Ngonnso, other artifacts expected in Cameroon in December – Activist.

Njobati Sylvie Vernyuy, 30, a Cameroonian-born activist working for the return of objects looted during the colonial era and stocked in German museums, told The Guardian Post, Friday February 24.

“We are looking to bring back more than Ngonnso because we have more than 100 objects in Germany in different museums. We are in discussions now with Linden museum and we are working in bringing 28 objects. So we felt that there was no need to rush and bring back Ngonnso,” Njobati Vernyuy said.
The activist said plans are also underway to “also bring Ngonnso back with the royal throne, the royal cap and other equipment that were stolen”.

“We have worked already on that and also there are two objects in the University of Mainz and they have accepted to send them back. So we are hoping that by December, it will be a very huge return,” Njobati Vernyuy added.

Njobati Vernyuy who was in Cameroon in response to the Nso Fon’s call to commune and encourage budding artistes from Bui, said artists had contributed in the crusade for the return of Ngonnso.

She said the Fon’s call was an occasion to close the missing gap between the Nso Fon and the young people, who she said, were disconnected with the culture.

Quizzed on her what motivated her engagement to get back artifacts to Cameroon, the young activist had this to say: “It came from a personal point of identity crisis, knowing that l grew up in the North West and was used to the English culture, and then l came to study in Yaounde”

She further explained that while in Yaounde, she “met the French culture which is totally different from the English culture. This caused me to start reflecting beyond cultures. I started asking myself critical questions like who am l when l don’t have the French system of education or the English system of law? Who am l when stripped of all these colonial identities…And l realized that l am nothing without my founder and history and that took me right back to Ngonnso and from there l decided to work hard to ensure that Ngonnso comes back”.

She quipped that her first encounter with the Ngonnso statue in the German museum was so emotional. “The first time l saw Yah Ngonnso, l stepped outside and cried. It was very emotional for me because for many years, we’ve been without her and l could see the frustration on her face but l could also see hope that it was time to be home,” the activist explained.

On the fate of Ngonnso on her return, given that the Nso Fon, custodian of the Nso culture, has relocated to Yaounde due the prolonged crisis rocking the Anglophone regions, Njobati Vernyuy simply declared that her job is centrered around advocacy aimed at pushing people to take decisions.

She was optimistic that the Nso Fon was taking the necessary disposition to ensure that Ngonnso on return, is taken to the right place where she will be safe.

Suffice to recall that the Nso Fon’s call, Tooy Fon, brought together all the artistes from Nso with interested personalities from the diaspora.

For two days, the National Museum in down town Yaounde, was transformed into a cultural fiesta under the distinguished presence of the Director of Cinematography and Audio-Visual Production in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Prof Fai Donatus Tangem, representing the Arts and Culture minister.

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Njobati Sylvie Vernyuy, 30, a Cameroonian-born activist working for the return of objects looted during the colonial era and stocked in German museums, told The Guardian Post, Friday February 24.

“We are looking to bring back more than Ngonnso because we have more than 100 objects in Germany in different museums. We are in discussions now with Linden museum and we are working in bringing 28 objects. So we felt that there was no need to rush and bring back Ngonnso,” Njobati Vernyuy said.
The activist said plans are also underway to “also bring Ngonnso back with the royal throne, the royal cap and other equipment that were stolen”.

“We have worked already on that and also there are two objects in the University of Mainz and they have accepted to send them back. So we are hoping that by December, it will be a very huge return,” Njobati Vernyuy added.

Njobati Vernyuy who was in Cameroon in response to the Nso Fon’s call to commune and encourage budding artistes from Bui, said artists had contributed in the crusade for the return of Ngonnso.

She said the Fon’s call was an occasion to close the missing gap between the Nso Fon and the young people, who she said, were disconnected with the culture.

Quizzed on her what motivated her engagement to get back artifacts to Cameroon, the young activist had this to say: “It came from a personal point of identity crisis, knowing that l grew up in the North West and was used to the English culture, and then l came to study in Yaounde”

She further explained that while in Yaounde, she “met the French culture which is totally different from the English culture. This caused me to start reflecting beyond cultures. I started asking myself critical questions like who am l when l don’t have the French system of education or the English system of law? Who am l when stripped of all these colonial identities…And l realized that l am nothing without my founder and history and that took me right back to Ngonnso and from there l decided to work hard to ensure that Ngonnso comes back”.

She quipped that her first encounter with the Ngonnso statue in the German museum was so emotional. “The first time l saw Yah Ngonnso, l stepped outside and cried. It was very emotional for me because for many years, we’ve been without her and l could see the frustration on her face but l could also see hope that it was time to be home,” the activist explained.

On the fate of Ngonnso on her return, given that the Nso Fon, custodian of the Nso culture, has relocated to Yaounde due the prolonged crisis rocking the Anglophone regions, Njobati Vernyuy simply declared that her job is centrered around advocacy aimed at pushing people to take decisions.

She was optimistic that the Nso Fon was taking the necessary disposition to ensure that Ngonnso on return, is taken to the right place where she will be safe.

Suffice to recall that the Nso Fon’s call, Tooy Fon, brought together all the artistes from Nso with interested personalities from the diaspora.

For two days, the National Museum in down town Yaounde, was transformed into a cultural fiesta under the distinguished presence of the Director of Cinematography and Audio-Visual Production in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Prof Fai Donatus Tangem, representing the Arts and Culture minister.

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Njobati Sylvie Vernyuy, 30, a Cameroonian-born activist working for the return of objects looted during the colonial era and stocked in German museums, told The Guardian Post, Friday February 24.

“We are looking to bring back more than Ngonnso because we have more than 100 objects in Germany in different museums. We are in discussions now with Linden museum and we are working in bringing 28 objects. So we felt that there was no need to rush and bring back Ngonnso,” Njobati Vernyuy said.
The activist said plans are also underway to “also bring Ngonnso back with the royal throne, the royal cap and other equipment that were stolen”.

“We have worked already on that and also there are two objects in the University of Mainz and they have accepted to send them back. So we are hoping that by December, it will be a very huge return,” Njobati Vernyuy added.

Njobati Vernyuy who was in Cameroon in response to the Nso Fon’s call to commune and encourage budding artistes from Bui, said artists had contributed in the crusade for the return of Ngonnso.

She said the Fon’s call was an occasion to close the missing gap between the Nso Fon and the young people, who she said, were disconnected with the culture.

Quizzed on her what motivated her engagement to get back artifacts to Cameroon, the young activist had this to say: “It came from a personal point of identity crisis, knowing that l grew up in the North West and was used to the English culture, and then l came to study in Yaounde”

She further explained that while in Yaounde, she “met the French culture which is totally different from the English culture. This caused me to start reflecting beyond cultures. I started asking myself critical questions like who am l when l don’t have the French system of education or the English system of law? Who am l when stripped of all these colonial identities…And l realized that l am nothing without my founder and history and that took me right back to Ngonnso and from there l decided to work hard to ensure that Ngonnso comes back”.

She quipped that her first encounter with the Ngonnso statue in the German museum was so emotional. “The first time l saw Yah Ngonnso, l stepped outside and cried. It was very emotional for me because for many years, we’ve been without her and l could see the frustration on her face but l could also see hope that it was time to be home,” the activist explained.

On the fate of Ngonnso on her return, given that the Nso Fon, custodian of the Nso culture, has relocated to Yaounde due the prolonged crisis rocking the Anglophone regions, Njobati Vernyuy simply declared that her job is centrered around advocacy aimed at pushing people to take decisions.

She was optimistic that the Nso Fon was taking the necessary disposition to ensure that Ngonnso on return, is taken to the right place where she will be safe.

Suffice to recall that the Nso Fon’s call, Tooy Fon, brought together all the artistes from Nso with interested personalities from the diaspora.

For two days, the National Museum in down town Yaounde, was transformed into a cultural fiesta under the distinguished presence of the Director of Cinematography and Audio-Visual Production in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Prof Fai Donatus Tangem, representing the Arts and Culture minister.

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Njobati Sylvie Vernyuy, 30, a Cameroonian-born activist working for the return of objects looted during the colonial era and stocked in German museums, told The Guardian Post, Friday February 24.

“We are looking to bring back more than Ngonnso because we have more than 100 objects in Germany in different museums. We are in discussions now with Linden museum and we are working in bringing 28 objects. So we felt that there was no need to rush and bring back Ngonnso,” Njobati Vernyuy said.
The activist said plans are also underway to “also bring Ngonnso back with the royal throne, the royal cap and other equipment that were stolen”.

“We have worked already on that and also there are two objects in the University of Mainz and they have accepted to send them back. So we are hoping that by December, it will be a very huge return,” Njobati Vernyuy added.

Njobati Vernyuy who was in Cameroon in response to the Nso Fon’s call to commune and encourage budding artistes from Bui, said artists had contributed in the crusade for the return of Ngonnso.

She said the Fon’s call was an occasion to close the missing gap between the Nso Fon and the young people, who she said, were disconnected with the culture.

Quizzed on her what motivated her engagement to get back artifacts to Cameroon, the young activist had this to say: “It came from a personal point of identity crisis, knowing that l grew up in the North West and was used to the English culture, and then l came to study in Yaounde”

She further explained that while in Yaounde, she “met the French culture which is totally different from the English culture. This caused me to start reflecting beyond cultures. I started asking myself critical questions like who am l when l don’t have the French system of education or the English system of law? Who am l when stripped of all these colonial identities…And l realized that l am nothing without my founder and history and that took me right back to Ngonnso and from there l decided to work hard to ensure that Ngonnso comes back”.

She quipped that her first encounter with the Ngonnso statue in the German museum was so emotional. “The first time l saw Yah Ngonnso, l stepped outside and cried. It was very emotional for me because for many years, we’ve been without her and l could see the frustration on her face but l could also see hope that it was time to be home,” the activist explained.

On the fate of Ngonnso on her return, given that the Nso Fon, custodian of the Nso culture, has relocated to Yaounde due the prolonged crisis rocking the Anglophone regions, Njobati Vernyuy simply declared that her job is centrered around advocacy aimed at pushing people to take decisions.

She was optimistic that the Nso Fon was taking the necessary disposition to ensure that Ngonnso on return, is taken to the right place where she will be safe.

Suffice to recall that the Nso Fon’s call, Tooy Fon, brought together all the artistes from Nso with interested personalities from the diaspora.

For two days, the National Museum in down town Yaounde, was transformed into a cultural fiesta under the distinguished presence of the Director of Cinematography and Audio-Visual Production in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Prof Fai Donatus Tangem, representing the Arts and Culture minister.