M. Simon ACHIDI ACHU
1960 - 1961
After the October 1961 Referendum, through which British Northern Cameroons chose to join the Federal Republic of Nigeria and British Southern Cameroons decided to join French Cameroon, the country evolved to a Federal State in the same year. Two stars were added on the former French Cameroon Flag to symbolise the Feredation under President Ahmadou AHIDJO.
The Federation was abandoned in 1972. A Constitutional Referendum was held in Cameroon on 20th May 1972. The new Constitution would make the country a Unitary State, as opposed to the previous federal system, as well as giving more powers to President Ahmadou AHIDJO. It was passed by 99.99% of voters with a 98.2% turnout. The Federal Republic of Cameroon was henceforth the United Republic of Cameroon. In that same year, Cameroon adopted its third Constitution. The Constitution outlined the rights guaranteed to Cameroonian citizens, the symbols and official institutions of the country, the structure and functions of Government, the procedure by which the Constitution may be amended, and the process by which the provisions of the Constitution were to be implemented. With this new systems of Government, the Head of State, President Ahidjo decided to reshuffle the Government in July 1972. This was in order to better address the issues of the young United Republic. At the Ministry of Justice, Simon ACHIDI ACHU was appointed in replacement of Felix SABAL LECCO on 3rd July 1972. He was the first to assume this post in the United Republic of Cameroon.
The North West origin Magistrate was born in the year 1934 on 5th November in Bamenda, Mezam Division. He attended Primary School in Santa before moving on to Cameroon Protestant College where he obtained his GCE Ordinary Level. After some years in France at the University of Besançon, he returned home and was admitted in The National School of Magistracy and Administration (ENAM). After graduating from ENAM, he worked as a State Magistrate from October 1965 to October (1965 check facts). From 1966 to 1968, Simon ACHIDI ACHU is translator/interpreter at the Presidency. Then, he was appointed Inspector of State on 24th July 1968 (check facts). In April 1971 he comes the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Service. Later, in 1971 he was appointed as Minister Delegate at the State Federal Inspectorate. Thus, it is with no big surprise that he was made Minister of Justice by Decree NO 72/304 of 3rd July 1972, which appointed members of Government in the United Republic of Cameroon. He occupied the post till 30th June 1975. It is during his time that the Annual Meeting of Heads of Courts of Appeal was held for the first time, and later on became a tradition.
Simon ACHIDI ACHU during his mandate went a long way to bring justice and the law closer to the ordinary citizen. To achieve this goal, the Court of Appel of the East, the Courts of First Instance of Mamfe, Mudemba, Yokadouma, Mora and Tibati were created. This contributed to the decentralisation of the Cameroonian Judiciary system as we know it today.
After 1975, Pa Simon retired from active political life for some few years and returned to his native Santa. He was then replaced at the Ministry of Justice by Joseph Charles DOUMBA. Joseph Charles DOUMBA was born on 2nd February 1936.
