Former PM Ephraim Inoni inside Kondengui, looking quite healthy

Kondengui VIP lodge where Biya's enemies, including former PM Inoni are lodged.

Atangana Mebara, former Secretary-General at the Presidency inside Kondengui.

Atangana Mebara seen from the back inside the VIP lodge confines walking into his apartment.

Inside Inoni's waiting room

The other Kondengui prisoners, they were playing football when we walked in. You can almost smell the filthiness of the background from this photo

Kondengui is a dreaded maximum security prison that Cameroonians have lived to abhor since the era of Ahmadou Ahidjo its first President. They detest not just the torturous treatment that inmates there are subjected to, but equally the filth that is the prison’s infrastructure.

Inside Kondengui, the once powerful and the weak share common identity – they’re all prisoners. But President Biya recently made sure – after he began imprisoning members and former members of his own cabinet that there is a special quarter inside built or rehabilitated for them.

“When they started arresting the big people and bringing them here, they fixed that building for them. All the big people here, that is where they are,” a warden, pointing to one of the buildings inside the prison told The Cameroon Journal as we approach it.

The building in question is a small one-story structure painted yellow. From the freshness of the paint, it is evident that the building is a recent rehabilitation as indicated by the warden. It is the cleanest building inside Kondengui prison compound, at least from the outside view. Like the rich do in Cameroon – living inside gated mansions, this prison within the prison has the luxury of a gate, and a barbwire fence. The rest of the folks inside Kondengui dare not leisurely stroll into it except on instructions or appointment.

But the people that live in there have the right to stroll in and out of this gate at will. But that is how far they can go. They dare not step out of the confines of the prison yard itself.

Atangana Mebara, former Secretary-General at the Presidency inside Kondengui.

“Do you see that man?” Asked a guard, pointing to one of the prisoners walking past us as we went through security scrutiny to enter the jail. “No, who is he,” we asked. “He used to be Secretary General. His name is Atangana Mebara,” pointing at him in his long sleeve Zebra-like black and white t-shirt. Mebara is wearing a blue jeans and a two string slippers with his hands tugged into the jeans.

After going through security, we enter the prison yard. Immediately inside after one goes through security is a playground. Then next to it is another court, this one is roofed with walls made of mixed steel and wood.

Then there is that second gate that leads to the VIP lodge. As we walk through to access the gate, we’re confronted by

Atangana Mebara seen from the back inside the VIP lodge confines walking into his apartment.

some of the inmates – some soaking in tears under scourging heat and some attempting to kneel before me. Addressing me “Pa,” they beg for ‘food money.’ But I had been warned to expect it – that if I dared gave to one, I will be swarmed by all. So I focused on getting through to the VIP gate – the rehabilated building where the once powerful former PM, Ephraim Inoni and Co, are housed.

Here, there isn’t much inside Inoni’s ‘apartment.’ There are two little tables and a cupboard. One of the tables is only big enough to sit a 14 inches television. The cupboard sits two pressing irons with a few accessories and there are a couple of plastic and metallic chairs for his guests. Then as you will observe in the video, there is another little round table – the former PM uses it when he receives guests. This table is such a contrast from the huge tables he sat behind to receive guests when he was PM. And he acknowledges quite frankly that that is what prison reduces someone to.

I call the PM’s an apartment because, this room, kind of only serves as a reception and recreation area. The PM doesn’t sleep here. On the walls are a few chieftaincy paraphernalia – PM Inoni is a Fako Chief.

14″ tv inside PM Inoni’s waiting room

Upstairs is his bedroom – never went up there! But I was told he has a big flat screen TV and a computer in the room. He has access to internet too; he told me. He reads the Cameroon Journal regularly, he said. He also has a phone and access to newspapers. There are inmates attending to him – doing housekeeping, laundry among others. Most of them are in their twenties, some in their teens. But they are glad they have the privilege to be serving the former Prime Minister. They are praying, and hoping should he (PM) get out first, may help facilitate their own release. After-all, that’s the way Cameroon works– ‘man know man,’ they say.

Sitting in this parlor – waiting area, Inoni is ushered in

Inside Inoni’s waiting room

from his upstairs bedroom to meet with me. He is in a tailored African traditional jacket, on top of a blue jeans, and like Mebara, wearing a two string bathing slippers. Physically he looks very subdued, humbled but very healthy.

He first comes across as being hesitant to open up to me. He gives very short answers to my questions, often looking at the opposite direction when he speaks. That is understandable – he doesn’t yet know who I am. But my introduction appears to make a difference. Slowly he opens up, however, speaking almost inaudibly.

I offer my apology for his predicament and ask whether he sees any chances of getting out soon. He sighs, pauses for a moment before responding; “The whole thing is an embarrassment.”

We note that Inoni was tried and sentenced for 20 years for his role in the purchase of a Presidential jet that almost killed President Biya and members of his family enroute to Paris. As far as this is concern, Inoni doesn’t think for a bit that he’s guilty as charged.

He said he’s convinced his being in prison has nothing to do with that plane incident and other corruption charges. He insists that his being in prison is politically motivated. He is bitter and frustrated that the appeal he took when he was found guilty is seemingly denied him – it has never been called up or heard by the Supreme Court. “I think their problem is how do we explain in the first place why we brought him in…I think there was a political motive for the arrest,” he suggested.

When asked the wisdom behind the hypothesis that his imprisonment is politically motivated – was he nursing any political ambition prior to his arrest? He responded; “You never know what your enemy will talk about you.”
He admitted that he is allowed regular family visits and refuted rumors about his health that he is sick and almost dying.

“I have heard people saying all sorts of things like right now I’m in Limbe – people believe that I’m sick, that I had a stroke and that the gov’t decided to take me back to Limbe, so that I should die there quietly – but that’s not serious! That’s ok. Some few years ago there was a rumor that I was dead.” He said.

The other Kondengui prisoners, they were playing football when we walked in. You can almost smell the filthiness of the background from this photo

Asked if he would do things differently following accusations from Anglophones that he never cared about them when he was PM if he had another opportunity to serve. He gave a philosophical answer equivalent to a yes before adding: “They are free to have their own opinion about me.”

Then he exclaimed; Prison “is a school actually. It’s a learning process here,” referring to the things he has learned while serving time. We asked him if he will accept any amnesty extended by President Biya given the President’s own words to former American Ambassador Janet Garvey that he was going to release him. Still insisting on his innocence, he fired-up; “You grant amnesty to someone who is convinced he’s committed a crime. But somebody who is on appeal is not guilty. You grant him amnesty on what basis?” Inoni questioned. “If the judge gives it, that is fine,” he said.

Hamadou Marafa Yaya, Former Minister of Territorial Administration and Inoni were detained almost at the same time. Right after their incarceration, while Marafa decided to take to the media to clear his name in the face of allegations levied against him, PM Inoni remained mute. We asked him why he didn’t come out swinging too like Marafa to clear his name. He responded he didn’t need to do so, that he has allowed everything in the hands of God.
“When you are in this situation only God can help you. I have left everything in God’s hands.” Pointing to his ears, he says, “God who has planted these ears, does He not hear? God who has planted these eyes, does He not see? He hears, He sees and He knows.” Inoni lamented.

“With this assurance,” he continued, “Will He require that I climb up the hill with drums and beat them to be heard by people? I have never done it and I will not do it. If you take your battles and fight them by yourself, He removes His hands and have you do it and He becomes a spectator. Do you want God to be a spectator?” Inoni asks rhetorically.

“The first thing that opened my eyes… I thank God for the breath of life He gives me. I look up to Him, I raise my hands to Him and I raise my voice to Him because I know He hears, He sees and He acts. And He will make sure my enemies are subdued.”

He added; “I don’t need to tell the world about my plight. If I tell you the number of journalists who have come here and I just tell them to go, you won’t believe it. Local and international media… I don’t want any press concerning me, my press is God. What Marafa does, let’s see whether it pays up for him,” he said.

We asked him whether SWELA members and SW chiefs do visit him. He said there are SW chiefs who have visited him in jail, adding that every time he was taken to court during trial there was always a delegation of some SW Chiefs present in court. But he picked issues with some SW elites though he won’t name any names. He was responding to a question about alleged abandonment by Southwest elites. Hear him:

“Let me tell you a story. If I have a fever and they go to a soothsayer and the seer tells my relatives or whosoever, that there is a wizard behind my illness, that wizard cannot come from outside. There is a saying in my tradition that only those who share blood relationship can bewitch you. So my wizard can be the people from my place. That’s the way I look at it.”

When the interview was over, as Inoni walked this reporter to the gate to see me off, I asked him whether ‘all these other inmates know him and who he used to be,’ he said “yes they do.” Isn’t it humbling? I asked. He responded “it is.” As I shake his hands for a good bye, behold Iya Mohammed, sitting in a little hurt built for relaxation. I approach him and had a word with him, asking how he’s doing. We had a short conversation together, he was looking very healthy too, but won’t want to do any interview.

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