Interviewed by Walter Wilson Nana
The recently elected President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Francis Sama Asanga is deep at work. In an official function to the University of Buea, UB, lately, the Barrister-at-Law, in this exclusive interview, also had time to discuss his 3-month sojourn at the Presidency of the Bar, his plans and how he is managing his political views and his job as the Batonnier.
Excerpts:
What brought you to Buea?
Barrister Francis Sama Asanga, President, Cameroon Bar Association
I was invited by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, UB, to witness the signing of the partnership between UB, GLOBECO, the University Housing Corporation, UHC and CARPA as a Public Private Partnership Agreement. This is the first of its kind in Cameroon. As the President of the Cameroon Bar Association, I am a Board Member of CARPA, the supervisory body of the construction of students’ hostels for UB. That’s recognition by the state on the role of the Bar. I took part in the drafting and not the conception of the document. I was invited to witness the fruition of a work that the Bar was associated as a partner. I’m also out to seek a partnership with UB for the setting up of a Law School. I had a brief discussion with the VC of UB on that. We will be developing it.
Can Cameroonians, UB Officials go to bed that the UB and UHC partnership is legal?
I state with certainty and confidence that this is a first of its kind. It is within the legal cadre, it is statutory, protected by the law. UB, the people of Cameroon and all the partners can go to sleep. It’s an enforceable and welcomed project.
How is the Cameroon Bar Association faring since you took over?
The Cameroon Bar Association has always been there. However, in recent years, there was lethargy and a stalemate because of a misunderstanding between statutory organs of the Bar. This was put to rest in the memorable General Assembly of Cameroon Bar Association that took place in Bamenda, August 11 – 14 2012, where I and other eminent Cameroonian Barristers at Law were elected into the Cameroon Bar Council. I will not get into that tendency in Cameroon, whereby when a new person gets into an office, he/she condemns the predecessor and think that they have a magic wand to make things work. I will maintain, preserve and adopt the positive actions that were carried by my predecessors and improve on them. There are some projects that I met and in the name of the Bar, I will pursue them. There are some new projects I have in my brief case too. We’ve a new Bar Office in Yaoundé. The former one was an eyesore. It will be inaugurated in the weeks ahead. While we clamour for an independent Bar Association in Cameroon, we remain under the tutelage of the Ministry of Justice & Keeper of the Seals. That is normal, with a restricted control. We’re part of the State of Cameroon and we expect the Minister of Justice & Keeper of the Seals to inaugurate this building in the weeks ahead. We’re also organising a grand Bar Week that will run from November 28 – December 1 2012. Our activities will cut across the nation with our Regional offices involved with variety of programmes to carry on. My Regional Representatives have been advised to come up with independent ideas to make the week attractive. An enlarged press conference has been slated for Yaoundé come November 28 2012. The Cameroon Bar Association Week will end with a grand gala, statutorily provided for, offered by the Bar President in honour of the Minister of Justice & Keeper of the Seals, the Judiciary authorities of the nation, the diplomatic community in Cameroon, partners of the Bar, the business community, the press, other government structures and ministries. These have been planned for Mont Fébé Hotel. Our intention is to restore the image of the Cameroonian Lawyer and the computerisation of the Cameroon Bar Association. We’re working with serious partners in that regard. The Press chided us for a very archaic electoral system during our elections. There will be a dress code; like the classical lawyer. We’ve to re-establish a positive image between the lawyer and his client. We shall also organise a statutory organ that will manage elections in the Bar. I will also be the Bar President that will not stay quite when there are pressing national issues to talk about.
What are some of the immediate issues you are handling since August 14 2012?
We’re looking at the welfare of the lawyers before stepping into their image. Like in any other profession, we have some charlatans who are tainting the image of the Bar, doing disservice to the community. We’ve to clean that and let people know that they have to pay for their services to lawyers. The population should note that if they want good services from Lawyers, Attorneys, they should pay well for them. We want to ensure that Lawyers are responsible, pay their statutory dues to the state, to the association, live up to the ethics of the profession, respect one another, the laws of the state and be a man and woman of decorum. We also have some disciplinary matters to handle, Advocates with unpaid bills. I am using my office to get some of these unpaid bills settled out of court to the Lawyers. My representatives are keeping me posted that we continue to record greater collaboration within colleagues in the Regions. We’ve also had complains of Lawyers that have been brutalised, especially in Douala and Yaoundé. In collaboration with my representatives, we’re giving serious attention to that. I have booked a meeting with the Secretary of State in charge of the Gendarmerie, following a recent incident that occurred in Yaoundé. Let me also thank other members of the public and state officials who have been receptive to our calls and the message of encouragement received. God being my helper, I promise the public that I will not fail them in the exercise of my duties, with the assistance of the Bar Council; we’ll make the Cameroon Bar Association what it’s supposed to be.
How will you react to some observers of the Bar who say that there are lots of public contracts ongoing in Cameroon but Lawyers are not part of the drafting?
I will accept with you. Since we took up office, we’ve been making courtesy calls here and there and opening some doors. The Bar President is a statutory member of CARPA and the Agency of the promotion of Investment in Cameroon. We’ve received letters from them and they are asking us to come on board and work with them. There is need for some reawakening and we’re doing that. A lot of people and institutions have realised that the Bar is supposed to be their partner. We’re making efforts to ensure that the Bar and individual Advocates be part of some of these contracts and matters of the state that need the protection of the law.
There is also the worry that there are Legal Departments in some structures of the state but most of the people managing them don’t have a background in law?
I will be surprise to know that’s what exists. In as much as we can’t have Advocates employed in these departments, the basic requirement for people working in legal departments of the state is that they should have a background in law. To the best of my knowledge, most of them have a learning of the law but they need to build their capacity. We look forward to work closely with some of these legal departments so that they have proper legal protection, especially in the recruitment of qualified persons and seeking the expertise of members registered with the Bar.
Some members of the Bar say that there are international opportunities in the association that your predecessor did not open them to members. Are you ready to do that now?
I am still to find out if there are such international opportunities. I am not in any position to say that there were such opportunities and my predecessor did not make them available to lawyers. But I will assure you that if I do find out and such opportunities exists, I will do my all to bring them closer to the Lawyers. The world is a global village. There are opportunities but it comes to those who look for them. Let Lawyers, Advocates and Attorneys also make efforts to look out for these opportunities. Unfortunately, our laws don’t give room for touting, publicity & advertisement. So, I ask my colleagues to exhibit a lot of proficiency, honour and hard work so that when these opportunities come up, they will be the first to be contacted and their services solicited.
Tell us more about yourself…
I’m Francis Sama Asanga, an Advocate resident in Bamenda. I was called to the Bar as a Pupil Advocate in 1982. I was attached to the eminent Batonnier Emeritus, Luke Sendze. I had the best training that any Lawyer could seek for anywhere in the world. I did my secondary education at Sacred Heart College Mankon, Bamenda, high school at CCAST Bambili, university education in the University of Yaoundé and subsequently trained in Media Law at the University of Oxford, UK. I have been at the Bar for 30 years and treated a cross section of cases in most of the courts in Cameroon. I am confident of myself as a Bi-Jural Lawyer, fluent in English & French. I have been a member of the Bar Council for sixteen years, former national training officer, representative of the Bar in the Northwest Region, participated in many national and international seminars and now a professional trainer in OHADA Laws, with the EU based legal assistance programme to the justice named PARGE. I am married to Gladys and we’re blessed with five children. I am not a rich man but a happy man. I love sharing in social work. I’m a Rotarian, a Presbyterian Christian with the Ntamulung Congregation in Bamenda. I love a good life after hard work. That’s my advice to young people. Politically, I am an ardent militant of the Social Democratic Front, SDF.
Where is the line between your political views – the SDF and the Cameroon Bar Association?
I remain a staunched supporter of the SDF. I am a founding militant of that party. I went to jail for three months in BMM Bamenda and was part of the famous 177 militants that were arrested in 1992 and taken to Kodengui Prison in Yaoundé. I have no regrets about that. It was an enriching experience. I will not stop supporting the SDF National Chair, John Fru Ndi. I’m his Legal Adviser. He’s not only my political mentor, he brought me up, he’s my elder brother. That’s not the bases of my SDF support any way. I will consult him when I have some difficult cases to handle and these have come with successful advice from him. I call him ‘DADDY’. In 1990, I made my choice. Some other persons made their choice. A lot of my friends are in the CPDM and elsewhere. I will be in the SDF today and tomorrow. There will be no change in my political attachment. Because Cameroon is democratic and being a fighter for democratisation in Cameroon, I think there is always a need for a second voice. We can work with our political differences for the good of the people. I belief that the militant is in the heart of the person. We’re all Cameroonians and can stay with different political views in same house. I know a lot of examples. There is no way my attachment in the SDF will negatively affect my stay and presidency in the Bar. Rather, it has been a motivating force. I will make good use of my militancy in the opposition for the good of the Cameroon Bar and people. I have never pretended that I’m in the SDF. I was elected in Bamenda into the Presidency of the Bar by my colleagues who know my political views. The Bar is apolitical so my political leanings have nothing to do with my activities in the Bar. I don’t know how many times in a day I think about my political leanings but 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 30 days a month, I think about being a Lawyer. I have my best clients from the CPDM and state institutions. I don’t care which party you belong to, when you come into my law office; I ask you how much money you have in your pocket. I don’t ask your party card. Cameroonians are free to make their political choices. I made mine; I don’t question others why they made theirs that way or not. The Bar is made up of Lawyers from the SDF, CPDM, CDU, NUDP and more. I will tell you that most of the Lawyers with CPDM leanings voted for me thanks to the ongoing democratisation process in Cameroon. The rule of law is respected by those who know it. I will shout at any person; SDF or CPDM who violates the laws of the land. I’m so empowered by the rules governing the practice at the Bar in Cameroon. In my position as the President of the Bar, I will make no difference. I will remain an astute defender of the rule of law. I am the President of the Bar for all Lawyers and I will respect the rule of the laws of our country, irrespective of the political leanings or tribal stance. I don’t promote tribalism. I am a Cameroonian like you.
Thank you & good luck in your endeavours…
Thank you too. I wish you lots of success. I am ready to share my opinion any time.
