Politics

Dr. Richard Tanto, International Peace Consultant and Director of Ecumenical Service for Peace Yaounde, says the government of Cameroon needs to update itself with new principles in Leadership and security.

According to the Peace Engineer, most leaders of Cameroon who think that leadership is measured by command rather than by service are still lagging behind.

“Gone are those days when leadership was measured by the command leaders had on those they led; leadership has undergone a paradigm shift and good leadership is nowadays measured by how well leaders serve their people rather than how well they command their people. In the current Anglophone crisis, the government needs to see the problems posed by activists as an existing vacuum that needs to be filled rather than always reacting to situations without proper analysis to the causes ” says the Peace Guru.

On the other hand, many African governments sometimes define their security only by the size of their forces of law and order. According to Dr. Richard Tanto, they are leaving a very important aspect out.

“There is a marked shift from security which depends on the forces of law and order and security which depends on providing people’s basic needs and ensuring their human rights. The Cameroon government should lay emphasis on meeting the needs of the governed and not repressing them” says Dr. Richard.

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Ndi Derek Giyoh

12.Apr.2017

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 Members of Parliament of Southern Cameroons extraction and to a certain extent the Senators (because they are elected by indirect suffrage, while others are appointed outright) have in recent days been subject of so much talk and even angry debates. A good lot of them have been called and insulted, others bullied and yet a sound number threatened to stand with their constituents. This far, not a single one of them has promised to resign from the Parliament of La République du Cameroun. Two things must be standing in the way of the desired objective; either the approach is wrong, or the ‘representatives’ of the people have closed their eyes to the sufferings of the masses and their hearts to their own consciences.

Several definitions of conscience abound, given the important role conscience plays in key decision-making, particularly when it concerns the scourge of humanity. This of course, concerns only those people who still have consciences; and we at The Times Journal are convinced that a majority of our Parliamentarians still have this vital part of the human being. The importance of having a conscience can be easily deciphered from this definition offered to us by H.L Mencken; “Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking”.

John Calvin extends Mencken’s thought, adding that; “The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul”. This contribution only goes to tell us that conscience is so important in all we do. He who decides to ignore his or her conscience at a critical moment like this one may truly miss the point in life not only for themselves, but for generations of their descendants. This is so because at a certain age, those who reason well will understand that their future is in the past, while the present should serve to prepare a better future for their children and grandchildren.

Some of the biggest figures in history remind us that no matter how great you think you are, no matter how big you imagine yourself to be and no matter how seemingly secure your standing is, the conscience call remains too paramount. Just listen to Mahatma Gandhi; “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the ‘still small voice’ within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority”.

Where Gandhi speaks with caution, Martin Luther blows the abscess open when he insists that; “It is neither right nor safe to go against my conscience”. This brings us to the fundamental question as to when we know someone has ever had or still has a conscience. This is where Gaylord Nelson sails in by establishing in an unambiguous manner that; “The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard”.
Thus, going from Jim Carroll’s point of view that “Conscience is no more than the dead speaking to us”, we are praying our Parliamentarians not to look so much at the comfort of their offices, the beggarly allowances they are still earning and the empty promises being made to them of a better treatment were they to go all the way and let their people down. A good lot of them, we are told, are being reminded that the people never elected them in the first place; they are being told that the same way they were ‘rigged’ into the Glass Building, shall be the same way they could be taken back to Yaounde in 2018 if they continue cooperating.

Our dear Parliamentarians, true representatives of the people do not give in to blackmail, rather they blackmail in the name of their constituents, they do healthy blackmail in order to attract measures that improve the livelihoods of the people they represent. That is why Martin Luther King Jr. tells us all that; “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right”.

Currently, there is so much talk of our Parliamentarians not being themselves, particularly those of the ruling CPDM Party. There is a school of thought promoting the idea that they are enslaved to the regime and the Head of State, Paul Biya to the point they can no longer reason for themselves. We are told regime barons are constantly telling them to listen to their consciences and not to betray the one man who made them- Paul Biya. It is even rumoured that they are being told that betrayal is common for men with no conscience.

What this means is that our Parliamentarians are today faced with ‘the hard right and the easy wrong’. The easy wrong would be to stand with the oppressor and send a clear message to their constituents that they represent only the Head of State and his interests in Parliament. If they choose the hard right, they shall regain a crucial kind of freedom they lost by belonging to the system. That freedom is found in this beautiful line by John Milton Areopagitica; “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties”.

The notion that our Parliamentarians in huge numbers do not own themselves, not even their very hearts and consciences could be so frightening if it turned out to be true, although for the most part, and over the years, their actions seem to suggest so. In this light, they need to learn from Jon Katz when he says; “The immature conscience is not its own master. It simply parrots the decisions of others. It does not make judgments of its own; it merely conforms to the judgments of others. That is not real freedom, and it makes true love impossible, for if we are to love truly and freely, we must be able to give something that is truly our own to another. If our heart does not belong to us...how can we give it to another?”

This editorial may anger some of our Parliamentarians who out of mere pride, would want to contend that they indeed own their hearts and consciences; they would simply be losing the point. The honest truth is that they need freedom even more than the common man in the Southern Cameroons, because in the eyes of others in the Anglo-Saxon world, they are not so different from a Clarke. That is why this time is the best for them to act, to arrest that much needed freedom, in fact to stand and be counted.
Pride comes before a fall and this is time to shun pride, because as C.G Jung points out; “Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune”. This is the ripe moment for our dear Parliamentarians to handle “something” that is out of tune, and do what history is expecting of them, do what they people are expecting of them, do what their children, grandchildren and generations upon generations of Southern Cameroonians will live to remember them for.

Dear Parliamentarians, permit us to share with you this word of wisdom from Edmond Rostand; “I have a different idea of elegance. I don’t dress like a fop, it’s true, but my moral grooming is impeccable. I never appear in public with a soiled conscience, a tarnished honour, threadbare scruples, or an insult that I haven’t washed away. I’m always immaculately clean, adorned with independence and frankness. I may not cut a stylish figure, but I hold my soul erect. I wear my deeds as ribbons, my wit is sharper than the finest moustache, and when I walk among men I make truths ring like spurs”.

This is the time to think right; it is the time to tell detractors that you are with your people and shall forever be with them. Do not therefore let anyone end up taking credit that they forced you to do what you have known all along that it was right to do.

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John Mbah Akuroh I The Times Journal

11.Apr.2017

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The guy from Bui County: Bara Mark is back. I have always love reading his write ups and I think this is one of it.

Take your time, it is a must read...

The Power Of The Struggle: Sustain it

Good morning Southern Cameroonians.

If anyone should tell you that the actions of this android generation have not had a tool on La Republique government then that person is not truthful. I am beginning to think the shutdown of the internet in Southern Cameroons has been a blessing to us. It has not only expose the regime and rally international community on our case, it has also kept our people in check not to be discouraged with our little disagreements on social media. Our people back home are as pure as before the internet was shut down. This is why La Republique newspapers have been reporting on the Tapang/Bareta/Tassang issue in regards to the Consortium so as to derail our people. More importantly, I learned CRTV for the first time reported about the so-called Tapang/Bareta/Tassang consortium show so as to reach our people in Southern Cameroons. They want to use CRTV to pass on what is happening on social media but they will fail because the Consortium is one and united. Mark and Ivo are back to their activism and blogging. Southern Cameroonians are more than united.

Yes, the power of the struggle has caused La Republique to offer numerous cosmetic solutions. They are trying to catch their own shadow. The train has moved. La Republique will have much to do so as to catch up the train where it is now. And in truth, La Republique should have brought the internet back but they are ashamed because the reason they took it off has not been attained. They do not know what to do but guess what, our people remain resolute.

Guys, we are winning. Take it from me. This regime has never been under this type of pressure since independence. All the activities carried out in Southern Cameroons recently is a show to masked unity and integration. These are desperate attempts likened to a man who is drowning deep in the sea but still, believes someone will save him.

My intelligence intel reports that the idea of a Southern Cameroons Interim Prime Minister is aching the government so much and making them afraid as I write. This is why, we must employ all venues to hit and confuse La Republique, if the idea of an interim PM is making La Republique to panic, then I cannot wait to support such a PM by May 2017. The government seems to be afraid of the new found unity showed by SCACUF.

Other reports from Cameroun suggest that government wants to suspend 2018 elections as a result of this struggle. This is our information to La Republique. Minister Tchiroma, I know you read me. Inform your government that Southern Cameroonians do not care about any elections in Southern Cameroons come 2018 so postponing means nothing to us, lets Camerounese (Francophones) bother and fight about that. As far as Southern Cameroonians are concerned, by blood, iron or whatever means, no election will take place in Southern Cameroons until the right things must have been done. Restoration is our goal.

Away from that, BaretaNews can also predict that should Southern Cameroons elect its first PM by May 2017, a certain European and African country shall be the first to officially endorse the interim PM and his/her government. This is my prediction only. Remember, God has ordained this struggle, so have faith.

Again, I keep calling for calm and restraint from Southern Cameroonians. Focus on the struggle and not individuals, support initiatives from whatever angle which maintain the ground game because if we must lose the ground game, then it is over. We must also focus more on our people in jail to cause their release. We must write about them, tweet about them to continue the sensitization because their presence in jail is also a boost to the struggle. Let us continue to keep the negative energy away and from now henceforth, we should only put in energy how to promote the struggle and most importantly to strengthen the new found unity found in Nigeria led meeting- Do not fight each other, if you don't agree with someone, walk away or disagree constructively. Do not give La Republique newspapers and government the opportunity to laugh at us. We are Southern Cameroonians and we are reclaiming our lost state.

Mark Bareta.
From Bui County
Southern Cameroons.
Follow the struggle and not individuals.

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Mark Bareta

11.Apr.2017

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If you need peace, then you must practice justice, if not yours will be the kingdom of trouble and instability. This aptly applies to Cameroon where the Anglophone problem has shattered the country’s image as an oasis of peace in a desert of chaos. Over the last six months, Cameroon has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The English-speaking part of the country has been dealing with marginalization for more than five decades and they want this to stop. All attempts by the English-speaking minority to draw the political elite’s attention to this worrying situation has always met with tricks and intimidation. Over the years, the Yaoundé government has succeeded to manufacture its own Anglophone leaders and this Anglophone political elite has always had its work cut out for it – sedate its people with vain promises, food and drinks so as to keep them in check.  The elite has been very effective, using all means, including unfulfilled promises and, where necessary, employ threats of imprisonment or death for those who dare speak out about the pain and suffering marginalization is inflicting on the peace-loving people of West Cameroon.

But after fifty-six years, West Cameroonians feel it is time to break the chains of silence and face a monster that has been spreading death and destruction in a region that holds more than 60% of the country’s wealth. Cameroon’s oil and gold fields are lodged in the country’s south-west region, precisely in Ndian division, where poverty; that which dehumanizes and robs people of their dignity, has taken root. While the country’s refinery may be located in Limbe, Anglophone Cameroon’s coastal city, the oil fields are in the Rio Del Rey estuary in Ndian Division, while localities around Mbonge in the same division are home to large gold deposits. Manyu Division, which is also in the south-west region, is blessed with huge and dense equatorial forests that have been hiding some of the finest timber on the continent, but the people of this region have been sorry spectators of the destruction that is taking place in their forests, as this ageless timber makes its way to East Cameroon.

Oil experts hold that Manyu Division could be sitting on huge oil deposits and there are efforts underway to find out if this region with some of the finest minds in the country could be hiding wealth that can transform the entire country if equitably shared. The region’s sub-soil is throwing up riches that only go to enrich others while the locals watch helplessly from a distance as others feed fat from their manna. It is not in error that many south-westerners have been calling for Canadian-style federalism that will ensure that the government sets up an equalization fund to hold all revenues from natural resources. These revenues will be shared equitably among the different regions of the country for development purposes as practiced by successive Canadian governments which have generated wealth for their people and made Canada the envy of the world. Canada’s Alberta oil sands have brought trillions of dollars to the country’s coffers and the prudent management of the country has brought free education and health care to all the citizens of this great nation. Anglophones are looking forward to the day Canadian federalism will become a reality in their own country. It will be a welcome relief as they will no longer be ruled by French-speaking administrative officers and be taught by Francophone teachers whose knowledge of English is, at best, rudimentary.

However, the rich sub-soil alone did not trigger the current confrontation between the government and the Anglophone minority that is determined to put an end to five decades of contempt and disrespect. Anglophone lawyers who triggered the strike have been vocal about their fate. The government’s error of judgment stemming from transferring Francophone magistrates and judges to Anglophone courts has, on many occasions, led to a clear travesty of justice, with many innocent Anglophones serving long jail terms just because the judges cannot understand English. It has never been the government’s policy to appoint interpreters in court as practiced in Canada, a country that has the same official languages as Cameroon and similar problems. While many Anglophones can speak English and French, their knowledge of legal jargons leaves much to be desired and this has been the root cause of the bitterness against a government they claim is not people-centered.

The frustrations also stem from the fact that Anglophones have, for a very long time, been excluded, either by error or by design, from the School of Magistracy and Administration (ENAM), the institution that trains administrative officers and magistrates, for more than five decades. The military brass is purely francophone and the cabinet which comprises thirty-nine ministers only has one Anglophone minister. Anglophones believe that right from the beginning of this “lopsided relationship”, they have always been considered as the inferior party, with Francophones being the “primus inter peres”. Many Anglophones clearly say they are sick and tired of playing second fiddle to Francophones whose perspective of life is very much driven by short-term thinking and egoism. Abnegation, according to many Anglophones, is a foreign concept to Francophone Cameroonians who, Anglophones claim, have played a key role in bringing the economy of this once prosperous nation to its knees. Anglophones argue that Francophones are naturally submissive, but quietly dictatorial, and would not question anything for fear of acting against constituted authority. They also contend that they are more participatory in their approach to life and their education pushes them into questioning everything except the existence of God. The Anglophone approach is completely at variance with Francophone thinking which has, over the last fifty years, brought a lot of pain and suffering to Anglophones who voluntarily opted to be part of a marriage they thought was predicated on justice, trust and love of fatherland.

Five decades after the UN-staged reunification, the frustrations of the English-speaking minority have boiled over and Anglophones are seeking a way out of this relationship. The strikes that started in October 2016 were aimed at drawing the government’s attention to the angst that has been inhabiting the Anglophone mind. But faithful to its intimidation strategy, the government dispatched its armed forces – known today by Anglophones as “Harm Forces” due to their killing and maiming of innocent civilians, to quash the strikes and send home a strong message to all those who thought they could change the status quo. The military action succeeded, unfortunately, not to intimidate Anglophones, but to radicalize the already frustrated Anglophones who are determined to put an end to the status quo ante, something that is actually coming to pass as the government is bending over backwards to appease Anglophones through a series of measures that some hold are coming too late. Anglophones hold that their call for federalism has been upgraded to the restoration of statehood and discussing federalism is like solving the wrong problem. Today, the country is divided along linguistic lines and the consequences of this conflict go well beyond what many observers had predicted.

When Cameroon’s English-speaking minority decided to challenge the government, many around the world thought the flaring of tempers would not last for more than a week. To many, it was an exercise in failure as the country’s government is noted for its uncanny ways of eradicating dissent and opposition. Intimidation laced with money has always been the government’s method of choice and this has always worked like a charm, especially among Francophones who, many Anglophones consider to be gullible and malleable. Today, the government is at its wit’s end as Anglophones have continued to resist all attempts by the government to break the back of a revolt that has been largely peaceful and without clear leaders. The country has been split and Anglophones are no longer as patriotic as they used to be. Even the Nations Cup could not unite this country whose love for football used to be unquestionable. The patriotism deficit among Anglophones is one poison that is gradually destroying many government officials and they fear that if much is not done to check this unfortunate trend, future generations will continue to question the unity and indivisibility of this country that was designed to be a model on the continent.

This patriotism deficit has been made all the more worse by the disconnection of the Internet in West Cameroon because of the strikes. Many Anglophones hold that this is testimony to the government’s determination to roll them back into the dark ages. They claim that it is their constitutional right to express their frustration with a political system that has been preying on its own citizens. They point to the backwardness of the Anglophone region as proof of the marginalization they have been complaining about. They also hold that strikes organized by Francophone medical staff and teachers in recent weeks had not attracted the type of brutality that had been unleashed on Anglophones. They contend that Anglophone lives do not matter to the government as many Anglophones have been killed and others arrested and taken to Yaoundé without any charges laid against them. This has made the divide a lot trickier than the government had thought.

Today, schools are still closed in both Anglophone regions of the country and it is clear that a blank year is staring both the students and government in the face. The government has been beaten hollow in a conflict that is clearly unconventional. Its ability to manufacture leaders for the people has been tested and it has proven to be wanting. Despite calls by the government for students to go back to school, many Anglophone students are refusing to return to school, with many clearly sympathizing with their striking parents who have been victims of a system that has robbed them of their dignity and jailed them in poverty. They argue that if the government really wants things to return to normal, it must release theirs leaders and fellow West Cameroonians, especially Buea University students, who are in jail for no justified reason.

They are also urging the government to create a commission of inquiry to investigate the killings that have radicalized Anglophones. They want the Internet to be restored as it is a great learning tool that will also enable them to conduct research and stay in touch with their families and friends. They argue that the disconnection of the Internet has caused many Anglophones to lose their jobs. Most of the software development firms that were headquartered in Buea, the south-west regional capital, have simply relocated and this has killed Silicon Mountain, the software hub modeled on America’s Silicon Valley.

But of all the consequences of the conflict that will not go away anytime soon is the destruction that it has wreaked on the economy. Cameroon’s economy has been in a free fall for many decades. Poor management and corruption have pushed this once prosperous economy to the brink. With Cameroon considered today as a fragile country, many investors, especially rich members of the Cameroon Diaspora, hold that it will be too much of a risk to invest in a country where civil liberties are overtly violated and dissent openly crushed. Many investors have faith in the country’s bilingual nature and the effectiveness of its human resources, but they have doubts about the country’s future stability. The Anglophone problem is just one of the many issues facing the government and it is clearly the tip of the iceberg.

Though Francophones have all along been docile and indifferent to the sorry plight of the Anglophone minority, their grumbling has in recent times become loud and clear, and this is causing government officials to lose sleep. The Anglophone virus is gradually spreading and Francophones seem to be finding their voices. Many Francophones are poor and the unemployment rate among them is so high that their frustration could be clearly seen on their faces.  High unemployment, poor healthcare, lack of proper infrastructure, scandals in FECAFOOT (FECAFOOD as Anglophones call it) and corruption in the civil service are gradually converging to produce the perfect storm that may be very hard to stem. If the country’s government wants to avert a future political catastrophe, it must change the way it does business. Years of frustration are gradually pushing the Francophone majority, considered by Anglophones as the “junk majority”, into departing from its traditional way of thinking. This implies calling the management ability of their leaders into question and holding them accountable.

The cost of many years of marginalization is turning out to be very high. Cameroonians have become very unpatriotic, their faith in their systems and government has been diluted by corruption, unemployment and mismanagement. Anglophones have challenged the system and they have proven that they are capable of engineering change in a country that was once thought to be unchangeable. Cabinet ministers have been cut down to normal human proportions and the ever-increasing impact of the crisis is causing many talented and educated Cameroonians to leave the country. Many Anglophones hold that their future lies somewhere else and this has triggered a new wave of brain drain that will surely hurt the country’s economy. Those who are abroad have decided to settle wherever they are, as they are scared of being arrested for their participation in the Anglophone rebellion that has left many parts of West Cameroon without police and administrative officers.

If this conflict and its impact have to be checked, the government has to change its tactics. It must understand that dialogue, indeed genuine dialogue, is an idea whose time has come. It must learn how to listen to the people. It must understand that for the country to be truly united and indivisible, it must come up with participatory approaches that will enable every Cameroon to take ownership of any and every decision that the government takes. It must stop the arbitrary arrests and must also restore the Internet. The government must also understand that the Anglophone problem is simply the tip of the iceberg and its failure to find peaceful and lasting solutions might bring the entire iceberg to the surface.

Cameroon is a key player in the Central African sub-region. It is considered as the engine of the sub-region and any problem that destabilizes Cameroon will automatically create ripple effects that will reach the other fragile countries that surround it. If the sub-region has to be spared another major man-made catastrophe, then wisdom must prevail in Cameroon. Anglophone leaders, the real leaders, most of whom are in jail, must be released and brought to the negotiating table so that together with the government, a new future can be designed for the country.

The cost of conflict is always high and conflict does not benefit anybody. The government has to play its part and it must start listening to its citizens. It must stop muzzling up its citizens so that new and innovative ideas can flourish in the country. No nation has ever attained its full development potential without its citizens being able to express their minds. If Cameroon has to check the cost of this conflict, government authorities must embrace new ways. They must acknowledge that old ways have failed.  The government must also understand that those who make peaceful change impossible, only make violent change inevitable. The world is watching and anything short of a peaceful resolution will be unwelcome.

Joachim Arrey.

About the Author: The author of this piece has served as the executive director of the Global Think-Tank for Africa, a Canada-based public relations outfit that provides image-related advice to African governments. He has published extensively on Cameroon’s political and economic development, especially in the early 90s when the wind of change was blowing across the continent. He has also served as a translator, technical writer, journalist and editor for several international organizations and corporations across the globe. He studied communication at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and technical writing in George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. He is also a trained translator and holds a Ph.D.

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Joachim Arrey

11.Apr.2017

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The recent call of the president of the Cameroon Bar council Ngnie Kamga for the resumption of court activities in the North West and South West regions has hit the rocks as many lawyers say they cannot resume work when their demands have not yet been met by the government.

According to the Bar Council President this release has been issued after negotiations with lawyers in the Anglophone region and the government.

However, bulk of common law lawyers say, it is out of place for such a call to be respected. They say the President Ngnie kamga has no right to ask them to resume work.

“He is not the one who called for the strike action and he is not in the right place to call it off” says a young disappointed lawyer.

According to other lawyers, before making such a call, Barrister Ngnie kamga should first of all ensure that all their demands have been met by the government. They say when other strike leaders like Barrister Agbor Balla is in detention and may face the death sentence and others are on the run it is impossible to resume work.

“I think the Battonier should enumerate what he has done before making his call, for example, releasing our leaders, making sure that the common law bench is available at the Supreme Court and an Anglophone section of ENAM is created” says a grumbling lawyer.

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Tawe Gije nkfunji

11.Apr.2017

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The recently appointed Senior Divisional Officer  for Wouri may begin to wonder the kind of welcome he gets on his very first day in office when over 100 workers of the Douala Urban council choose this day  to go on rampage demanding payment of social insurance. 

According to a striking worker, the newly appointed Mache Njouonwet Joseph Bertrand should not take it personal.

“We are not out to make the new senior divisional officer feel bad or unwelcomed. We have been demanding health coverage and other social rights from the council for almost one year. We filed a first strike notice on July 13, 2016, which was supposed to begin negotiations with the Delegate but he failed. A second notice was filed on the On March 13, 2017 which was kind of a reminder to the boss that we should start negotiation, but yet he did not yield in to this. That is why, after having used all means at our disposal to have a dialogue and reach an agreement, we unanimously decided to stage a strike action to express the degree to which we are serious" explains the striking worker.

According to onlookers, this first day experience is good for the community as the newly appointed SDO, who undoubtedly is still filled with energy, will quickly liaise with Fritz Ntone Ntone to solve the problems that have been plaguing the council for a long time now.

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Ndi Derek Giyoh

11.Apr.2017

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