mbanga, Jacques Mbonjo said from his office window, he spotted Lapiro emphatically dishing out instructions to rioters on structures to tear down. According to him, the musician had more than a hundred riot-ready youth at his beck and call between 25 and 28 February.

Mbanga DO, Simon Nkwenti, on his part said Lapiro claimed to be the only one capable of calming the riotous youth, and so he gave him the authority to do so. But he said the musician never reported back to him, and he was scandalised that the man he considered an opinion leader attempted to extort money from the SPM managers for the purpose. He said Lapiro engaged a bargain, demanding an upfront payment of between 500.000 and 2 million FCFA to placate the rioters.

It should be noted here that Mbanga, one of the sub-divisions in Littoral, was one of several Cameroonian towns that saw riots in February against the high cost of living and the constitutional reform which Lapiro, is author of a song.

Authorities had accused Lapiro, an influential member of the opposition Social Democratic Front, of being one of the orchestrators of the riots.

Like his wife, Lapiro's supporters have said the 51-year-old singer is victimised for his songs, which often criticise the government. Lapiro's wife has repeatedly denied that her husband had taken part in the riots. She once told AFP that he (Lapiro)had actually "calmed people down so that they wouldn't set fire to the city hall," in Mbanga.

Thus, the judgment is really a sad news for the fans of Lapiro and his family. However, without leaving out the possibilities of going on appeal, others believe he will probably use the 3 years in prison to develop enough inspiration to slap back the present regime with his usual "burning" satiric lyrics.

Like the Messiah did suffer for the sake of humankind, others say we have to "carry our cross and those of others". And for artists like Lapiro singing about the plight of the man in the street, there is reason for him to carry his cross...as he scales the walls of a dilapidating prison.

“The prisoners will certainy welcome Dinga Man in"triumphant entry"as he entertain his prison fans. Besides, a hero of Lapriro's caliber is much hailed in trouble moments and such moments give him the stamina and reason to live. To live not in despair but in hope that the storm will soon be over”.

Whatever the case, the said ruling has been criticized by many for being politically motivated