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| By Jackson W. Nanje |
Perspective
The Oroko Cultural Associations in the
Diaspora and that in Cameroon need to rethink or re-arrange a lot of their
priorities if they are to create an impact in the Oroko land. The organization
also needs to implore strategies of growth for their people in particular, and
that of the organization in general. It is true that education has come late to an Oroko person; but that should not be a stumbling aspect in enabling
our way forward as a people. Rather, it should serve as a wake-up call to
enable us to start implementing good goal-setting strategies to reverse
the nightmares of the past. This paper will discuss the failures of the
Oroko people in establishing a vibrant organization in Cameroon and in the
Diaspora and raise key issues in the development of our people and our land.
The writer does not find solace in recounting the misgivings or the
shortcomings of the Oroko peoples’ organizations because his is to create a
sense of awareness which has been lacking in an Oroko person over the years.
Perhaps, a comparative analyses of how other Cameroonian tribes have been
functioning, will help to imbue the awareness that has been absent in an Oroko
person and his organization. Also, we shall examine the efforts that our
forebears made in uplifting the Oroko person and see where the Orokos of today
strayed away from the lofty initiatives of our forebears.
In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua
Achebe bewails about how the “white man” was able to put a wedge in the things
that held the Igbo tribe together and succeeded in separating them; but rather
than an outside force putting this wedge to separate the Oroko tribe and its
people from one another, the Oroko people have, and are still doing everything
to separate the different clans that make up the Oroko hegemony. The question
begs whether the Oroko organizations, especially the one in the United States,
can take the lead role and act as a force in development that all Orokos
have been demanding of them? You will know how and why as you read along.
Can Oroko of today replicate the
deeds of our forebears?
There is a saying in Oroko language that itongi basusu esa retaka (that which
all of us do is always lighter and costs less) was coined by our
forebears to discourage individualism by replacing it with the collective
efforts of the people throughout the Oroko land. During their time, an
individual like the late Chief Victor Ngomo Obie of Ijowe village, of the Ngolo
Batanga clan did not only think of the Ngolo Batanga people when he established
Frank Harcourt Secondary School (now a Bilingual High School) in Kumba, but he
established the school miles away from his village and clan to accommodate all
Oroko children (at the time of the school’s establishment, Meme and Ndian
divisions were one division called Kumba division). We can also say same for
iconoclast like Hon. N.M Mbile who was one of the architects in ensuring that
all people of the different Oroko clans, who identified themselves with a
similar language, and from the same geographical region, and with similar
welcoming characteristics, should come together under the umbrella of Oroko.
Furthermore, we should think of the late Mr. Denis A. Nanje and the late Hon.
Ekwelle Nwalipenja who both created boarding facilities for the first ever
Government Secondary School (now a High School) in Mundemba, Ndian division in
1975. Their benevolence provided accommodation to many Oroko students who did
not have accommodation in the rural village in Mundemba, thus, preventing them
from abandoning school because the government created the school with
absolutely no facility for boarding. Finally, we should also tell the story of
the Late Paramount Chief of Balue villages, Chief Bokwe Etinge who hailed from
Dikome Balue as he went around all the Balue villages summoning meetings with
the different chiefs and parents, informing them of the need to send their
children to school despite their financial constraints. As a consequence of the
Chief’s collective mindset, many Balue villages and especially Dikome Balue
sent many of their children to school in alarming numbers. It is important to
note that the Balue Districts has the highest literacy level in Meme and Ndian
divisions. This is an undisputable fact whose credit should go to the Late
Chief Bokwe Etinge.
Why is it that the “collective mentality” (itongi
basusu), which
was the modus operandi of our forebears, is not a tool to the present
generation of Oroko people? Or, is that the stories, if told, no longer appeal
to Orokos of today? Maybe the mantra of “I will do it alone” (mbamene or mba
iti ngo bora), which
many do echo, is a preferred position of the Oroko people of today? Why is it
that even though KORUP Reserve Park, with its headquarters in Mundemba, the
divisional capital, employs mostly the natives from the Ngolo Batanga area? Why
will a Bakundu native be refused employment in KORUP Reserve Park even though
he is an Oroko native---on grounds that the employers were instructed to employ
only people from Ndian division and not the Bakundu of Meme division? Why is it
that the collective mindset of the Oroko people has not been put into use to
unite behind a qualified Oroko person to be the General Manager (GM) of PAMOL
just as the Bakweri People of Fako division fought hard after many years to
ensure that their own son of the soil become the GM of Cameroon Development
Corporation (CDC), a corporation in their division? Why is it that the Oroko
people of Ndian division have been unable to pressure the government of
Cameroon to appoint a son or a daughter from Ndian division as a minister (e.g.
a Minister of Mines and Power to be exact) in the history of our country? Why
is it that since KORUP Reserve Park was established in Ndian division an Oroko
person has never been appointed a Director? Has the intra-tribal schism
destroyed us to the extent that we are void of good judgment to trust even our
own? What has really gone wrong? Or, are we appreciative of our status quo and
are unable to think beyond this constricted zone of comfort or maybe
discomfort? Or is it a lack of proper education or the few that have attained
some level of education are contented in creating an elite class amongst their
people? These are some of the questions the Oroko man has to answer. To answer
all these questions, we must start looking at some structures that have enabled
the individualistic rather than the collective mindset.
The Leadership gap within the Oroko Cultural
Organization in Cameroon
Why don’t we have leaders today like the ones we had in the past who can
transmute from individualism which does not amount to anything to collectivism
which brings the best in humans? Where are the leaders who preached together we
stand and divided we fall apart? Today, instead of the Oroko people uniting
under the Oroko Cultural Association, a structure that cements and augments the
much needed solidarity, we have settled for fragmented organizations. Rather
than have the Oroko Cultural Organization, we have settled for the fragmented
pockets like the Mbonge Cultural Organization, the Bakundu Cultural
Organization (DIONI), the Balue Cultural and Development Organization, the
Dikome Cultural and Development Corporation etc. These fragmentations into
tribal hegemonies have no doubt helped to weaken the strength of the Oroko
Cultural Organization which we had in the past. The leaders of the different
tribal groups have taken advantage of the vulnerability of the Oroko Cultural
Organization by solidifying their tribal groupings.
I am a strong believer in tribal groupings; but they should not exist at the
expense of the Oroko Cultural Organization because, it is from these groupings
that issue the strength of the Oroko organization. But unfortunately, some of
the elected leaders of these tribal groups do not amplify the need for a stronger
Oroko Cultural Organization. This partially explains why a Bakundu or a Balue
man will be refused employment in KORUP National Reserve Park simply because he
is not from the Ngolo Batanga area and no Oroko leader of good conscience can
speak against such an atrocious assault on an Oroko person.
There is still hope though for the Oroko people because Oroko Cultural
Organizations seem to thrive in far away areas where these tribal groupings
hardly find numbers to operate in small units. In the absence of huge numbers
of the different tribes, the few that are found in these far away areas like in
Bertoua, have managed to build a solid organization. The Oroko Cultural
Organization in Bertoua has survived where others in different cities in
Cameroon have stumbled. The Bertoua organization is under the dynamic
leadership of Lieutenant John O. Ekumedi from Banga Bakundu. By virtue of the
group’s long existence, the organization should start initiating projects that
would benefit villages in the Oroko area.
An
Overview of Oroko Cultural Organization in the Diaspora
While fragmentation has destroyed the Oroko Cultural Organization in Cameroon
that of the Diaspora, which has played ghost to poor decision-making in the
past, is still about to replicate same. It is true that the organization has
done an impressive work in the creation of two very informative websites
(www.orokousa.org and www.orokogeorgia.org), which a research fellow at Albany
State University in Georgia described as “quite informative and valuable sites
to carry out research studies”. It is also a huge credit to the Oroko
organization in the USA for her more than twenty (20) years of existence. The
leaders have tried enormously to keep the association intact. However, because
this organization is made of different tribal groupings, there is that
unavoidable problem of decision-making by the organization which aims at
satisfying all members of the group.
About 10 years ago, the Oroko organization decided to send books and computers
to open up a Cultural Center in Kumba, Cameroon. The decision to locate a new
center took a different turn when the previously agreed-to facility was
rejected by some members without due consultation, and while the container
was already in Cameroon. The organization spent money for storage and to locate
a new center to keep the books even after spending so much money that could
have been avoided in paying for the original center. The forty (40) feet
container landed in the hands of Hon. Sammy Bokwe who represents the Konye,
Banga Bakundu to the strait through Mbonge. After watching the disharmony that
characterized the Oroko container ordeal, Hon. Bokwe, sensing that the Oroko
People were desperate to have a place to store the books and computers, took
advantage of their slothfulness and converted a lot of these charitable goods
into his private money-making use.
Why didn’t the officials in the United States do a better feasibility study,
which could have entailed benefit-cost-analyses before embarking on the
project? Why is Hon. Sammy Bokwe still a free man after converting books and
equipment worth millions of francs meant for Oroko children in Cameroon into
private use against the consent of the Oroko management in the United States?
What befuddles me the most in this SammyBoks fiasco is that the Oroko people in
the United States honored Hon. Bokwe who suddenly became not-so-honorable by
dishonoring them with the execution of a dishonorable scheme, which entails
theft by conversion of goods donated by Oroko USA to the Oroko Cultural Center
into private use! Why? I am also at a loss to know that the Oroko leadership in
the United States has lost some dynamic and honorable members who left the
organization as a result of the dishonorable and ungodly act of Hon. Sammy
Bokwe and have done nothing about it but are even eager to carry out a similar
project without correcting the demonic act of the past. What lessons have been
learnt from this project whose purpose was laudable but its execution horrible?
Permit me to express my opinion on this SammyBoks fiasco. If asked what I would
do or would have done or still can do if given the permission by the General
Assembly of the Oroko people in the United States to address the malevolent act
of Hon. Sammy Bokwe knowing fully-well that there is no statute of limitation
on theft by conversion of charitable property which was worth about
25,000,000cfa, which is what he did, I would do the following:
1) I will
write a personal but polite letter to Hon. Sammy Bokwe demanding that he gives
back all the organization’s goods he converted into private use
2) Such a
letter shall be copied the Section President of Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic
Movement party (CPDM) of his jurisdiction, who should be aware of our
misgivings and complaints against Hon. Sammy Bokwe
3) All
correspondences to Hon. Sammy Bokwe shall carry a maximum of thirty (30) days
response period. If Hon. Sammy Bokwe fails to acknowledge and act on any of our
correspondence then we shall execute step two---which is,
4) Send
him another letter copying the Speaker of Cameroon National Assembly, the Vice
Speaker of the National Assembly who hails from the South west region, the
Senior Divisional Officer of Meme and the Provincial Superintendent of Police
alerting them of the action the Oroko Cultural Organization in the United
States is about to carry against Hon. Bokwe
5) If
after all these laudable attempts to collect what is rightfully ours and Hon.
Sammy Bokwe fails to acknowledge our case against him, we shall then file both
a civil and criminal complaints against him in the court of law
6)
Finally, as soon as the theft-by-conversion case against Hon. Sammy Bokwe
begins, the Oroko Cultural Organization leadership in the United States should
file a writ to replace him in the House of Parliament as the representative of
the people if he is found guilty of the allegations against him because, the
people cannot afford a dishonest representative representing them.
The reason for this process is to discourage any similar act in the future and
will also encourage those Oroko people who had parted ways with the association
as a result of the SammyBoks fiasco to come back. I still believe that as
serious as the diabolic act committed by Hon. Sammy Bokwe is, the Oroko
organization should not stop its charitable initiative because that is the
purpose of her existence; however, their approach should be thorough now than
ever. This brings us to Oroko Book Drive No.2.
This year again, with the SammyBoks fiasco still fresh in our minds, with a new
leadership this time around, the Oroko Cultural Organization in the United
States is about to embark on a similar project (Book Drive No.2) ---and with
lessons of the past being ignored, which ought to serve as a guide to present
or any future projects, the resistance by some members in the manner of
execution should give Oroko leadership enough reason to proceed with caution.
But sadly, the worries of advocates of a cautious approach are being ignored by
present leadership. In the study of project management, for any project to be
effectively executed, it should have the blessings of the stakeholders (those
who have vested finance interest or those who have contributed monies towards
the realization of the project). The Oroko leadership, which I am part of, has
totally ignored (or is ignoring) the demand of the stakeholders to spend more
time in the planning, execution and sustainability of the Book Drive No.2
project in order to prevent a repeat of the SammyBoks fiasco. As usual,
leadership and management, which have not been the callings of an Oroko person,
have again written its signature or maybe writing its signature all over the
Book Drive No.2 project. The stakeholders who have been beckoning for
leadership to listen to their contributions have been shoved aside; rather,
leadership prefers to listen to the consumers of the product in Cameroon who
have nothing to lose but so much to gain from this project. Why does an Oroko
person demonstrate such aversion towards constructive debates but ever so ready
to display his ego in the “me” against “him” or in the “us” versus “them” battle? Why can consensus within the
Oroko Cultural Organization not be a by-product of a civil debate where
constructive arguments win over personality? Why is it that those who want to
engage in a civil debate to carve out a constructive path towards development
in our area are branded as being “un-Oroko?”
Rest assured that even though the Oroko people do not have the monies that
other cultural groups’ members possess, they are ever so willing to give to and
welcome the needy; but leadership must spur the people to give or perform above
and beyond by taking the initiative to ask the million dollar question to the
stakeholders: how should we proceed with the Book Drive No. 2 project? Only
when this question is answered will monies that seemed so difficult to come at
first glance become a non-issue. The display of ego must give way to idealism
for the Oroko Cultural Organization to grow and succeed in its initiative.
Briefly, while we acknowledge the existence of other Oroko Cultural
Associations in Toronto, South Korea, South Africa and in United Kingdom, all
of them simply represent a social grouping with little or no sense of defined
long-term goals and objectives aimed at improving the lives of the Oroko people
at home. That in the United Kingdom is marred with all kinds of accusations and
a total lack of practical objective. None should see this as a castigation of
the existence of these associations in their respective countries in which they
operate but, an indictment or a referendum for them to wake up and create
practical obtainable objectives that would benefit the members and the Oroko
tribe. These objectives shall entail member responsibility to the group, member
benefits, group objectives thoroughly laid out, which should include projects
execution. These groups cannot exist for the sake of existence; their existence
should show a progression of their activities and accomplishments. Other
non-Oroko cultural groups, especially those of the Northwest region are model
associations that the Oroko Cultural Organization should emulate. Their groups
can provide statistics of what they have done over their years of existence; a
thing the Oroko Cultural Organization cannot show for for over twenty years in
existence, and, with more than a thousand Oroko people living in America, some
of whom do not even want to identify themselves with their Oroko kindred, we
could have had more to show for our existence.
Why are other Cameroonian Cultural
Organizations succeeding?
It is usually very easy to blame the Oroko leadership all over the world for
their incongruity or indiscretion; but it is more glaring if we could start
looking at the activities and successes of other cultural groups, which should
help guide the Oroko people to change their mental approach and start doing
things differently for the organization. Perhaps, before we engage in
comparative assessment of the Oroko organization and those of other tribes, let
us take a closer look at the attitude of an Oroko person in display here. It is
my humble opinion that the attitude of an Oroko person is the root cause of our
problems.
In order to hold Oroko leadership totally responsible for problems of the Oroko
organizations in Cameroon and in the Diaspora let’s examine the character of
the members of our organization. In order for any organization to grow, it has
to depend on the strength of its people. The Oroko people must be held
accountable for the pitfalls of the organization. It is here that we say "Itongi
basusu e retaka" (our endeavors become lighter if all
of us lend our support to the cause). Why?
a) We are
ingrates. We know how to beg for monies from businesses and individuals who
sympathize with our plight but refuse to acknowledge those businesses and
individuals with a simple thank you. We simply grab what they give us and
disappear with their feelings. Our donor can only be respected if we
acknowledge them. To this therefore, I suggest that we start repairing the
broken relationships and not make them the responsiblity of the next sets
of leaders to do because it will be too late then.
b) They
do not attend meetings where decisions are made;
c) They
always sit behind and complain of the decision rendered in meetings which they
did not attend;
d) They
also hardly pay their monthly dues which should be used to run and develop the
organization;
e)
Reluctance to accept change or accept opinions of others during debates without
being confrontational;
f) They
prefer to have personal credit as they demonstrate their “I” and “Me” rather
than group credit as it ought to be displayed in the use of “we did it” and “it
is as a result of our collective efforts that we….”
g) They
want to constantly borrow from the organization and not pay back, and if the
organization resists their financial requests, they boycott from the
organization; and finally,
h) They
do not want to volunteer their time in doing the things that will reinforce the
organization. The only such association that I know of where members are ever
so willing to pay their monthly contributions used to carry out projects is the
Georgia Chapter of the Oroko Cultural Association in the United States. The
Georgia chapter, even though a model chapter today, where members do not borrow
from the coffers, is going through a transformational stage whereby members
think more of how to help people back in Cameroon by not only paying the
National association’s dues but chapter dues as well. If we can have men and
women of good conscience who think more of a stronger and better Oroko
organization, then we have arrived to save the day for our people.
The greatest achievements of the Oroko Cultural Association in the United
States and elsewhere to date are the construction of a website that has helped
to expose the people to the rest of the world and the introduction of the
organization as a Non-profit organization (designated as a 501(3)C in the
United States. Besides these two, nothing of measureable propensity exists.
Now, what separates other cultural organizations from the Oroko organization?
Let us examine similar organizations here in the United States like those of
the Northwest Region. Many of the cultural organizations’ existence in the
North west region is measured by their deeds (achievements), that is, how much
they give back to their communities in Cameroon. This is the standard of
measurement the writer is using to compare and evaluate the deeds of the Oroko
Cultural Organizations in United States and elsewhere to their counterparts
similarly located. Take for example the Wimbum Cultural Organization (from
Donga Mantung division); in the Northwest region in the United States that
raised about $15,000.00 in a single day (there is a document as proof). The
same group, whose size is not even comparable to the Oroko Cultural Association
in the United States, has sponsored pipe-borne water project for ten (10)
villages over the years but the Oroko Cultural Association has never done a
project of measureable standard which should stand as a replica for her more
than twenty (20) years in existence. Again, the failed Oroko Cultural Center in
Kumba cannot stand as a credit for her 20 years in existence, sadly enough. But
credit should be given to those who conceived and executed the idea and caution
be given to any future Oroko project lacking in planning and execution. It is
also worthwhile to mention that there are some private initiatives taken by
some Oroko individuals like the Angel Organization championed by Dr. Mercy
Mabian (www.angelsfororokochildren.com)
and initiatives taken by two sisters who reside in New York (from Ekuwe Balue)
in providing financial assistance to needy pupils and students in their
village.
The Bali Cultural Organization is another example of a successful cultural
organization in the United States worth emulating . About 10 years
ago, the association started with its first project to construct public
restrooms (toilets) around the Market Square for sanitation purpose. The
association also provides scholarships to students from classes 3 through
5 (the rationale for selecting students in these classes is because they are
the classes with the highest drop-out rates); they sent a Medical Team from the
USA to provide healthcare for their citizens; they built a Mortuary and
currently, they are embarking on a Multi-purpose housing project. Rest assured
that the idea of a multi-purpose center had been conceived by Oroko Cultural
Organization more than 10 years ago but bickering amongst members has killed
the idea just as it has killed many other ideas to the dismay of our Oroko
people in Cameroon.
Another organization which the Oroko association can learn from is the Bakossi
Cultural and Development Association---a sister organization from the Southwest
Region. Even though hissed with her own problems, they have
been able to make some improvement in the welfare of their people in their
homeland. The organization is the first amongst cultural organizations to
institute a Mobile Clinic in their area to go around providing healthcare
especially to those who, because of the rough topography are unable to reach
the nearby clinics or health centers which are always miles apart. In their
last convention, they agreed that all Bakossi of working age would contribute
$500.00 to go towards the rehabilitation of the rural roads since they can no
longer wait for the slow pace of the Cameroon government. The organization has
also two libraries (one in Tombel and the other in Bangem) with computers in
both.
The Afo-Akom organization of the Northwest region in the United States
also held their annual convention in Atlanta this year same period as the
Oroko Convention. I want to Oroko people to see the level of organization and
committee to the cause of the Afu-Akom organization vis-à-vis the Oroko
Cultural Organization:
a) In
their Friday event, while the Afo-Akom people levied members $75.00 to attend
their cultural evening event, the Oroko people opened the gates for all
to-come-and-see for free and gave them food and drinks as well for gratis.
b) While
the Afo-Akom organization levied a similar amount as was in her Friday event as
gate-fee, the Oroko organization levied $25.00 as gate-fee and many got in free
without paying---and this was supposed to be a fundraising event to better the
lives of their people and their area in Cameroon.
c) While
the Afo-Akom organization leadership produced a financial statement a few days
after the convention, which enabled the group to assess their strategies for
their next convention, the Oroko Cultural Association has been unable, two
months later, to produce a single report to assess the impact of the convention
and a re-evaluation (or evaluation) of the group’s activities.
d) While
disclosure and the utilization of effective communication tools have been the
hallmark of the Afo-Akom organization and many other Cameroonian cultural
groups, the Oroko Cultural Association has not been forthcoming with
information order than that which she wants members to continue to donate
without questioning leadership on how they are managing the association. Since
leadership gets its powers from the people, they should at all
times submit to the people when called upon. Nonchalance can never be
a substitute for good leadership.
e) While
people from other cultural groups see voluntary giving as a necessary tool for
social development and economic empowerment and advancement, the Oroko
people instead attend their annual events to showcase their expensive outfits.
And their inability to contribute freely during annual conventions like people
of other cultural groups do cannot be characterized as lack of knowledge in
understanding the urgent needs in our area but a complete lack of scruples.
I will reiterate that write-ups such as this one are not intended to indict any
particular person(s). Its sole purpose is to highlight the urgent need for the
Oroko man to start realizing that our old ways of doing things should give way
to new ones. We are often haunted by a psychological condition I call
schizophrenia (sensing things which are not practical, or believing that you
are the only keeper of truth or even being suspicious of others in making up
things about others which are not true) than a bigger picture, which is
intended to open the alley for meaningful dialogue, is often derailed by our
lack of vision and scruple.
Can Oroko Cultural Organization be
a force in development?
Visionary leaders are in short supply in the Oroko communities; leaders who
would put the community over self; leaders who would genuinely spur people in
the community to do extra-ordinary things, thereby enabling our Oroko
communities to flourish and be models to other communities in Cameroon. Or, is
it safe to assume that the good days that an Oroko man saw unity in development
as a tool of progress are over? Can our forebears be happy that it is taking us
more than twenty (20) years to accomplish anything of significance as an
organization? I will speak for them that it is long overdue for us to start
setting smaller goals and incrementally be accomplishing them than set loftier
goals and end up with nothing in the end as it has often been the case.
The
question I ask is how can the Oroko Cultural Organization in the United States
of America be a force in development in our Oroko land?
The following will provide
partial solutions and/or directions to the way forward for the Oroko man.
1) In the
preamble of the Oroko Cultural Association's National constitution, it states
that, “as a unit, we shall aggressively promote education and economic
development in Cameroon and in the United States for our people”. But for over
twenty (20) years of our existence as an organization, we have been unable to
accomplish either of these two? Have our leaders been unable to define and
control the destiny of the Oroko people through their deeds. Any president in
any organization is remembered after s/he leaves office from her/his
accomplishments or legacy. Which Oroko president can securely pinpoint what
they have accomplished in our land that has stood the test of time? This
is what has to change. Each president, long gone, should be able to pinpoint
what they did, for instance, in establishing pipe-borne water to this,
that or the other village during their tenure in office. None of them can
take such a credit.
2) We
should be able to sponsor projects from here that will enable university
students write research papers on issues about development in our area as part
of their school programs. For example, Oroko students could provide statistics
on how we can effectively improve the economic life for Oroko women who are
usually the pillars of our homes but who do not have the necessary finances to
support their wishes. With such documents, the Board of Directors of the
association, on recommendation from the Project Committee, would be
able to proffer assistance from different sources to enable the Oroko
women improve on their economic life as spelt out in the constitution. And such
a research venture is do-able and costs less.
3)
Leadership should never separate themselves from the people no matter how
thorny the people tend to make the execution of their functions be. The ability
to communicate, even in difficult moments, should be a tool that leaders should
possess and use distinctively. It is only when our leaders effectively
communicate their intentions to us, and we are given the opportunity to
appreciate their ideas and viewpoints that problems, that seemed difficult to
resolve at first glance, are resolved. Our leaders have often been at war with
the masses who voted them into office for reasons unclear to me. I will
encourage dialogue between the leaders and the people who expect better from
them.
4)
Normally, if the organization was well organized, that is, leadership backed
with accomplishments, it could serve as an inspiration and a source where
leaders from Oroko land could be tapped from. It could be an organization where
trusted leaders of tomorrow are trained. There are no major enterprises in our
area besides PAMOL, where a few of our people are in top managerial positions
that we can scrutinize and select leaders for the future from. The Oroko
organizations should therefore be institutionalized to train future leaders to
represent the people.
5) In
order for our organization to have strength, we need a strong economic base.
The Oroko Cultural Organization should establish an economic base in Cameroon
in the construction of a Multi-purpose Cultural Center. This center, if well
planned, will not only create employment to Oroko people but shall be a
money-making center that would generate finances for future Oroko projects.
This center’s ability to generate money in the long run will reduce the
organization’s overdependence on members for finance. Even if the organization
has to depend on members, it won’t be as before. This idea could have been
thought of before but could not be implemented to its full strength because of
the SammyBoks fiasco which dampened the trust of the people.
6)
Volunteering our time towards the establishment of a better Oroko Cultural
Association is one of the many ways we can enable our people and our
association reach prominence. Whatever edifice we need to erect in Cameroon
should be with the voluntary hands of the Oroko people from start to finish.
7)
Finally, in order for the initiatives taken by the Oroko leadership to have a
greater impact or awareness, Oroko people all over the world should be
subscribed to the leading Oroko communication e-group, Orokonet (Oroko Oboso)
at www.orokonet@yahoogroups.com. It is a common parlance that “Information is
Power,” so, we have to use this forum to spread or propagate our dogma. Once we
have this greater audience to receive our message, then, we will start putting
the information into use. That is where we say “Actionable information instead
of information, is Real Power” and I know we are all capable to make this a
reality.
The Oroko Cultural Association in the United States must recognize the all too
important role of the grassroots before they make any final decision. The
organization can and should never ignore the people whom they would always come
to for help. Similarly, the Oroko Cultural Association should be willing to
learn from other cultural organizations, better placed to give advice. After
all, we should always be willing to learn from other people’s mistakes or from
our own mistakes ifwe intend to make a difference. The Oroko organization has
made mistakes in the past and repeating the same things and expecting different
results is similar to an individual who sells eggs in the market but who is
always the first to start up a brawl in the market and expecting his eggs not
to be broken (credit to Betondi James for this proverb).
***Jackson W. Nanje, a native of Dikome
Balue, is a leading scholar in the emancipation of the Oroko people
of Ndian and Meme divisions in the Republic of Cameroon. I belief that none but
ourselves shall free our minds***
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