Despite being the highest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cameroon (80% from national oil revenue and about 40%of total revenue from all outputs), Ndian division is the lowest recipient of the government’s largesse in the entire nation. Its indigenes have been reduced to slaves, mendicants, paupers, renegades and other derogatory adjectives by other citizens and by their own government, in a country they ought to call their own.
By Jackson W. Nanje
Chief Dr. Dion Ngute is the chief of Bongongo Barombi, a village less than 50km from Kumba. He is also the Vice Minister of Commonwealth, representing the Republic of Cameroon. And in his position as Vice Minister, he is undoubtedly the highest Chief Executive Officer for the Ndian and for the Oroko people in the present ruling cast of the CPDM-led government in Cameroon. Here lies the burden of kinship from the Ndian and Oroko people who often look up to him for direction and stewardship, which is due to his portfolio as the highest authority in the division. After 25 years since the appointment of Vice Minister Michael Namaya (who was Vice Minister of Commerce and Industry some 25years ago), the people of Ndian division, who hitherto have never been blessed with a minister with full-fledge ministerial powers, duties and responsibilities that could enable them to influence policies that may enhance the wellbeing and welfare of their people, took the appointment of Chief Dr. Dion Ngute as a mixed blessing. Yes, mixed blessing because, even though he is just a vice minister, the Ndian and Oroko people have welcomed the appointment of their illustrious son to such a high office; however, the office he is appointed to bears no special significance to the development of the people of Ndian division in particular, and the Oroko tribe in general. This is why we echo the words of mixed blessings. His portfolio as vice minister is sadly enough, good for him and the country which he continues to serve with dignity; however, it is not a fancied position for the Ndian or Oroko people because his duties are indirectly rewarding to a people who would have preferred a more lucrative ministerial position that would enable him provide direct services to them.
This writer has had the opportunity to meet Chief Dr. Dion Ngute at close-range through his longtime friend and classmate, Mr. Sam T. Nwanja (himself a blessing to the Oroko and Ndian people), who hails from Bekora Barombi and serves as his Private Secretary. Through my acquaintance with my friend, I have come to know the importance of this dynamic man. I believe he is arguably the most successful and accomplished Oroko politician ever, in our era. He has a very sound educational background which could seen by clicking this link http://www.diplocam.cm/minrexsite/diplocam/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=85&lang=fr
Ironically, it is embarrassing to know that the Oroko ethnic group, which is one of the largest in terms of population size (approximately 400,000 people with Ndian division having 290,000 of those numbers) in the South West Region, which comprises of six (6) divisions with a total population of 1.2million, has never had its fair share of the national pie in terms of equitable ministerial appointments. In the past fifty-two (52) years since independence in 1960, Ndian division has only had two vice ministers: Mr. Michael Namaya and Chief Dr. Dion Ngute. This is an extremely disturbing statistics when you compare appointments made to accommodate the people of Ndian division to those of the other five divisions in the South west region. Despite being the highest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cameroon (80% from national oil revenue and about 40%of total revenue from all outputs), Ndian division is the lowest recipient of the government’s largesse in the entire nation. Its indigenes have been reduced to slaves, mendicants, paupers, renegades and other derogatory adjectives by other citizens in a country and by their own government, in a country they ought to call their own. Things have degenerated in Ndian division to the point where an insignificant appointment of an indigene is appreciated by the people as a solution to their hopelessness, even when such an appointment shall yield no fruit to change their welfare and wellbeing to positive outcomes. This takes me to a recent publication in Cameroon Post line Newspaper by a group that calls itself; Konja Ya Balue (a Balue Family Group).
This group, which is apparently new to most Oroko people based on the consternation expressed, when the group sent an open letter to Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, which was published on Saturday, July 28, 2012, titled: Open Letter to His Excellency Dr. Dion Ngute. The letter got a negative press review from mostly Oroko people, who claimed firsthand testimony to the chief than the Konjagroup, as to how good the good Chief has been to his people. He is infallable they say. However, the writer contends that this group’s newness is absolutely no reason for anyone to write them off; rather, their message and not the style they used to convey it, is most significant. They wrote to their Chief Executive Officer of Ndian division, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, who deserves to listen to them and to everyone, demanding of him to exercise fundamental fairness when sharing the pie he gets from the government even though we do know that there is hardly a pie for him to share with his people. They also explained their grievances against him in an uncompromising manner.
This letter from the Konja group did receive several unsolicited responses from many Oroko people. Some Oroko people completely misunderstood the source of the letter and because of their lack of proper understanding of the complexity in the Balue clan, which the Chief of Dikome Balue village serves as the Paramount Chief of the clan as well; they just found the right opportunity to settle political scores with the Dikome Balue people. Dikome Balue is just a village in the Balue clan that has twenty-seven (27) villages and there is no way a Konja Ya Balue could be misinterpreted or mistaken or misstood for Dikome Balue, to warrant such assault from the Oroko people in any way possible. The brutal assaults meted on Dikome Balue people on the internet (Banabaoroko) by non-Dikome (Oroko) responders to the Konja letter, explains why there should be a national conference on unity amongst the Oroko people called by the chiefs in Oroko land. Perhaps, a conference on unity may be the first order of business of the Oroko people to address a painful bitterness that exists amongst us, bana ba Oroko than the issue of poverty alleviation. If we cannot love each other how can we fight our common enemies: poverty and government?
It is this letter from Konja Ya Balue and subsequent letters that may follow from other groups that this writer sets the motion to inform and also to find out from the-ever-inquisitive, too-quick-to-judge Oroko public opinion profilers whether:
The writer could ask more questions; however, he believes that these questions, politically demanding as they are, have very few answers that will please the Ndian people in particular, and the Oroko tribe as a whole. This is evident because for over fifty-two (52) years today the Oroko people of Ndian in particular have lived in a state of decrepitude and neglect---
(1) No electricity in more than 80% of the 227 villages;
(2) No hospital but for a few poorly-equipped clinics or caricatures of healthcare centers;
(3) Absolutely the worst roads in the entire country and maybe in Africa;
(4) Poorly-equipped schools with sub-standard and substitute teachers, run by the Parent Teachers' Association;
(5) No pipe-borne water;
(6) No market place to do business;
(7) No banking facilities;
(8) No radio or television; and,
(9) Absolutely no hope for a people etc, etc.
The Oroko people suffer from these brutal and barbaric treatments in a country that they contribute annually more than 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is disheartening, to say the least! It is even worse that even when a little pie is available to share amongst us we take the fight on the airwaves and inflict more pain to an already marginalized people and assign undeserved attributes in the process to one another.
The above problems have rendered many in the division combustible and, hardworking men and women have been reduced to toothless and spineless heads-of-households. When parents or any group of individuals in Ndian look up to those who have the ears to listen to their sufferings, it pains to see insults being showered on them rather than help resolve some of their aches.
If the Republic of Cameroon was a democratic state, few would turn to a minister for a share of the national pie. A democratic state is one that would, under any normal circumstance, elect to share the country’s available resources equitably to all the fifty-four (54) divisions. Such a system calls for checks and balances; inspection of projects accomplished; it informs the citizens of the amount it costs and that which was disbursed for each specific projects---and any impropriety or mismanagement of the government’s resources is a cause for prosecution in state courts. This is the type of system that Cameroonians crave for but the selfish politicians have deprived them of these rights. If the country was a democratic state, the people of Ndian division would be holding their respective parliamentarians responsible for their inability to represent them in parliament, where allocation of state’s resources is done. However, in the present political dispensation of Cameroon, the spineless and toothless Cameroonian Members of Parliament have been reduced and turned into beggars in a country where they ought to have been exercising their legislative powers of allocating the state’s resources to the respective regions of the country. It is because of the lack thereof of a System of Organization in the country, what political pundits call a no man’s land that any Ndian indigene, or group, or association often turns to their respective politician who now wields political power, to rescue their dampened hopes. Perhaps, if the system of organization was different from what obtains in Cameroon, few in Ndian division would put the burden on the lone ranger, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, to rescue them. In addition, if the country was not selfishly patronized by a bunch of unschooled Neanderthals, the Ndian indigenes would know ahead of time the resources that have been allocated to them and plan accordingly ahead of time. Sadly enough, because those who do not have the love of country, satisfied with the fact that the circulation of the country’s wealth is in a few hands, ignoring the complaints of the rest of the citizens, is the reason why a group like Konja Ya Balue can muster courage to write to their Chief Executive Officer albeit angrily and discourteously, to ask for help. And the least they could have expected from the Chief as a reply to their missive is a no---not the insults from their own people despite the decrepitude they suffer from the Cameroon government.
Conclusion
Much progress can be made in our community if we can remove personalities in our discussions and emphasize on issues that will make tangible differences in our lives and suggest ways of possible solutions, mindful of our opposing viewpoints. Advanced democracies no longer rate progress solely on the individuals; they rate progress on the abilities of task accomplished by the said individuals. As Oroko people, we must start looking at our leaders, no matter how much we love them, and question their ability to deliver or make a difference in the lives of all, not just a few. Yes, public leaders deserve respect and his people must give them that much needed respect to enable them to continue to do well. However, those who occupy public offices, in the most part, must have the character to stomach all of the excesses and scrutiny from the public without victimizing anyone. That is how an advance democracy must function.
Lastly, the issue of ridiculing and shaming your kindred because he or she did not agree with your position is, however, regrettable. It is the more reason why I always say that the Oroko person is maybe learned; but s/he is yet to be educated. Because, educated people pass value judgment on other peoples’ opinion but still respect them for expressing their opinions. Wishing misfortune to your fellow brethren because his beliefs run contrarily to yours is a serious character flaw that we must seek to address and eradicate. We must understand that there are several ways to get to Kumba. Some use Mbonge road. Others use Buea road, while some may choose to use Mamfe road. The essence is not the road we used in getting to Kumba; rather, it is whether we actually arrived in Kumba through the use of our different roads. With a total population of 290,000 people in Ndian division for instance, we cannot be held hostage to the same opinion. If that should happen, then, we are having problems as a people, I should admit. All of us, no matter our respective points of departure should think of the ultimate good of our region even as we have different ways of achieving these goals for our people and region. Our people, in the future, shall judge us not by our deeds but by the outcome of our deeds.
