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Cameroon: Sarah Liengu Etonge to be Given A House
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Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)
29 February 2008
Posted to the web 29 February 2008
Nkeze Mbonwoh
The dust of the 2008 Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is still to settle especially with the smashed statue of the female mountaineer.
The South West Provincial Delegate of Culture, Mr Lita Roger, has reacted to public concern about the destruction of the new statue of seven-time winner of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, Sarah Liengu Etonge. Speaking to Cameroon Tribune recently, the Delegate explained that the artist, Desherbes (artist's name), who built the statue was not given the chance to present his work.
Mr Lita Roger said all works of art must be explained to consumers first before they form their own opinion about it. The Delegate regretted that Desherbes lost his father at the time when the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Edjoa, went to unveil the statue. The Delegate himself was not available at the unveiling ceremony (afternoon of 17 February 2008) because, as he said, "As Chairman of the Animation Committee, l was very busy supervising the animation on the field. That's why l missed the unveiling ceremony in the afternoon at the Buea Police Junction Round About."
On whether the artist was competent enough for the job, the Delegate replied that as a cultural authority in the Province, he had known Desherbes when he came to his office and presented himself as an artist-sculptor. He also said he knew him at the Alliance Franco-Camerounaise (Buea) where Desherbes did some work. He said he recommended Desherbes to Mr Ange Sama (National Athletics Federation President), and the rest of the negotiations was between the two.
The Delegate refuted allegations that he paid CFA 300,000 francs advance to Desherbes pending CFA 150,000 after the job. Contacted by cellphone on Tuesday 26 February 2008 at midday, Desherbes said he was in Douala. He declined answering any CT questions; adding that he had to treat only wth Mr Ange Sama who gave him the contract. Desherbes refused to answer to our insistence to know the cost of the statue and what he intends to do next now that it has been destroyed.
Prior to the Delegate's reaction, the Buea public continued to nurse dissatisfaction against Sarah's new statue. An earlier statue built for what some sources put at CFA 100,000 francs was tolerated for three years until the Athletics Federation heeded to calls for an improvement so that it really befits the honoured Sarah Liengu Etonge. The new statue turned out to be what many describe as "a farce". The Vice President of the South West Athletics League Mr Paul Morfor described to CT that the statue "was endomoth" (or rather too fat) to potray Sarah Liengu Etonge. In addition, many say the statue "looks like a man and void of any female morphology".The new statue was destroyed just about 30 minutes after it was unveiled by Minister Augustin Edjoa.
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However, the Provincial Athletics League for the South West is planning a bigger catch for Sarah Liengu Etonge. Mr Paul Morfor told CT they are planning to build a house for Sarah Liengu Etonge to "liberate her from the family compound". Mr Morfor said they had asked the female mountaineer to show them a plot outside their family compound so that a new structure could be built for Sarah who has made the Bakweris, the South West and Cameroon proud. Let's wait and see.
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