Why dis Cameroonian behead statue of French war lord for Douala seven times
Cameroonian activist Andre Blaise Essama don dey on mission to comot colonial-era symbols from im kontri.
Im main target don be French World War Two hero Gen Philippe Leclerc for di kontri biggest city, Douala. "I don behead Leclerc head seven times and pull im statue down at least 20 times," Essama tell BBC. "I use my bare hands.... but I dey make incantation to di ancestors first," im tok. Im dey pull down di statue so dat im go fit replace dem wit Cameroonian and oda African heroes but im dey willing to put statue of foreigners wey bin campaign for di "good of humanity". Im really wan erect statue of Diana, di late Princess of Wales. "Diana bin dey against racism and she bin stand for humanity. We love her here for Cameroon," Essama tok. Essama don also target one statue of Gustav Nachtigal wey bin touch down for Cameroon for 1884 to set up German empire. Di seven heads don return Authorities see wetin im dey do as destruction of public property, dem argue say im no need to comot colonial symbols to celebrate African heroes. Oga Essama don enta prison plenti times because im cut off di head of Gen Leclerc statue - im serve up to six months each. Sometimes im don avoid jail sentence through payment of fines from moni wey im supporters for Cameroon and obodo oyibo raise for am. Evritime wey im don destroy Gen Leclerc statue for di main square for Douala, authorities don put am back. Who be Gen Leclerc? For France, dem dey celebrate Gen Leclerc for di role wey im play to rally sojas for di 1940s for France colonies back then to fight di German occupation. Leclerc na ogbonge hero wey bin help free France... so di French dey see am as god," one history professor for UK Oxford University, Robert Gildea tell BBC. But im no popular for Cameroon, one retired Cameroonian academic Prof Valere Epee tok. "Cameroonians no like am because im no send di pipo. "Im no be like French Presido Charles de Gaulle wey bin visit Cameroon two times and wey be like say pipo like." Gen Leclerc bin die for plane crash for Algeria or 1947, three years afta di Paris liberation. Thousands of pipo bin line for streets for di French capital to pay am tribute.