The creation of a Department of Diaspora Affairs by President Paul Biya: Is this Rumor or Real?

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

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:

      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.

     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