Politics
I write this article against the backdrop of popular demand to clarify public opinion on the two concepts of Decentralization and Federation and how decentralization will not be the solution to the Anglophone problem in Cameroon.
I base my submission on what I see as the most comprehensive definition of the Anglophone problem articulated by the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda. The Key issues highlighted by their definition are:
- The failure of successive governments of Cameroon, since 1961, to respect and implement the articles of the Constitution that uphold and safeguard what British Southern Cameroons brought along to the Union in 1961 (Legacy),
- The flagrant and constant disregard for the Constitution,
- The cavalier management of the 1972 Referendum which took out the foundational element (Federalism) of the 1961 Constitution.
- The 1984 Law amending the Constitution, which gave the country the original East Cameroon name (The Republic of Cameroon) and thereby erased the identity of the West Cameroonians from the original union,
- The deliberate and systematic erosion of the West Cameroon cultural identity which the 1961 Constitution sought to preserve and protect by providing for a bi-cultural federation.
Decentralization is a political system which is the direct opposite of Centralized government. From 1972 to present, Cameroon has been a centralized state. This means power in concentrated at the center and all services are delivered from there. Over the years this system has failed to satisfactorily deliver services to Cameroon explaining the unrest of the early 1990s. In 1996, the government grudgingly gave to the mounting pressure and introduced a decentralized constitution. This was followed by the decentralization laws of 2004.
These measures have not been able to solve the problems Cameroonians are facing talk less of the specific problems faced by Anglophones in Cameroon. Bad governances has persisted, corruption has been unabated, chasing of files has become more complicated, unemployment has been increasing, moral values have decayed, tribalism and nepotism have been upheld, and you name the rest.
Decentralization which was introduced as a panacea to solve problems of centralization has therefore not produced the desired results. The reasons are not hard to find. Decentralization means the agenda is determined by the top and devolved or passed down to the decentralized units. By implication therefore, decentralization is top down. It is the top that decides how much power it wants to release to the lower levels. The decentralized units there just execute the policies and accountability is to the top. Decentralized units do not have constitutional safeguards and can be dismantled by the central authority. This system does not meet up with the demands of democracy where power is with the base and accountability is to the people and not the leaders.
Let us examine the typical case of Cameroon where several political parties run the councils. Leadership of the councils is elected by the population. As such accountability is normally supposed to be to the electorate. However, with the practice of decentralization, the leadership of the councils (Mayors) are forced to implement the agenda of the party in power which defines polices at the top. Parties of the opposition therefore have to implement policies that are defined by the party in power. The population is deprived of the power of citizen control. Some mayors find themselves in the difficult position of fulfilling the promises they made to their electorate since they have to be accountable to the top and not the bottom. This makes accountability difficult and betrays the argument that Cameroon is a democracy.
The central authority also uses the powers at the center to distribute resources. Decentralized units which belong to the opposition parties are openly discriminated in the allocation of these resources.
Federalism on the other hand is a political system where the central government and regional governments share power and decision making. The autonomy of regional units is constitutionally rooted in federalism. So, federalism is about the autonomy of the regions. Federalism allows regions a constitutionally legitimate basis on which they can disagree with the center or indeed with other regions. It is therefore not surprising that countries formed through a union of autonomous entities like Southern Cameroons and La Republique in 1961 would more likely want to maintain their autonomy within a federal structure. That is the case with Cameroon. Southern Cameroons came into the union as an autonomous entity and sort to protect such autonomy through a federation. If Southern Cameroons’ forefathers of reunification were not given guarantees that they were to retain the legacy they brought into the union, they would likely not have gone into the deal. That is why they see any move that does not protect this autonomy as a threat and a betrayal of confidence by the other party to the union.
In federal systems, the central government cannot overrule the federated states because power belongs first to the regional states. It is the regions that give power to the Federal government to manage issues of national security and foreign relations. The Federated states have the authority to decide on their programs and run them, determine the leaders to rule them and are accountable to the electorate. Sovereignty is shared between the Federal structure and the Federal government at the central level.
With the Federal system, you will agree with me that the guarantees being asked for by the Anglophones would be guaranteed by the constitution. They will develop their programs, run their affairs, consolidate their legacy and participate fully in public debate. Accountability will be to the electorate and leadership will be legitimate. Constitutional change will be the subject of a referendum and not a decision of the central authority as we have today.
I therefore conclude on the note that Federalism and only Federalism will solve the problems of the Anglophones in Cameroon. Decentralization will be administering malaria treatment to a patient suffering from Diarrhea.
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- Ndi Richard Tanto (PhD)
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To many Cameroonians, the creation of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism is a one-in-a-lifetime attempt to make Cameroon great again. A noble idea indeed!
Taking office on Thursday, the Musonge Team was highly expected to start managing the growing anxiety of the people. But then, Peter Mafany Musonge would not hint the people on what course of action his team was going to take. During an interview over the national broadcaster, CRTV, Mr Musonge declined to tell the people what he was up to as far as meeting the needs of the public was concerned. Rather, he said skillfully that he was not ‘a dictator’. He must meet with the other members of the commission before deciding on what to do. The question was repeated and the answer was not different in spirit, even if the words changed. Going by this move, it is clear that either he does not have the commission at heart or that he is skeptical, and tactfully protecting his own interests.
It equally implies that he is a good leader unlike those who take decisions without even consulting the real decision makers. If we take the first option, the justification would be that he had had enough time to conceive a provisional image of the work of his commission, given that he was appointed over a month ago: March 15, 2017. The second option gives the impression that he does not want to make a fool of himself by making declarations which could later be challenged by the powers that be. Lastly, he could just be an epitome of democracy in Modern Cameroon.
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- Tasha Seidou
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The sawdust that the French speaking and French led Government thought was and and shall be pamenent had been washed off and even the blind Southern Cameroonian now sees and the deef now hear. The purported team of those to showcase Bilingualism at several cases said that there was no problem in La Republique Du Cameroun as the Anglophone problem.
How can such naive and narrow minded persons pretend so suddenly that they have become that magic wan that will resolve Political,Economic and Social problems plagueing the Southern Cameroons and la Republique du Cameroun? Can such a scam called the commission of Bilingualism and multiculturalism reduce the tention and restore trust for the state that has been eroded?
The truth is it can't and so it will be just like any other commission that has ever been created in the Cameroon. The archives have reports and recommendations that can be reexamined and implemented.
Let's not forget that in 1969,a commission was created to resolve the Anglophone crisis and it was never done.
Is this not a similar scenario aimed at blind folding the Anglophones in Cameroon to once more be robbed and cheated for life?
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- Mbi James
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The case pitting the state of Cameroon against Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba, Mancho Bibixy and 24 other Anglophones incarcerated in the Yaounde Central Prison Kondegui has been adjourned to the 24th of May 2017.
Critics have termed this delay in justice as punishment in itself. Some say justice delayed is justice denied.
“This is indirect imprisonment. It has been months since these people were taken to Yaounde and up till now they haven’t been judged. I call this indirect imprisonment. They are punishing the detainees in an indirect way” says an angry critic in Bamenda.
Another critic says “These people were first of all arrested illegally and charged for not carrying ID cards, propagating false information, terrorism, vandalism and threatening people who are against the Anglophone crisis. Now they are being denied justice; because justice delayed is justice denied”
The defending council has demanded they be released on bail but their demands are still to yield positive results.
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- Tawe Gije Nkfunji
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A lecturer at the University of Yaoundé I has surprised his students with a question in English.
According to a certain student of Mathematics from the Faculty of Sciences, they were taken unaware on Thursday by one of their lecturers who set one of his questions in English for the first time. It was during a test for 20 marks when the students surprisingly found the last question for 4.5 marks in a different language, not French.
Even though our source claimed that it was due to the simplicity of the question, there is every indication that the lecturer was influenced by the recent wave of reforms sparked by the unrest in Southern Cameroons.
Since the creation of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, there has been a complete change of attitude by Francophones who try on a daily basis to coin broken sentences in English.Thursday’s action came on a day when the members of the commission were officially taking office.
Our source however said some lecturers do set their questions in English.
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- Tasha Seidou
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Four Members of a civilian vigilant group were killed in the locality of Achigachia-Far North region of Cameroon, in clashes with Boko Haram last night.
The local self-defense groups who help the Cameroonian military with information, have often been targeted by the terrorist group.
Several dozen group members have been killed in recent months, as the Islamists have been targeting civilians believed to be cooperating with the authorities to root them out.
Authorities believe the vigilantes have been able to minimize the flow and infiltration of Boko Haram fighters in the northern part of the country.
Adama Simila wears a knife tied to his belt by a piece of rope, his only protection against Boko Haram, the Nigerian Islamist insurgents who have repeatedly targeted his home town in remote northern Cameroon.
While the threat once came from heavily armed, battle-hardened jihadists crossing from neighbouring Nigeria, today Simila knows he is more likely to die at the hands of a teenage girl strapped with explosives.
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- Rita Akana
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# Paul Biya and his regime
Explore the political landscape of Cameroon under the rule of Paul Biya, the longest-serving president in Africa who has been in power since 1982. Our Paul Biya and his regime section examines the policies, actions, and controversies of his government, as well as the opposition movements, civil society groups, and international actors that challenge or support his leadership. You'll also find profiles, interviews, and opinions on the key figures and events that shape the political dynamics of Cameroon.
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