By Ntumfoyn Boh Herbert (Yindo Toh)
Spokesperson, MoRISC
Washington, DC, Monday, 3 April 2017 – The family of American civil rights icon, Martin Luther King, Jr., is throwing its considerable political weight in support of the emergence of a sovereign state of Southern Cameroons.
“Southern Cameroons must regain its freedom and become a free sovereign state,” Mrs. Naomi Ruth Barber King, the sister-in-law of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (spouse of A.D. King) said recently in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mrs. Naomi King’s speech constitutes the strongest statement yet by a foreign dignitary in support of a return to international sovereignty by Southern Cameroons (independent on 1st October 1961). She was speaking just before accepting an award for her humanitarian work at the Tenth Anniversary of Slsi-Oge (The Pride of Africa) Cultural Heritage.
Known affectionately as the “Butterfly Queen”, Mrs. Naomi King who doubles as the Chair of the Board of A D King Foundation, appealed to the Nigerian government, the African Union and the United Nations to provide leadership in support of the restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons.
Her statement advocating peaceful separation from the Republic of Cameroon (independent on 1st January 1960) also called for the deployment of United Nations Peacekeepers to end crimes against humanity and acts bordering on genocide.
“We call on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to cause the African Union to intervene and help end ongoing crimes against humanity, and deploy a peacekeeping force to uphold the world’s commitment to prevent another genocide now under execution against Southern Cameroonians”.
“We call on immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces along with the administration of the Republic of Cameroon from Southern Cameroons, the release of all prisoners of conscience, politically and otherwise motivated by unjust laws,” said Mrs. Naomi King, who is also known as the Mother of the Global Humanitarian Movement.
Mrs. Naomi King made clear that she was speaking up in support of peace, justice and freedom and on behalf of the entire King family.
“The King family will always be on the side of justice, therefore, let justice and freedom reign in Southern Cameroons,” she said as she accepted the award “on behalf of all lovers of peace, freedom and justice”.
ENDS
Text of Full Statement by Ms Naomi Ruth Barber King
To the platform guests, to Chairman Mr. Tope Agbeyo, Botosoft Technologies, to Dr. Babs Onabanjo, President and CEO of the A D King Foundation, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. All protocols observed.
I am Naomi Ruth Barber King, sister in law to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr. Christine King Farris and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. I am indeed very happy and honored with absolute praise to Almighty God. I am honored to be in Lagos to celebrate with you, the 10th Anniversary of SIsiOge Cultural Heritage, My Heritage, My Pride, The pride of Africa 2017, with the theme: Sowing Cultures, Reaping Values.
As chair of the Board of A D King Foundation, we promote strategically, Entrepreneurship as the engine of economic growth and transformation. I am so thrilled that this event and their organizers are focused on branding entrepreneurial enterprises, culture and mindset. The culture of entrepreneurship and the outcome must include corporate social responsibility. We must be our brothers and sisters keepers within a global society. Both foreign and local enterprises must embrace corporate social responsibilities as a culture of making a difference in our society.
The famous poet, Rumi, once wrote: “Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field. I will meet you there. Non-violence is a field where reconciliation and dialogue can take deep roots. It is a field where methods and strategies taught may be passed from one generation to generation, to share moments of unity, broad-mindedness, harmony and happiness. At a time when violent extremism seeks to destroy diversity and freedoms, the power of nonviolent strategies is un-parallel in building tough and sustainable society and the beloved community. Dr. King would say profoundly how our real love and support influences each other. We affect each other we are tied together in a single garment of destiny”. We need each other to grow and to reach our full potential.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that. My brother in law Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, wrote these words in his 1963 message STRENGTH TO LOVE that was the same year my beloved husband Rev A D King and I along with our children survived the firebombing of our home on May 11, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Today my prayer is that we love truth, loving truth, we seek truth, once finding the truth we must seek justice and once finding justice, we enjoy peace. As ML said true peace is not the absence of tension or conflict but the presence of justice.
The civil rights movement unlike any other movement was a spiritual movement, anchored in the biblical principles of God’s unconditional love, obedience and power of our awesome, majestic, almighty, omnipotent and omnipresent God.
Without the spirituality the movement would be like a bird without wings:
The principles of non-violent include the following:
1, Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people
2. The Beloved Community is the Goal
3. Attack forces of evil, not persons doing the evil
4. Accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of cause to achieve the goal, self-chosen suffering is redemptive
5. Avoid internal violence of the spirit as well as external physical violence.
6. The universe is on the side of justice. Truth is universal and the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice.
The king family will always be on the side of justice, therefore, let justice and freedom reign in Southern Cameroons. Let justice reign in South Africa against Xenophobia and let justice and restructuring of a failed corporate entity reign in Nigeria. The systemic problem in Nigeria can only be solved among other elements through restructuring and excellent leadership. Nigeria can do better.
[Video showing Cameroun Govt Presidential Military Guard personnel mistreating a Citizen]
We call on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to cause the African Union to intervene and help end ongoing crimes against humanity, and deploy a peacekeeping force to uphold the world’s commitment to prevent another genocide now under execution against Southern Cameroonians.
We call on immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces along with the administration of the Republic of Cameroon from Southern Cameroons, the release of all prisoners of conscience, politically and otherwise motivated by unjust laws. Southern Cameroons must regain its freedom and become a free sovereign state. I accept this humanitarian award on behalf of all lovers of peace, freedom and justice.
May God bless Nigeria, May God Bless the United States of America.