The African Football Confederation (CAF) says Cameroon would not have been ready to host even a four nations tournament citing epic corruption by Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and frightening levels of insecurity

"The fact that Cameroon has appeared in Amnesty International Report twice or thrice as the world’s most corrupt country should encourage the leaders to treat this latest thievery as a matter of emergency  to prove to the world that much is being done in Cameroon today to combat corruption." JWN

ByJackson W. Nanje

For government leaders of the Republic of Cameroon to think that Cameroonians would let go of the massive corruption that led to the cancellation of their rights to host the African Cup of Nations, it is mind-boggling. While we must continue to regret the lost opportunity of not hosting the 2019 and maybe the 2021 African Cup of Nations due to gross mismanagement by FECAFOOT authorities, to turn a blind eye and not examine what went wrong to hold individuals found guilty of the gross mismanagement responsible, it will be a risky undertaken. In a civilized society its leaders would immediately summon a special commission to investigate what went wrong and fix the problem(s) from ever reoccurring, again. Not in Cameroon, where its leaders have sunken to an expected low. It should be noted too that, funds donated by CAF and FIFA governing bodies to Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), have a history of being mismanaged. And this will continue to manifest because of the hands-free attitude of officials at the Justice Ministry, who have hardly held the embezzling perpetrators responsible except for Cameroon’s FECAFOOT Chief, Iya Mohammed. A slew of individuals must be responsible for these thieveries inside FECAFOOT and the government should be very proactive at investigating and bringing charges on those responsible for these criminal acts.

We, at Nanje School of Creative Thinking believe that, there are underlying layers of corruption that has caused CAF authorities to withdraw Cameroon’s victorious bid of 2014. And even after several inspections and warnings to Cameroon authorities to get their acts together, a lot was still to be desired of them. Conversely, to not investigate what went wrong and hold each person found directly guilty for this abject rejection by CAF, responsible, it will be undermining the Cameroonian people who have invested mightily thus far in anticipation of potential economic earnings. It will also be a mark of an irresponsible government which does not seek to be accountable to the governed. CAF is watching over Cameroon to see if the only reform they will institute for the aborted 2019 hosting is removal of old corrupt individuals by way of election absent of investigation and punishment of leaders of this corrupt institution.

Incompetence, arrogant and unconscionable tribesmen in control of power and money, who are equally lacking in character, defiant and shameless in their corrupt ways and practices, apologetic to none, are just a few kind words to describe Cameroon leaders in reference to the decision of the recent cancellation of the hosting rights of the coveted African Nations’ Cup tournament. We should not be ashamed to call the so-called leaders shameless because that’s what they are. The Cameroon nation would have been just one of the few African countries that have been opportune to host this tournament more than ones. But seven months before the tournament Cameroon boasts not of any completed infrastructure to merit the hosting of the tournament. Cameroon leaders did not see the importance and the privilege bestowed unto the country by CAF until when it withdrew its bid. They messed up like they have done with many other hosting privileges due to their corrupt and criminal minds and deeds. And for any Cameroonian who does not express outright outrage for the corrupt practices of some, it will be criminal as well.

Knowing fully well that President Paul Biya had recently assured CAF officials of Cameroon’s levels of preparedness following a meeting facilitated by Samuel Eto’o, who promised that come 2019, Cameroon must have addressed all of CAF’s immediate and major concerns. The assurances were still not enough to sway the minds of CAF’s officials. However, the biggest concern to CAF officials was the frightening levels of insecurity in the country primarily caused by President Paul Biya for his failure and inability to address the Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West Regions, Boko Haram in the North Regions and post-elections insecurities through out the country. The documented insecurities throughout the country and President Biya's inability to resolve these uncertainties was somehow more of a problem to CAF officials than the embezzlement of funds. It is a fact that CAF provided more than 3billion FCFA to the hosting nation. But after four years, all what Cameroon ought to have done are still yawning and yearning for help while there are frightening levels of embezzlement of funds noted .

It is true that while President Biya who regrettably won another seven years mandate much to the chagrin of most Cameroonians has hardly claimed ownership of any of Cameroon’s problems. If he did, he should have notified CAF much earlier that the job will not be completed in time for the tournament. He spared himself that embarrassment because he was desperate for CAF money and to cover up the massive looting that was taking place at FECAFOOT.

                        History of thievery at FECAFOOT 

Many in Cameroon undoubtedly believe that FECAFOOT is the most corrupt agency in Cameroon. Read this report published in 2006 detailing corruption of the agency then as it is today. Nothing, indeed, has changed about the agency.  https://www.postnewsline.com/2006/03/fecafoot_is_the.html Others say the Cameroon Customs are the most corrupt. While some have picked the Police Department as the leading corrupt agency. But there are others who believe sincerely that, Cameroonians are born corrupt. The spectacle of which agency in Cameroon is more corrupt than the other is not something Cameroonians should take lightly because it does not project a positive image to the rest of the world. These inter-agencies competition to determine which agency is the most corrupt one has held back progress of the country.

The construction of the stadiums to host the African Nations Cup (2019) is the latest annoying incidence of corrupt practice by FECAFOOT, which compelled CAF to withdraw the bid from Cameroon We  are aware that FECAFOOT is blessed with a pool of talented footballers who ply their trade outside of the country; however, many of them have unprecedentedly rejected to play for Cameroon because FECAFOOT officials’ demand that they bribe their way to the national team. How frightening! Kylian Mbappe, the prodigy who now plays for France was offered to Cameroon by his father, Wilfred Mbappe, but he was told by this same FECAFOOT officials to bribe his way into the team. We lost a prodigy because of these corrupt individuals who seek personal good rather than country good.

Let us look at this investigative report done by some very good reporters: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/oct/24/football-corruption-cameroon-nigeria-ivory-coast  

The Cameroon parliament appropriated $24m for a stadium renovation project. No work took place. Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Three African countries have representatives on the FIFA Executive Committee. Here are some of the findings of the Forum for African Investigative Reporters' report into the state of football in those countries

CAMEROON

Some of the world's biggest companies like to be associated with Cameroon, who have played in more World Cups than any other African nation. Players such as Roger Milla and Samuel Eto'o are good for marketing. The sponsorship money appears to have done little good for football, though. Chief Bisong Etahoben and Franklin Sone Bayen report that:

■ The most powerful man in Cameroon football is Issa Hayatou, a FIFA executive member. Two of his brothers are ministers, and there has been a Hayatou in every Cameroonian government for 50 years. A reporter who tried to investigate Hayatou's wealth earlier this year is in hiding after being beaten and threatened.

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■ Mobile phone company MTN pumped in $600,000 of an $800,000 project to renovate several stadiums. The other $200,000 was to come from FECAFOOT, the Cameroonian FA, but instead, $146,000 ended up in the pockets of the then sports minister, Thierry Augustin Edzoa, so that he could "breathe easier", he said after the payment. The work never happened. The $600,000 is unaccounted for.

■ Parliament appropriated more than $24m for another stadium renovation project. No work took place, the country's two main stadiums are more dilapidated than ever and there is nothing to show for the money.

■ FECAFOOT office staff threatened to go on strike after being unpaid for 44 months. FIFA sent money for the wages to be paid: officials stumped up 16 months' back pay and pocketed the rest.

■ A FECAFOOT official took $16,000 expenses for an air ticket after saying his original ticket had been lost. He boarded the plane using the first ticket and kept the $16,000

In addition to the afore-mentioned reasons, Cameroon Football Federation has suffered from the wrath of FIFA for its interference in FECAFOOT elections in 2006 despite FIFA’S warning not to do so. In 2013 again, FIFA warned Cameroon to have a hands-off in the FECAFOOT elections to avoid any corrupt practice Click and read the rest of this report detailing more of Cameroon’s interference. https://choforche.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/bad-governance-and-corruption-in-the-cameroon-football-federation-fecafoot-leads-to-suspension-by-the-worlds-football-federation-fifa-chofor-che/

                            How Unprepared was Cameroon?

The officers running the African Cup of Nations had a cause to refuse Cameroon the hosting rights to the 2019 tournament. CAF saved Cameroon the embarrassment by not exposing her to her lack of preparedness. Nothing would have been ready in time for the athletes and world to converge in Cameroon. A country hosting the biggest African soccer tournament is yet to address the problem of lack of infrastructure.

The last African Women Cup of Nations that was organized in Cameroon was a disaster and it demonstrated how unprepared Cameroon was and still is in hosting any tournament of this size, scope and magnitude. The roads leading to and out of the stadia are narrow and cannot handle the volume of traffic expected during the tournaments. Cameroon officials must ensure that the roads are wide enough and have multiple entry ways and outlets, to ease traffic congestion and road rage.

Cameroon authorities must establish the American equivalence of AAA, an agency that inspects hotels and give their ratings. For example, they determine which hotel is one star, two stars, three stars, four stars and five stars. This gives the hotel owners the opportunity to continuous strive towards good standards to reward them with customer satisfaction. Conversely, the AAA ratings give consumers the opportunity to select hotels that meet their standards. Sadly, there’s no neutral and competent agency to conduct this service without the bias or expectation of receiving a kickback for an undeserved rating.

And, as if the above cited reasons are not apprehensive enough and gravely ignored, the issue of internal security is major cause of concern. For a country that’s about to host a major football tournament, the least of her concerns ought not to be security. But this is a huge concern not only for non-Cameroonians but for Cameroonians as well. In the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon, where the tournament should have equally been hosted, more than 500,000 people have been brutally killed by government soldiers. Kidnapping for ransom is on the rise and many have left their homes into neighboring Nigeria. Schools have been closed for more than two years and child birth have increased exponentially in these regions. With all these numerous problems which are not been solved, Cameroon still have the temerity to tell CAF that her house is in order. No, it is not! The Separatist fighters have scored a major victory by depriving Cameroon government a huge economic and financial reward after the tournament. In the Northern Region of Cameroon where the tournament shall be played also, Cameroon is still fighting Bok Haram. Furthermore, the country is still dealing with post-elections insecurities as the opposition parties still believe that President Biya stole victory from the opposition candidate. It is therefore alright for Cameroonians to side with CAF that the time for Cameroon to host the tournament despite its fragile preparations, is not now but in the future when all these fragilities must have been resolved.

                   How did Cameroon suffer an Economic Blow?

It is unquestionable that Cameroon businesses have suffered a major economic blow due to CAF’s decision to withdraw Cameroon’s right to host the tournament. The 2019 Cup of Nations is the first edition with twenty-four (24) nations, eight (8) more nations than the previous years. Meaning, more people were expected in an unprepared country than we’ve ever had. It is not shocking to hear from CAF officials that the country could not have been ready to host even a four nations tournament let alone an enlarged twenty-four nations tournament at the start of the competition. With Cameroon’s history of corruption Cameroonians knew all along that corrupt men were going to collapse the CAF project in Cameroon simply because of their dishonesty. Cameroon leaders are finding out how morally decayed they are and how they have exposed themselves to the rest of the world about how corrupt they are. But in Cameroon, where breaking they law can go unpunished, thievery is rampant. While we cannot undermine the significant amount of resources that the government has devoted thus far in the organization of the tournament, it however did not make much of a difference when the realities of the tournament failing were obvious.

In anticipation of the tournament, private individuals in nearby and hosting cities had diverted significant amount of their resources so they could get a return in their investments but will now suffer a great loss for their sacrifices. Individuals took loans from banks to build homes, restaurants and other accommodations for visitors. All that have failed, and somehow, they must pay these loans back to the banks.

                                            Conclusion

I am in a state of shock to read of the selfishness and the corrupt mentality that most Cameroonians portray even in things that will bring great utility to their people. I am even more shocked to learn that many of the individuals engaged in this thievery at FECAFOOT shall go Scott-free. The government is too slow at apprehending criminals engaged in activities of embezzlement for they are more reactive )inspect the project only after a whistle blower has citied irregularities) rather that proactive (inspect the project at every stage of the construction to minimize wrongdoings). To encourage Cameroonians to have the level of consciousness present in many emerging African democracies investigations and arrests must be done; and, judgement and imprisonment must be swift as well. The fact that Cameroon has appeared in Amnesty International twice or thrice as the world’s most corrupt country should encourage the leaders to treat this latest thievery as a matter of emergencyto prove to the world that much is being done in Cameroon today to combat corruption.

The Lost and Revered Leader of the Bakossiland---His Royal Highness, Chief Nhon Mbwog R.M. Ntoko

     

                                                                                                                               

By Randolph Nkwelle

Devoted followers of the sociopolitical history of the Bakossiland during the emblematic reign of H.R.H Nhon Mbwog R.M. Ntoko, would bear testimony to the fact that nothing has been normal since his death in June 23rd, 2001. A lot of strange occurrences such as kidnappings, deaths and of most recent rapes, have been occurring in Tombel, which is reminiscence of the atmosphere in Shakespeare’s Macbeth following the brutal assassination of King Duncan. It is therefore evident that the death of Chief Ntoko created a leadership vacuum within the Bakossi Community and are yearning for a return of those days. This writer believes that if Chief Ntoko were alive today, then all the calamities befalling the Tombel populace wouldn’t have been happening in the first place because he could easily have known how to bring resolutions to these multiple problems. Chief R.M. Ntoko, just as his father, Chief Fritz Ntoko Epie, had built a personality for himself that made it too difficult for his detractors to challenge him. Generally, he was a symbol of the Bakossi clan and a darling to the people of Tombel.

Some historians have it that the Bakossi crisis of 1966 had as its immediate cause the murder of Emmanuel Ebong ‘Etane Kode who was mistaken for Chief Mambo Ntoko in Nken village by individuals who were terrorizing the Bakossi clan at the time. In his book titled Tombel Sub-Division and Council: Administrative and Municipal Evolution, S.N.Ejedepang-Koge wrote, “following the incessant attacks of terrorism, the assassination of four prominent Bakossi at the village of Nken was the immediate cause of the explosion, particularly because of one of those murdered, a retired Custom and Excise Officer Mr. Emmanuel Ebong ‘Etane Kode, was erroneously reported to be Nhon’ Mbwog Chief Richard Mambo Ntoko.

The story is told about terrorists, commonly known as maquisards, who believed that by getting hold of Chief Ntoko they would have easily gotten into the stronghold of the Bakossi community. This was simply because they saw in him a leader who could easily mobilize his people to fight back. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t the case. Due to the incredible services that Chief Ntoko rendered to the Bakossi community during the Bakossi-Bamileke crisis, the Bakossi Chiefs together with the Behons (members of the highest traditional council) decided to confer the title of Paramount Chief of the Bakossi on him in 1968. Chief Ntoko used his meritorious title to settle disputes and other delicate matters which he thought hindered the progress and development in his community. Despite his many interventions in the lives of the Bakossi people, Ntoko still did not go without having detractors. But he however always made sure that he used his iron fist to hit hard on those who wanted to undermine his leadership. His greatest challengers were mostly other Second-Class Chiefs especially those from Bangem Sub-division, who would often question the legitimacy of his Paramount Chieftaincy. As a result of these distractions, Chief Ntoko until his death in 2001 was never promoted to a First-Class Chief as it had always been his wish to match-up with his other contemporaries in the South West Region. The simple reason was that those Bakossi elites who willed power at the time, despite being in positions where they could influence by lobbying his case, decided to be nonchalant.

As a true genuine custodian of the Bakossi culture and one who understood the benefits of coming together for a common good, the no-nonsense chief was quick to notice the aggressive atmosphere that existed when Prof Ngole Ngolle Elvis was appointed as Minister in charge of Special duties at the Presidency of the Republic in December of 1997. Most Bakossi elites, especially those who were vying for ministerial positions, argued that Prof Elvis Ngole Ngolle, a political scientist, was too young and was not knowledgeable in the Bakossi sociocultural realities to have earned him the ministerial appointment. Looking forward, they were right because the young minister was quite inconsistent in the way he applied himself on the day to day running of the ministry.

 As a result of these hostilities, fear had been embedded in him to the point where he refused to be ushered into the ceremonial grounds by the Behons as it has often been the tradition with such visits during his homecoming in Bangem in 1998. His fears were not only imaginary, but they were real and S.N. Ejedepang-Koge had summed it in his book titled, “Myth or Reality? The Life of the late Hon Thomas Ebongalame: 1934-1989” where it was alleged that the Honorable Ebongalame was poisoned in Bangem in the course of a traditional libation during the Bangem Cultural Development Association’s (BACUDA) tenth anniversary. When Chief Ntoko noticed this, he decided to step in to revamp the situation. As Livinus Esambe equally puts it in his book titled The Biography of S.N. Ejedepang-Koge: Teacher, Writer, Man of Culture, he wrote, “concerned by the persistence that friction provoked at various instances by the Minister’s actions, Nhon Mbwog Richard Mambo stepped in to calm the situation. He used the Kupe-Mwanenguba Chiefs’ Conference as a pretext, to organize a grand meeting of Chiefs and Elites in his Tombel Palace.” That was indeed the fixer and the leader. He never waited to be told what to do because he knew exactly what needed to be done at the appropriate time. This is exactly what is lacking in the current Bakossi leadership. Nowadays, situations are left to deteriorate with no one showing any concern to fix them. Worse still, some of our chiefs actively take part in things that only help to debase their chiefdom. Examples of such are their mad quest for money and the selling of land that belongs to the community. These are things that would never had happen during the reign of Chief Ntoko.

Additionally, a lot of stories have been told concerning Chief Ntoko with some being true or imaginary. It's alleged that when he spoke to administration officials sent to work in the Bakossiland, he wouldn't mind pouring out his venom on them when he noticed that his authority was being challenged or minimized. This was all due to his charismatic nature and his desire to get things right for his people. His presence alone created fear and he could care less if you were a super elite or not. One terrible nuisance about him was the fact that, he always slept during ceremonies especially at the ground stand and that he would often use the shoulder of anyone sitting next to him as his pillow.  He was passively aggressive and nasty to anyone who attempted to get him up. If luck weren’t on your side that day, you would be welcomed with a slap or he would simply scold at you. Due to his actions, people always found it very uncomfortable each time they sat next to him in any given occasion. He was a very hardworking but tired leader. During political campaign rallies, Ntoko would opt to go to those very hot zones like Bouba, Etam and Ebonji, which were opposition strongholds inhabited mostly by settlers. He would wheel the people to respect the rights of the minority by voting for the party in which he militated else, they would face the political consequences. Chief Ntoko was a man of strong convictions, whose edicts went hardly unopposed.

The reign of Nhon Mbwog Ntoko marked the end of an era particularly when we draw comparison with present day occurrences in the Bakossi community. Political appointees and elected officials today who have taken over the leadership have been reckless vis-à-vis the respect for traditional institutions, which have been relegated to the background. It’s not uncommon today to find some of these leaders pouring down insults on our chiefs with some being nicknamed or worn with the garment of “langa chief” --- a symbolism for a hunger-stricken chief. This is simply because chiefs are seen these days moving around begging, something which the self-sufficient Chief Ntoko would never do. He would prefer to stay and entertain the gifts in his Palace rather than panhandle on the streets as it is presently the case. Even when young visionaries like Herbert Ediage Apande who is the current National President of the Tombel Cultural Development Association (TACUDA) endeavor to come up with plans on how to solve some of the burning issues affecting the Tombel populace, he is always often considered as an intruder hence, killing his good intentions.

The ongoing sociopolitical upheaval plaguing Cameroon today has not left the Bakossi people indifferent. And what is dramatically more surprising is the fact that Nyasoso (precisely GHS Nyasoso), which happens to be the home town of Chief Ntoko, has shamefully become the headquarters of those bringing terror in Bakossiland. These are things that wouldn’t have happened in the days of Chief Ntoko. The situation seemed to have deteriorated resulting in the burning down of houses and the killing of innocent citizen and recently, the raping of a young boy. All because there’s no one who can stand up and make his voice heard. For those who are well versed with the history of Nyasoso and the throne, they can bear testimony. Tradition holds that when a chief dies the throne can never remain vacant. However, it is the opposite here because Chief Ntoko is gone, and even though there is a successor, the throne is vacant. It has been a difficult ordeal for anyone to fit in the shoes of Nhon Mbwog Richard Mambo Ntoko. We are yet to see a leader in Bakossi and Tombel like Chief Ntoko.

Women's Day is Celebrated on March 8---How significant is this day for Cameroon Women?

"A Cameroon woman should constantly compare her notes with those in advanced countries to push societal reforms year-round. And protest led by women in any society is a sound instrument that a Cameroonian army or police’s tear gas cannot deter. Women should therefore take to the streets to draw societal awareness to their plight." JWN

ByJackson W. Nanje

It was the American Socialist Party that first highlighted the importance of women in our society in 1909 and gave reasons for their recognition all over the world. The following year, in 1910, an International Socialists Women’s Conference was held in New York and crystalized the idea that Women’s Day be held annually. However, it was only after the Soviet Women gained suffrage (right to vote) in 1917 that March 8 was adopted as the Day of the women. It is important to point out that the United States women gain their rights to vote only after the Soviet women did, in 1920. The United Nations only finally recognized the significance of this day to women in 1975.

The International Women’s Day (IWD) is today celebrated all over the world on March 8 with exceptions to a few countries. It is a day that women revel in their accomplishments, rather loudly and their significant others watch them with joyful consternation. In some countries, women use this day not only to celebrate womanhood but to protest the government of their respective countries for more reforms that affect them. The Cameroon women equally have set this day aside to celebrate their accomplishments. The question we are tempted to ask every time we reflect on the ill-fated faith of the Cameroonian woman is, is there a discernible list of accomplishments that they can show for all these years that they have been celebrating March 8?

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The goal of this report is not to deprive a Cameroon woman from celebrating what's deserved, but for them to enumerate such accomplishments which are worthy to celebrate. It should be brought to the Cameroonian woman’s attention that the central idea of this day is to create awareness of the civil rights accomplishments and violations of women in Cameroon. However, what we have noticed lately are pictures of Cameroonian woman dancing their way to drinking parlors and bars to highlight the significance of March 8 celebration to them instead of pointing out their accomplishments and set new milestones for themselves. 

Let’s enumerate some of the shortcomings that have overshadowed their accomplishments and redirect their focus on tangible accomplishments.

1.   CICAM: This is the company that provides fabrics which more than 16million Cameroonian women buy at 8,000fcfa and wear every March 8 at the total sum of 128trillion fcfa. This company that is richly left every March 8 does not and has nothing of significance to support any program geared at enhancing women’s welfare yet, women support CICAM with unfathomable amounts of money each year and get nothing in return from the company. It is therefore about time for women to hold CICAM accountable and to push them to spend part of that money to support women and girl’s programs. And that if they don’t comply, they should look for alternatives.

2.   Celebrating the Past and Planning for the future. Cameroonian women celebrate the Women’s Day and not any past accomplishments because there is not a distinct accomplishment worth celebrating. Additionally, there are no enumerated future milestones that the Cameroonian women have set for themselves known to all and sundry. This should be done.

3.   Women and Human Rights: In our Cameroon society, where men control every aspect of government and women are relegated to the fringes despite comprising much of the population, it is unconscionable for women to use March 8 as a day of celebration; rather, it should be used as a day of mourning. Also, there’s still widespread domestic abuse and the courts are still dominated by men who have no regard to protect women’s rights. This day should be used to push for more of these rights for themselves.

4.   Women uniting for Peace: Women have always represented the bastion for peace throughout the world and we, the men, recognize this unique role of theirs. It is however regrettable that in Cameroon the military, the police officers and the government they represent do not see women as peace makers that they are. There is nothing to celebrate for on this March 8 when majority of the women in the Southwest and Northwest Regions are sleeping in bushes in untidy conditions and the government is ambivalent about their conditions and the roles that they should play.

5.   Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are strategic milestones aimed at achieving the following: to eradicate poverty and hunger, to promote gender equality and empower women, to achieve universal primary education, to reduce child mortality rate, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability and to develop a global partnership for development. Some of these MDG goals are being achieved but a lot more still must be done, to educate women on where to get funding to meet these goals. An average Cameroon woman does not even understand that there is funding for these strategic development programs that is, if they know such programs even exist.

6.    Women in Decision-making and the "Me-too" Movement: Women in Cameroon cannot continue to celebrate March 8 because there are hardly any discernible accomplishments worthy of celebration in a nation where they constitute more than 52% of the population and yet, only less than 10% of this percentage is involved in decision-making in the government. There’s something fundamentally wrong with the decision to exclude women in an equitable percentage especially when we know that they have a higher university graduation rate than men. And it is also our understanding that a country that has more women in decision-making is less corrupt. So, the issue of Cameroon women celebrating Women’s Day on March 8 speaks less of incisive accomplishments but more on their willingness to spend time in nigh clubs and bars. The "Me-too" movement is today, in the United States o America, holding men who have harassed women in the workplace and in some cases, requiring of them to acquiesce to their sexual platitudes in order to receive promotions, accountable. Because of the known sexual harassments by promiscuous men in the Cameroon workplace, women should adopt the Me-too method so as to eradicate these sexually aggressive men from society.
     

7.   Ending impunity for violence against women and girls: Cameroon is largely a patrilineal society with laws still favorable of men. Women still suffer from domestic violence and in the most part, the existing laws in the books do not address their plight. Women’s Day should therefore be a day of reckoning, to point out societal lapses in addressing violence against women. In advanced societies, women are succeeding in bringing harsh punishment to men who perpetrate violence against women and girls. The society benefits when these vices against women are addressed. Therefore, celebration of this day should point out solvency rate of this problem and should not celebrate when violence against women are still prevalent in our society.

8.   Equal access to Education, Training, and Science and Technology; Pathway to Decent Work to Women: When you educate and train women, you have a productive society. Furthermore, when you educate women in science and technology, you gain transforming a society of dedicated humans. A woman’s attitude towards work is what pays dividend more so than that of a man. The Cameroon government and the civil society should encourage science and technology and vocational education for women and not only for men because it is the pathway to having a decent wage for women. And when this happens, individual household and families benefit. Our Cameroon women should make this a cornerstone to earning a sustainable living and, when gains are made annually, they should be obliged to celebrate their achievements.

Based on the few points we have mentioned to arouse the consciousness of the Cameroon woman, it is our hope that they should be thinking precisely on the yearly incremental gains they have made to advance their cause and that of society, and then celebrate those accomplishments on March 8. They should not be contented with the few appointments received from the government of Cameroon because, it does not address the bigger problems they face.

A Cameroon woman should constantly compare her notes with women in developed countries to push societal reforms year-round. And protest led by women in any society is a sound instrument that a Cameroonian army or police’s tear gas cannot deter. Women should therefore take to the streets to draw societal awareness to their plight.

Striking a balance between the Separatists and Federalists agendas and charting a pathway for a United Cameroon

By Jackson W. Nanje

Cameroon as a country is divided into ten (10) states or regions as they are commonly referred to nowadays. The country was discovered by the Portuguese (1492) who later named it Rio dos Cameroes (River of Prawns). However, during the European Scramble for Africa in 1884, the territory became German’s. And with the end of World War I, in 1919, the Allied Forces sent the Germans packing out of Cameroon and France and England became the new occupiers of Cameroon. The West of Cameroon was occupied by England and the East by France. The presence of France and England therefore signified that there were two Cameroons with bi-cultural setups. When the two colonial powers left Cameroon in 1960, there began the amalgamation talks between the two Cameroons which, once upon a time (before 1919), was one. But 41years apart had done a lot of damage in the cultural and linguistic set up of the two peoples and there was no magic wand to subject both cultures to the pre-1919 boundaries.

While the French Cameroon was marred with a laissez-faire doctrine in which accountability or auditing was an old-fashion system, the English Cameroon was all about control and accountability to keep the government employees in check. Corruption in the English system was non-existent. because it had been curtailed through the regular auditing system not common in the French Cameroon. So, when the two Cameroons came together again through a Referendum in 1972, doing away with a system that has kept the English Cameroon intact was strange to them. The structures that kept English Cameroon intact were non-existent in French Cameroon and likewise, structures in English Cameroon were gradually replaced over the preceding years with the French-type structures that run contrary to the English Cameroon values and they have continued till date. It is this incremental erosion of the English Cameroon structures and marginalization of their people thereof, over the years that caused first, the lawyers, to write to the Cameroon government (the President) in 2015 to redress their grievances. A year later, since the President decided to ignore their grievances or petition like he does to every other request by citizens of the country, the lawyers took to the streets in full protest a year later in 2016.  The teachers equally joined the lawyers in demanding for a redress of their educational grievances, which was being gradually eroded and replaced by the French system of education unacceptable to English Cameroonians. What has been even more serious than the grievances of the lawyers and teachers is the pent-up anger and frustration of being marginalized by French Cameroon in all aspects of their lives. And despite the more than the 40% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) emanating from these regions, and much of it from the South West Region, the French-ruling government have been treating them as inferior citizens. There is practically no economic opportunity accorded to them and their political ambitions, dashed. The had had it and were prepared and were prepared for a combustible outcome or a confrontation with the government not to be fooled again, but to ask for a form of government that will be suitable for them. The lawyers and teachers’ crises provided these deprived individuals the window of opportunity to vent their pent-up anger against a system that runs contrary to their values and which is marginalizing their people. There’s no argument in the English Cameroon that they have been marginalized and seeking a redress of their problems; however, their goal now is deciding what form of government is suitable for them that will adequately address their grievances. They English Cameroonians have toiled with three systems of government that will address their worries during these three riotous years: two States Federation, ten States Federation and a complete separation from French Cameroon that will bring them back to the 1919-1960 boundary lines. In a nutshell, what form of government shall be a good fit for English Cameroon: Federal or Separatist? Let us look at the two forms of governments.

                                                      Federalists

A federalist believes that he or she must be part of a whole. In this type of system normally, states have shared responsibilities with the federal government.  The 10^th amendment of the United States Constitution is an example of how clearly power is shared between the federal and the States governments. It states: the powers not delegated to the United States (Federal government) by the Constitution, not prohibited by it to the States (State government) are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

In a federal system of government say the ten-states model, which many in Cameroon were espousing for (and they may still be craving for), before things degraded to force the English-speaking Cameroonians to harden their stance on the secessionist agenda, each state will oversee the running of their affairs but shall be respectful of federal laws emanating from the national government. The federal government shall carry out road and out projects through the national territory whereas each state will do so in their respective states. It is important to know that in this system of governance not known to majority of Cameroonians, all-natural resources like oil, waters, gold, bauxite, timber etc., belongs to the national government; however, the revenue obtained from these resources are appropriated to all the states in what we call revenue sharing. In addition, under this system, the states, municipal and local governments shall be responsible in hiring their own workers be it police officers, mayors, governors etc. Each state has the obligation of creating employment possibilities for their people not the Federal government. The people shall elect those whom they want to be their representatives in local, municipal councils, state chambers and federal government not the president of the republic as it is presently the case. Citizens of each state shall pay their taxes in their local jurisdictions however; the taxes shall be shared by the authorities between the state and national governments. The important thing to note is that, states cannot violate federal laws and likewise.

Even the separatist converts today were once for federalism, but the government decided to ignore their plea for a federalist form of government or a representative government like they have done with every other request that the people have tabled to them for a redress. A government that choses to constantly ignore the demands of its citizens is not a government for its people, of his people and by its people. That government should therefore be changed or, the people have the rights to demand away from such a non-representative government.

                                                         Separatists   

I should remind readers that a separatist is not a form of government, but it is someone who does not want to be part of a government that does not represent his or her viewpoint. That is, someone who rejects a form of government that does not represent his/her values or aspirations. It is important to know that a separatist did not arrive at a decision to wanting to form a separate government overnight; it is a decision that has been fomented due to his or her poor economic or political treatment received from the government over time that has never, or no longer serves his or her interests.

The Separatist or Secessionist is used interchangeably here to denote same. While we understand that in the case of Cameroon the separatist or secessionist did not just arrive at the decision to ask for a referendum away from Cameroon, it is because of the continuously inhumane and repressive treatment by the Cameroon government who has taken much pride in dismantling the economic, educational, social and political infrastructures that has caused the English-speaking Cameroonians to harden their resolve to move away from the union with Cameroon. And, the government of Cameroon has had ample time (46 years; from the date of the 1972 referendum) and opportunities, to make good of the indelible wrongs they have done to the people of English Cameroon but have consciously failed to address these wrongs at each given opportunity.

Even though the peoples of English Cameroon are aware of the prize they must pay to gain freedom, they are absolutely determined, and so far, they have been paying with their lives for the last two plus years. The jury is sitting, and many are awaiting the verdicts. Will the Cameroon government fold?

                                    Charting the Pathway for a United Cameroon

Even with the separatist determination to carve a territory away from Cameroon and with the social, economic and political infrastructures in English Cameroon completely degenerated and disintegrated all so because of the ill-conceived and ill-advised policies of the French Cameroon-led government, there’s still hope that things may change for the better if the international communities mount the much-needed pressure on President Biya’s government which has regrettably received another seven(7) years mandate, to change the way he runs the country. As it stands, Cameroon is a francophone-run country and they see anglophones as incapable to run a country even though under their leadership, the people he trusts have produced the worst sets of corrupt and decrepit leaders on the surface of this earth. One would think that after Cameroon has been paraded as the worst corrupt country in the world for more than two years consecutively, they would have learned a lesson or two to start educating good leaders. To chart a way forward therefore the following must be done:

a.      Cameroon of the French must see Cameroon of the English as equal partner in development.

b.      There must be sincere dialogue and signed agreement with consequences of the violation clearly spelled out between the two countries.

c.       Cameroon must provide scholarships to educate future leaders of the country. And scholarships must be proportionately and evenly distributed to all the ten regions.

d.     Sound academic policies must be put in place with the goal to build a future republic that will respond to the ever-increasing needs of Cameroonians.

e.      The French Cameroon must invest heavily on infrastructural development in the English-speaking part of Cameroon and equally from investments from foreign governments in English Cameroon.

f.         There should be equitable distribution of administrative positions throughout the ten regions.

g.      The essential service appointments like the Armed Forces, Territorial Administration, Judiciary, Finance etc., should not only be reserved for the French-speaking Cameroonians as it has often been the case. These essential service appointments must rotate evenly amongst individuals of all regions.

h.      Return to a federal form of government (ten states model) which the people of English Cameroon have been accustomed to, and a system with accountability that has worked well for them,

It shall be these and others that the government of Cameroon must do if they intend to win the trust of English Cameroon. No lip service shall ever be a substitute for action.

The Stolen Cameroon Presidential Elections (2018) and the Pain that Looms in the Nation

Considering the current political dispensation in Cameroon, in which the very old have refused to cede power to the youth, we must bear in mind what President Julius Nyere of Tanzania (1963) said, “it would be both wrong, and certainly

ByJackson Nanje

unnecessary, to feel we must wait until the (old) leaders (of Cameroon) are dead before we begin to criticize them!”

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It was John Keats, the English Romantic poet who died of tuberculosis only at age 25, who, in his poem “Ode to a Nightingale” authored the words, “my heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains my sense, as though of hemlock (poisonous flower) I had drunk.” This is the same kind of sharp pain I, and many Cameroonians felt when the Constitutional Council, summoned by the President of the Republic of Cameroon to examine the petitions of the October 7, 2018 Cameroon Presidential Elections, tabled by Prof. Maurice Kamto of Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MCR) and Hon. Joshua Nambangi Osih of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), were rejected. I and many others were completely discombobulated even so the following Monday, when they declared the incumbent, President Paul Biya, the winner much to the chagrin of many in the nation. The election has been stolen, again, the people screamed after it was alleged to have been stolen before in 1992. At this point, it is therefore needless to conduct any elections in Cameroon because the outcome is already known. It will be rigged by the old oligarchies whose goal to maintain power supersedes the desire of the people of Cameroon who want to create opportunities for all.  

President Paul Biya has been in power for 36 years now and many who thought he was going to leave the presidency gracefully this time around (the 2018 Election cycle) and fold quietly onto retirement, were wrong. A clear win is usually celebrated; this was not one of them. It was undoubtedly stolen for him by the Constitutional Council Members who do not have a regard for the youth and the nation of Cameroon. Heartless, they are, indeed! They have caused tremendous pain to the nation in the favorable decision they rendered to the President despite the overwhelming evidence that showed the voting intentions of majority of Cameroonians to the contrary.

After the October 7, 2018 elections, exit polls undeniably indicated that Prof. Maurice Kamto was leading all candidates and most Cameroonians, who have known only Paul Biya as president in the last generation (30 years) or more, were already celebrating the impending change of government which had eluded them for many years. And because of the positive in-coming results from majority of the 2500 Polling Stations throughout the country, it was safe for Prof. Kamto to confidently proclaim himself as the victor of the election. He did; however, knowing the heavy-handedness of the Cameroon’s People Democratic Movement (CPDM) party, they were not going to rely on the exit polls if they were to maintain their candidate (President Biya) as president. Also, knowing that the composition of the 11-members of the Constitutional Council that oversaw the elections were members of the president’s ruling CPDM party, the chances of election rigging by the CC therefore became worrisome and apparent to the Kamto camp. Also, to guarantee that no errors were made in ensuring a favorable election results, President Biya immediately went native by appointing Clement Atangana (from his native area) as the president of the Cameroon Constitutional Council. The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MCR) and the Social Democratic Front (SDF) parties quickly mobilized the best lawyers in their respective camps, to ensure that Clement Atangana did not change the voting will of majority of Cameroonians who had voted for a change in Cameroon’s Presidential leadership. In addition to Clement Atangana, these are the other members of the Cameroon Constitutional Council who abated in swaying the results to the incumbent who will equally go down in the annals of Cameroon history as individuals who dashed the hopes of Cameroonians because of the quest to maintain President Paul Biya in power:

1)      Mr. Emmanuel Bonde

2)      Mr. Joseph Marie Bipoum Woum

3)      Ms. Florence Rita Arrey

4)      Mr. Emile Essombe

5)      Mr. Paul Nchoji Nkwi

6)      Mr. Jean-Baptiste Baskouda

7)      Mr. Oumarou Bah Sanda

8)      Mr. Charles Etienne Lekene Donfack

9)      Mr. Jean Akame Fouman

10)  Mr. Tidjani Ahmadou

The MCR and SDF lawyers were extremely splendid in defending their case in front of the Constitutional Council. They made the more than 15 million viewers who watched the live proceedings on Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), to be proud of a country that the old and sleepy-eyes politicians have deprived them of, in bringing the best for their country for far too long. They mirrored the desires of the youth who have been yearning to take control of their country and run it for the best interest of all Cameroonians. The lawyers demonstrated that, they are the finest in Africa in their lawyering profession. In addition, they provided ample evidence to demonstrate the multiple election irregularities by exposing the judges as “bought overs” of the regime for whom they worked for, and rather than for the Cameroonian people whose interest they should protect.

At some point in our political lives, as citizens, we must outweigh the option of doing a collective good, which brings happiness for all as opposed to individual good, which satisfies just a handful. It is this individual good which causes pain to the nation that made the African great, President Julius Nyere of Tanzania to muster these words (January 1963; Freedom and Unity:202): “It would be both wrong, and certainly unnecessary, to feel we must wait until the leaders are dead before we begin to criticize them!” Even as a member of a political party (CPDM) when you observe that the norms of democracy are not maintained, staying quiet and not criticizing the fictitious practices of your party like most CPDM militants do always, it is wrong. The CPDM party can still do good for our people if militants decide to eliminate corrupt practices inherent in most militants and to start adopting initiatives that will better the lives of Cameroonians without regard to ethnicity, age, creed or the origins of citizens. Rather, merit and disadvantage people should dominate the decision of the CPDM-led government. This was the cry of the lawyers in the most part, and the reason most people yearning for change voted for Prof. Maurice Kamto by rejecting the failed polices of the CPDM party. The CPDM party might have clandestinely won the 2018 Cameroon Presidential Elections but they are riding on the backs of unwilling horses (the people) if they do not change their corrupt practices. There is pain looming in the nation and it is only a matter of time before it becomes combustible.

We must constantly look in the mirror and ask ourselves, why is it that a few are happy in a country that boasts of plenty of resources and majority of the country’s people are unhappy?! Because of good leadership?!

GOING NATIVE or NATIVISM POLITICS: Why the Oroko man is still naïve and hostile to this brand of politics

ByJackson W, Nanje

I came across the expression “going native” or nativism politics while in graduate school when my Professor, James ''Jimmy" Allen, used it in explaining President Bill Clinton’s appointments of his Whitehouse staff. Going native, he explained, is when you bring your classmates, schoolmates, friends, hometown friends or anyone you have known growing up into government in total disregard of others who are equally competent or more qualified to do the same job. President Bill Clinton had done exactly this. He brought people from his hometown Arkansas and from Oxford and Yale universities to populate his staff in the Whitehouse. This is a vital political tool because many other US Presidents had used it prior to Bill Clinton and they continue to do so; it is a political norm. Going native is another form of tribalism, cronyism or nepotism in which people of a specific ethnic group vote only for candidates from their ethnic group running for office even if their opponent is more qualified than they are. They vote such candidates into office because of the goodies they expect their votes would deliver for their communities or municipalities if their preferred candidate wins. In this narrative, we are going to examine two things: how Cameroon presidents and the Ndian and Oroko people have handled nativism politics.

Cameroon is 58 years old and has had only two Presidents: Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya. During their time as presidents, they formalized and normalized the idea of going native to a disappointing reality. It is true that the Muslims and the Beti were hired by Ahidjo and Biya respectively in alarming numbers in every government position. In the October 7^th election, if the exit polls remain true, a new president could seemingly be on the pipeline in Cameroon and the Bamileke are already jubilating and making clamoring statements which indicate that it is their turn to maximize the spoils of Cameroon by the new Bamileke leader, Maurice Kamto. Whereas staff appointments of US presidents are limited to key appointments in the Presidential Cabinet, that of Cameroon exaggerates by going native in basically most of the important appointments all over the country. It is however important to note that “going native” is not necessarily a bad thing. Absent of an employee vetting agency, which often attests to someone’s good character, leaders are therefore obliged to hire friends that they have known since life’s beginning. Secondly, it is a reward to those who invested political capital in their campaigns that elected them into office.

In the recent Presidential elections of October 7, 2018, the people of Ndian division had a son-of-the-soil (Hon. Joshua Osih) running to become president of the Republic of Cameroon. Over the years, I, just like the Ndian and Oroko people chosed and relied on the CPDM party to bring development or transformational changes to our division and to our people. Despite the unquestionable deceitfulness by the party, the Ndian and Oroko people have, over the years continued to vote overwhelmingly in support of the CPDM. In the last 36 years, the party’s interest is clearly only in our votes and not our interest. The art of nativism politics is a strange phenomenon to the Ndian people. When Ahidjo ran for president, almost all the Muslims voted for their son. And, every time that President Biya has presented himself as a candidate, every Beti voted for him. Similarly, when John Fru Ndi ran for the presidency in the early 90s, all the North Westerners came for him like herdsmen chasing their cattle. Here comes Hon. Joshua Osih, a native of Ndian division. It is true when we look at the exit polls, he was able to win the South West Region at the end of the night; however, he was sent away by his people who overwhelmingly voted for President Paul Biya in total disregard of their native son whom they’d sent away before and was embraced by the people of the Littoral Region who saw absolute value in him. The questions which must be answered by the Oroko people are the following: (a) why do we hate ourselves so much to the point that we can’t even vote for them in an election that they are vying for our votes? (b) What can we learn from other Cameroon tribes that are successfully using the nativism politics to advance their cause?

The Oroko people have totally embraced individualism which is a form of destructive politics rather than collectivism, which is productive politics. My Oroko people do not understand how the politics of numbers build a society to a productive end. This partially explains the backwardness of the tribe because they continue to vote 100% for the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party every election period even as they are aware that the party will not address their numerous problems which should be a return for their loyalty. Hon. Joshua Osih only picked up a few percentage points in Ndian division from the Toko district, which continues to be loyal to their native son.

Honorable Joshua Osih is a major player in the national polity of Cameroon and the Oroko people should be made aware that his resolve has been tested time and time again amongst his Oroko people and nothing has come of it to cement the relationship. His loyalty will continue to remain with the Littoral people who have elevated him to national prominence. Therefore, he should never be accused by his Oroko people in the future for not supporting them because their reward to him every time he has come asking for their votes has been rejection. For him to defeat an incumbent (President Paul Biya) in the Presidential Elections in 2018 in the Littoral Region speaks volume to the naivete of the Oroko people who have abandoned their own child time and time again for a foreign grab. In most Oroko internet talk groups, Hon. Osih has been defamed by his people as a loser. They are not contributing to his rise to stardom but tomorrow they will require help from him. You can only reap what you sow. And in the case of Hon. Joshua Nambangi Osih, the Oroko people have not sowed or invested anything in the past in him to be able to reap something in the future (betafo ba isoh—shameful acts!!!).

The Ndian and Oroko people must learn how to play tribal or nativism politics not because it is the best form of politics to practice, but because of its deliverables akin to a tribal society such as Cameroon. And knowing that Cameroon is still a very primitive society, most political issues are vastly viewed through a tribal lens than through a citizenry lens. It is our hope that if things are viewed differently in the future with leaders rejecting tribalism, nepotism and cronyism over citizenry, Cameroon will develop into an iconic African nation. The fact that nearly all tribes are using nativism politics to advance their people and society, for the Oroko people and the Ndian people not to see it as a usable political tool for now, it is basically foolishness from a people who have continued to embrace backwardness over modernity. (O ma isoh---no shame!!!)