By Staff Writer
Thirty years after his passing, Honourable Sam Moma Mofor (1924–1996) remains one of the most compelling symbols of unity in Cameroon’s modern history. Fondly known as “The Santa Lion,” he was a statesman whose courage, humility, and vision helped shape the soul of a nation at a defining moment.
Born into the royal family of the Baforchu Fondom in Santa, then part of British Southern Cameroons, Sam Mofor was marked early for leadership. Educated at the Basel Mission School in Mbengwi, and later trained in medical nursing in Kumba, he combined intellect with service. Where healthcare was scarce, he healed; where division threatened, he united. Music, especially his guitar, became another tool of connection, drawing people together across social lines.
A devoted family man, farmer, and community provider, he embodied leadership at the grassroots long before assuming national responsibility. He established informal health services, practiced innovative farming, and opened his home as a place of counsel and unity. He was not only a patriarch to his large family, but a mentor to many beyond it.
Hon. Mofor rose to prominence during the turbulent years preceding independence and reunification. At great personal risk, he traveled extensively often on foot across regions and into former East Cameroon, meeting chiefs, elders, and opinion leaders to canvas for unification. His message was firm and consistent: Cameroon’s strength lay in unity.
His fearless advocacy played a decisive role in mobilizing support for the 1961 Plebiscite, which led to the reunification of Southern Cameroons with the Republic of Cameroon. It was during this period that his resolve and commanding presence earned him the enduring title “The Santa Lion.”
For him, unity was not a slogan but a way of life. He demonstrated this even within his family, naming his children after leaders from different regions to symbolize national cohesion; proof that unity must begin at home.
In Parliament, he was known as a defender of the voiceless, a champion of rural communities, and a bridge between tradition and modern governance. Despite high office, he remained humble, accessible, and deeply connected to ordinary people.
In his final years, illness took its toll, but never his spirit. Even after losing both legs to diabetes, he remained cheerful, wise, and anchored in faith until his peaceful passing in 1996.
Three decades on, Hon. Sam Moma Mofor’s legacy endures a reminder that principled leadership, courage, and selfless service can outlive time. The Santa Lion may rest, but his roar for unity still echoes in the conscience of the nation he helped builds.
