It is just about the right time for the government of Cameroon to consider the need for a "ONE STOP SHOP," to handle Diaspora Affairs.
By Sam Esale
Your reaction to this rumor about the
creation of a Diaspora Department and the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon
is rather interesting. You've spent more time discussing the "politics"
underlying such a decision, than intelligently analyzing the economic
significance or potential benefit of such a program, to the country and to the
rest of the world. Almost all the other contributions to the debate also seem
to be far more superficial and even less informative than yours. Instead of a
premature conversation about which faction of the Diaspora will lead the
procession or about who is best suited to head such a department, the relevant
questions we need to be asking are simple; what is the purpose of an Office of
Diaspora Affairs? Is it necessary to create an Office for Diaspora Affairs at
the level of the Presidency, considering the fact that operations at most of
our embassies around the world are clumsy, inefficient or ineffective? Can an
overhaul, a reform or transformation of embassy functions serve the same
purpose? Can the Cameroonian tax payer afford another layer of costly
bureaucracy that could drain public revenue or deplete the nation's finite
resources?
Answers to the above questions and more,
could provide better input for decision makers in Yaoundé-Cameroon, than the
senseless noise from some members of the Cameroon Diaspora community. Please,
let us engage our government and politicians with reason and common sense.
With as many as 50 government ministers
and deputies in Cameroon, it is inconceivable that the government has taken so
long to come to terms with the decision to capitalize on the significant
political, social and economic impact of the Cameroon Diaspora Community (CDC).
Other African nations have seen the benefit of active Diaspora
engagement, have been at the forefront at creating Offices, Agencies or
Ministries, to directly serve that segment of their population. Kenya, Ghana,
Nigeria, Sierra Leone and many others, have developed comprehensive programs
including Offices, Agencies and Ministries, to sell their countries,
"national pride", human capital and products to their international
communities. These programs are designed to lure, attract or partner with the Diaspora
for internal economic and social development. Ghana is even going a step beyond
luring the Diaspora, to actively looking for and attracting African Americans
with entrepreneurial mindset, to settle in the country. Sierra Leone has an
Office of Diaspora Affairs and Nigeria has an ongoing program including
seminars and conferences geared towards the Diaspora community.
It
is just about the right time for the government of Cameroon to consider the
need for a "ONE STOP SHOP," to handle Diaspora Affairs.
The population of Cameroon Diaspora has
increased by leaps and bounds over the last two decades, and there is no
indication that the trend will slow down anytime soon. For example, unofficial
sources reveal the population of Cameroon Diaspora in (a) Canada at 12,000, (b)
UK at about 15,000 and (c) USA at about 50,000-70,000. Some sources even put
the Cameroon-USA Diaspora population at 100,000. Not all Cameroonians in USA
are registered at the Embassy in Washington-DC. When one includes the Diaspora
population in France and other parts of the European Union (EU), the Cameroon Diaspora
population goes up to about half a million or more. Add the Cameroon Diaspora
population across Africa, Asia, including India, Australia and Latin America
and the total Cameroon Diaspora population will get to one million or more.
That is a very significant population segment that cannot be taken for granted
by any development economist, either politically, or economically, or
intellectually and/or socially. In terms of national development, that is huge
human capital resource, with sufficient financial and economic power to affect
meaningful change in Cameroon.
A significant percentage of Cameroonians
living abroad are working, holding good paying jobs or professionals and
entrepreneurs. The overall assets owned by Cameroonian Diaspora has been
estimated at about a billion US dollars or more. One billion US dollars in asset
accumulation alone is huge and significant for a nation whose GDP is approximately
18-20 billion US dollars. That is about 5% of Cameroons GDP.
As far as remittances are concerned,
sources like Western Union and Money Gram or World Bank will reveal huge
amounts of transfers by individuals or small businesses to Cameroon on a regular
basis and these remittances constitute a major source of revenue for most
families in the country. As a matter of fact, some economies like Mexico or
Guatemala in Latin America or Kenya and Ghana in Africa, factor remittances in
the calculation of their GDP. That may be because such remittances exceed more
than 5% of the GDP of some of these countries, and Cameroon may not be an
exception.
The Nation of Cameroon will benefit more
by creating a Ministry or Office of Diaspora Affairs. In fact, there is more to
be gained by the government of Cameroon in this endeavor than to lose. It is a
win-win proposition for all parties involved;
1)
Direct
Investment by Cameroonians living overseas. This will help subsidize family
incomes as always, create employment opportunities in cottage industries and
increase the state revenue base through direct and indirect taxation.
2) Transfer of
Technology. A brave new world is being formed or forged around our nation and
Cameroon does not want to lag in technological advancement. Diaspora has the
capability in terms of man power, expertise and investment capital and
initiative. Cameroon can very easily become the Bangalore -India or Silicon
Valley of Africa. The educated labor force is abundant, especially among the
youth, where the unemployment rate is shameful or disgraceful.
3) Specialized skills
and knowledge, e.g. manufacturing industry, business administration, accounting
& finance. Hospitality, management, leadership, communication &
information technology, sales & marketing, education, health care,
agriculture, banking & investment services, politics & governance,
community organization & development, etc.
These areas are crucial in development
economies and the Diaspora has the capabilities to make a difference in work ethics
and professionalism or set up and manage infant industries, thus helping the
nation to move from a developing economy status to an emerging economy.
Diaspora will offer Cameroon the value of resilience and good work ethics in
every sector of the economy, public or private. With abundance of raw
materials, Cameroon can become a very vibrant industrial economy, where goods
and services are produced on the ground for local consumption and for export
trade, to neighboring countries like Central African Republic, Gabon, Chad,
Congo or even Nigeria, thereby resulting in the creation of a new middle class.
The export industry will boost our balance of trade and increase revenue. Exports
of manufactured goods to major markets like US or EU will also increase. For
instance, why export timber to China and import furniture from the same
country? Why export most of our cocoa and coffee beans when we can also
manufacture name brand coffees and chocolate products and sell or market to the
rest of the world? Why import chicken from China when we can grow chicken in
Cameroon? Why bring in pig parts from Sweden or Norway when we can develop
piggeries in our country. The answers lie in the proper packaging and marketing
of Cameroon as a "product", and by the prudent partnership and
collaboration with the vast amounts of knowledge, skills and ingenuity of the
Cameroon Diaspora community.
The creation of the Office of Diaspora
Affairs will not be complete without some significant domestic institutional
reforms. Like most government initiatives, this one might end up being another
window dressing or cosmetic program, just to placate the international
community. Such is bad idea. The gains to be derived from real reforms and
meaningful transformation, far outweigh the negative consequences of a
meaningless Bureau of Diaspora Affairs with Cabinet Minister Status, at the
presidency of the Republic. The creation of an Office of Diaspora Affairs must
go hand in hand with major institutional reforms such as; More transparency,
more accountability and more responsibility on the part of the government.
Reforms must include the following aspects; (a) Tax reforms especially within
the Custom & Excise Department,(b) Reduction in excessive bureaucracy in
business licensing and paperwork, (c) Flexibility in import/export regulations,
while protecting infant industries, (d) Overhaul of business Tax codes, etc.
(e) The government must also put the idea of DUAL CITIZENSHIP on the table and
the creation of a positive and friendly business & professional environment
will include a real fight against (f) CORRUPTION.
Perception can easily become the reality
for potential investors or businesses wishing to do business in Cameroon.
Several major Corruption indicators point to Cameroon as a not so friendly
environment for business or international investment. This is not only based on
the poor level of infrastructure or attitudes of local populations, but also on
governance, weakness of institutions, lapses in the area of law enforcement,
efficiency, education, leadership. Professionalism as well as endemic
corruption and/or unethical behavior by public civil servants and technocrats.
The 2012 Transparency International (TI) survey puts Cameroon at # 144 out of
about 176 nations in CPI and. latest World Bank stats place Cameroon at # 161
out of 183 countries in governance index. There are more indicators from
numerous sources spelling gloom and doom. Such a negative image needs very
serious improvements, in order for the government to realize the real benefits
of the Office of Diaspora Affairs. Anything short of that will be nothing more
than cosmetic work or window dressing and therefore pointless. Surely, we can
do better than that.
Sam Esale is a Doctoral candidate in Leadership and Management Studies and works as a consultant to businesses around the world especially in Africa. To solicit his service he could be reached at autoauthority.esale@gmail.com
Even before Prime
Minster Yang came to Washington and the "populace" met with him and
Dr Diana Acha-Morfaw (equivalent of US Trade Representative), President Biya
was alledegedly baffled as to "what does Diaspora want?" He
thought he already "gave" the Diaspora Office with a Director. I can
only imagine he was informed that it was not working - not too sure. Laughter
is my thing with twist. But the Director may have been at the subsequent
meeting Mishe Fon is writing about.
Voting right was given and applied - a quest that Nigeria and Kenya Diaspora groups have mounted appeals to no avail on immediate implementation. Dual citizenship is a rally call among a number of Africa Diaspora groups. Liberia had a two day meeting in December 2012 on it. So I asked....why can't this be tabled at the next African Union (AU) summit? Anyway, I am not elaborating on how and the logical arguments, which dovetail with provisions in the AU Constitutive Act. I have blind copied other nationals grappling with the question.
Massa Sam Esale
Yours is the kind of
debate I was expecting from our fellow compatriots. On the contrary, although
not strange, they came out with their usual stale epidemic analysis. Let me
start by thanking you for taking the time to express your genuine thoughts on
this very crucial topic. I might not agree with your Political choices but that
is completely beside the point. I remember when the Cameroon Government sent a
delegation to contact the Diaspora in 2010/2011 (they had meetings in France,
London, USA, South Africa and other West African countries); many Cameroonians
who participated in those meetings reiterated the burning issue of 1) Dual
Nationality and 2) the creation of a Department of Diaspora Affairs amongst
other requests; coupled with improved services at our Diplomatic posts.
I still cannot fathom
why the Cameroon Government does not want to embrace this idea of "Dual
Nationality" but like they say in any negotiation..."It is a Give and
Take"...You win some, you lose some. If in reality, Biya decides to create
a Ministerial Department of Diaspora Affairs, I think we should applaud and
continue to press for more. As you so intelligently opined, this Department
would be a good start. Other visionary African countries have taken the cue and
it is all working for the better of their various countries.
I had in an informal
discussion with the Sierra Leone UN representative here in Washington and she
told me, the Sierra Leone Diaspora is simply elated and "performing
miracles" back at home.
By and large (politics aside) majority of Cameroonians love their
country. It is the "Biyamocracy"...i.e. Government for the well
connected, by the well Connected, through the well connected...that is at issue
here. Cameroonians are suspicious of anything that has a Government imprint.
Nepotism, Fraud, Bribery and Corruption are so deeply entrenched in our psyche,
that we have a visceral distrust, even for initiatives that we ourselves
orchestrate. The country is rotten to its core. Bring up any suggestions; and
the person or persons you are addressing already impute satanophobic jaundiced
grandiloquence to your ideas. Go figure.
Just imagine; I report
a story (njoh) that I tag outright as a "Rumor" and almost immediately,
without no qualms, nonentities and desperado wannabe "politicians"
jump in with their empty rhetoric and insults trying to vilify the messenger of
the "Rumor"...not that I care one iota, but I simply feel sorry for
our brothers and sisters with such negative mindsets. These same individuals
were completely opposed to even meeting with the Government delegation from Yaoundé.
These same "habitual Opposants" criticized the memorandum submitted
to the "delegation" for onward transmission to the Powers that be in
Cameroon. What exactly is it these individuals want? They claim for example
(and rightly so) that most Cameroon Embassies worldwide are not performing up
to expectations. OK. A "Town Hall" meeting is convened (at the
personal expense of the conveners) to channel these grievances in a coherent
and decisive manner to the Yaoundé apparatchik. Guess how many of these same
"keyboard Opposants" showed up?...Anyways, the few who participated
eventually drafted a "Memorandum" on behalf of the
"Absentees"...and a few months down the road; it is
"Rumored" that Mr. Biya has finally accepted to create an
"Office of Diaspora Affairs". You would think these same fellows
would even call to say "Thank You". Hell No. Their Modus Operandi?
Invectives galore, Suspicion, Insults and what have you. Luckily, these
"Katchikoro Desperado Mutoumbanza" Politicians are in the minority
and would not dissuade "Action Oriented, Positive Thinkers" like some
of us to forge ahead.
I have seen firsthand
what "Diaspora Departments" created by forward leaning African
nations like Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal, South
Africa, Egypt, Rwanda and even newly Independent South Sudan...are doing. Once
again, thank you for your thought provoking analysis of the situation.
If I go only by some of
the filth and childish vituperation I read from some of these my keyboard
"brothers" who by happen-stance miraculously or by "mistik"
find themselves in "Mbenge"...I might simply conclude without the
slightest iota of ambiguity, that "Le Cameroun est tres mal parti". I
know exactly what they will say next: "Mishe Fon is a CPDM spy". As
if I care. Bad luck. Wata Go Leave Stone. Diabetes patient no dey fear
injection.
Ya Mblalla
Mishe Fon
Good Morning and Happy New Year Mr. Mishe and all:
Voting right was given and applied - a quest that Nigeria and Kenya Diaspora groups have mounted appeals to no avail on immediate implementation. Dual citizenship is a rally call among a number of Africa Diaspora groups. Liberia had a two day meeting in December 2012 on it. So I asked....why can't this be tabled at the next African Union (AU) summit? Anyway, I am not elaborating on how and the logical arguments, which dovetail with provisions in the AU Constitutive Act. I have blind copied other nationals grappling with the question.
Going to something
else....Mola Esale, no, a Diaspora Office is technically unsuitable to be under
the purview of the embassy; the salient premise is not the same but may be
complementary. Embassy is foreign affairs with a different mindset but the
tenet of Diaspora places citizens on domestic footing back home.
Best,
MsJoe
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