Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Feeble End Of Year Address From the SCNC Chairman: Establishing a critical diagnosis-A Must Read

H.E Dr NFOR NGALA NFOR, resident Chairman of SCNC has called on all Southern Cameroonians to show a rare breed of love come 2015, hear him " I call on you to love one another. Let the fraternal bonds of unity, of being your brother's keeper be renewed and strengthened. I call on you to reconcile and love each other for in love and confidence we can do great things". He went further requesting us to bury the evil spirit of individualism, self-seeking, greed and treachery.He warned those who would betray the course by stating traitors never win against their people

He challenged us to asked ourselves the following questions in 2015: who am I? Am I an agent of change for my family? Am I an agent of change for my society and my people? He requested all and sundry to get on board the plane of freedom by stating that " the more we delay, the more the annexationist regime will sink its fangs and claws into our flesh and life blood and reducing us to carcasses empty our land of its natural wealth"..... He concluded by encouraging us to unite and forge ahead a better country for our people.

As an Anglophone political analyst by my own right, while I appreciate the message from the office of the Chairman SCNC to Southern Cameroonians, I must confess the message is very weak in substance. The message was delivered in the normal rhetoric of freedom literature.The message failed to address the following which are supposed to be the boiling points:

1. The message did not at any point in time reveals the achievement of the SCNC and her struggles within the year 2014.Such end of year message is suppose to tell the people how far the movement has gone to rekindle hope in the minds of Southern Cameroonians.One could conclude that, the movement was stagnant within the year 2014.

2. The message failed woefully to honour the late Chairman Chief Ayamba.The message did not at any point in time asked Southern Cameroonians to pray for the soul of this great man who fought for the movement.The message didn't ask for a moment of silent for Southern Cameroonians to pause and reflect on the life of Pa Ayamba.This was a sad and great event which occurred in 2014.Liberation movements are suppose to hold high the virtues of their gone leaders so as to inspire those left behind.This only goes to indicate the feud and hatred that occurred between the late and current chairman which saw a tussle of leadership before Chief Ayamba's dead.

3. Mindful of the fact that, there was media frenzy of the purported election of Justice Ayah Paul Abine as Chairman SCNC and subsequently promotion as Advocate General in the Cameroun supreme court.Considering the fact that most media reported this so called election and many Southern Cameroonians felt betrayed and confuse, I think it would have been the best opportunity for the Chairman Nfor Ngala Nfor to officially address this issue and laid to rest the illegality or sham that was about rocking the SCNC movement.The silence from top official of the SCNC speaks volume by it self.

4. Finally the Chairman SCNC did not give a clear road map where he intends taking the movement to in 2015.Well written words a lone do not mean a thing in the 21st century, we expected to get a clear road map on what and what should be done....Actions we need, Actions we should do.....

These are some of thoughts which ran through my mind while reading through the traditional end of year speech from the office of the Chairman SCNC. I will end with these words from the former SCNC Chairman Belgium Mr Rene who said " the struggle has been taken hostage. We must FIRST liberate the struggle , then we shall liberate the Southern Cameroons".....It is a food for thought for all members and sympathizers of the movement.

It is my fervent wish for the movement to see a turn-around in 2015 in all spheres of their activities. The SCNC, SCYL, SCAPO and all movements engage in the liberation movement must do a total reassessment of strategy 

NB: For the entire speech from the SCNC Chairman, send me an email to mbarakanamozo@gmail.com


Aluta Continua....God bless the Southern Cameroons.

Bara Mark
Cameroon Anglophone Political Analyst
Ghent, Belgium
31/12/2014

Monday, December 22, 2014

BIYA IS A CONTRADICTION : THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OUT


BIYA IS CONTRADICTION 1-11: A PUBLICATION BY AYAH PAUL  ABINE,
CAMEROUN ADVOCATE GENERAL AT THE SUPREME COURT, OCTOBER 16th-December 17th 2014
Compiled by Mark  Bara, Cameroon Anglophone Youth Activist, Belgium



Preamble: Chief Justice Ayah Paul Abine, Secretary General of People's Action Party, PAP was promoted on December 18th by 5pm. Below are some of his statements against Paul Biya uptill December 17th at 1:18 pm. Recalling that on May 13th 2013, Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) partisan, Youmou Koupit Adamou -who mustered courage to humiliate President Biya by rejecting his appointment as alternate senator. He turned down Biya’s appointment on grounds that he was not consulted. Was Ayah consulted before his appointment even one day to the publication of his last statement on facebook? Be the judge......We only hope his tongue does not change soon. We hold this truth as evidence..........

Episodes 11: December 17th, 1 18pm
Some may have doubted Ayah Paul's assertions in the past that Camerounese parliament was a formality institution. Mr. President has now shown beyond reasonable doubt that Camerounese parliament is irrelevant. How else can be understood? Parliament is in session, voting the nation's annual budget. At the same time, Mr. President comes up with a parralel budget (hors budget) christened "plan d'urgence", in flagrant violation of Section 26 of the constitution! Na contradiction dis or NA inertia?
If Mr. President's ministers have executed under 40% of the current (2014) budget, who are Mr. President's men that will efficiently execute the public investment budget of 2015 simultaneously with the "plan d'urgence"? The true southern Cameroonians of yesterday-years?
I no de find me palava! Na ma mop talk; no be me self!

Episodes 10: December 12th, 8:25am
Mr. President has told us time without number that ours is a free economy. In a free economy, prices are fixed by market forces on the basis of offer and demand. Oil prices are five-year-low for months now worldwide. If truly we are a free economy, how does Mr. President explain that fuel prices have remained constant in Cameroun, and even in Southern Cameroons where the oil is produced in superabundance?
Only a small contradiction? Ok oh, God no de sleep! No be do me a do you!

Episodes 09: December 7th 3:09 pm

In an enlightened community, no-one does not know that the best army in the world still needs the people for a better prosecution of a conventional war. The simple turning of a signpost, for instance, can misdirect an enemy army unit fatally.
The role of the people becomes indispensable when it comes to fighting terrorism. So it is because a terrorist has no belligerent face; nor any known battlefields. Soldiers alone can never solve the equation! And in any case, is the fight against terrorism not in defence of the people generally? … That of course is a rhetorical question.
It goes without saying then that Mr. President’s anti-terrorism law is wholly contradictory. You do not fight the people in the name of fighting terrorists. If in fighting terrorists you fight the people, then of course the people are terrorists. And a terrorist too you are because you are the leader of terrorists.
And terrorist Mr. President truly is in that, by imposing the death sentence against his people-terrorists, Mr. President does terrorize the people and thereby becomes a terrorist himself. Mr. President therefore ought to hang a rope before himself, or tie himself to the stake for the firing squad.
Mr. President becomes a wanton contradiction when he terrorizes the very people that, by his oath of office, he has sworn to protect and serve. An enlightened leader should know that his main service to the people he leads is ensuring the protection of those people.
Mr. President had scores upon scores of youths killed extra-judicially in 2008 when they rose against constitutional amendment lifting term-limit to the benefit of an individual. This time around, Mr. President has secured the connivance of parliament in order to veil with perforated legal garment the killing of Camerounese/Southern Cameroonians with a view to perpetuating his reign: killing just again to the benefit of an individual!
Mr. President may wish to learn that Mr. Ian Smith could not bear for long the pangs of his “anti-terrorism” law when he fell from power. Though the law in consideration seems to render the Ian Smith realm irrelevant, Mr. President may still wish to contemplate the fate of his children, family relations and blind collaborators when temporal decrees and lethal orders will be wholly intangible in his new kingdom!
I de give my own advice on gratis at all tam!

 Episodes 8: December 2nd, 12:05pm

The rumours that Mr. President was prosecuting for absolute powers from parliament have come to pass. We now know that the robot-parliamentarians will in the days ahead, without proper debate as usual, enact a law, reviving the 1960 laws on subversion. The very Biya who told the world from mountain tops that, during his “reign”, no Camerounese needed to be a “maquisard” to express his thought is going to take refuge behind the façade of legality to execute Camerounese and, perhaps, Southern Cameroonians, who dare to dissent.
Only Mr. President’s dull advisers and fake legal minds would fail to discern the contradiction. Only they would be incapable of understanding hat, having rashly declared war against Boko Haram, those captured in the prosecution of the war must be treated as prisoners of war, subject to the special treatment reserved for such prisoners under the relevant Geneva Convention.
It all boils down to the one truth that the “terrorists” in the contemplation of Mr. Legislator” are outside the war zone. Who then are they? Your guess is as good as mine! Even more so it is as the Bill is not within reach yet.
One thing though is clear. And it is that those targeted would go underground and operate with better effect. It also means more violence – more killing – as they would understand that “you kill or be killed”!
God alone knows who fooled anyone that they are everlasting, or that the earth belongs to them. They are not even aware that the Bible says it all: God punishes to the 4th generation. Their children, dependents, family relations! There is time for everything!
No hambog me, massa! I no know Bible plenty!

Episodes 07: November 18th, 13pm
For over half a century, Mr. President’s ministers, other high-ranking appointees, and tribes-people have told Southern Cameroonians that they are Biafrans; they should go back home; they are like the occupants of the Trojan Horse - (ennemis dans la maison) – etc. All this has consistently been endorsed, if only tacitly, by Mr. President.
Mr President knows or he is presumed to know that non-nationals of a country do not fight for that country except as mercenaries. Curiously, Southern Cameroonians are fighting in the east sector and in the northern sector for Mr. President – (Cameroun). Are they fighting as mercenaries? As naturalized Camerounese? For God/allah?
No be palava. Na daso question! … All for God!

Episodes 06: November 7th, 14:00pm
Mr. President snatches the remains of his other-in-law, someone else’s deceased wife, and gives her an undeclared state burial in the yard of his personal property. All offices are closed in an undeclared and therefore an illegal public holiday to enable his ministers and their subordinates to display their ostentatious loyalty to the royalty. “C”est l’état qui paie!”
Mr. President turns round and teaches the world that the remains of the first president of Cameroun – that very person who sat Mr. President on an elective “throne” without an election as dictated by legality, legitimacy and even common sense – that such remains are the exclusive business of the family of Mr. President’s illustrious deceased predecessor!
Could someone tell us what name to give to such zigzag/disrupted logicality!
No be bad talk dis, a beg you, sir!

Episodes 05: November 4th, 16:05pm
Mr. Biya once told the world that Cameroun is a “démocratie avancée”. Someone may wish to tell Mr. President that, even in rudimentary democracies, the people choose their leaders, including the head of state. The elected depend on the people and not the other way round. Which is most logical: the people are permanent; the elected come and go.
In Mr. Biya’s “démocratie avancée”, the people elect their local councilors headed by mayors. But Mr. Biya appoints government delegates who lord it over the elected councilors/mayors. To put it otherwise, the people tell Mr. Biya: “These are our elected leaders”. Mr. Biya tells the people: “These are the leaders I have appointed for you. Taisez-vous! Votre Président parle! I have decided that…” Dead silence!
A truly “advanced democracy”! Véritablement!

Episodes 04: October 31st, 10:13am
Mr. Biya has ignored with contempt the international community and even international justice in their calls and injunctions to dialogue with Southern Cameroonian leaders. Some of Mr. Biya’s lieutenants have purported to justify their leader’s disdain for the peaceful option on the ground that the leader Southern Cameroonian caucus – SCNC – is an illegal body.
SCNC is almost obsessed with the pursuit of the peaceful and legal option. Pirates and Boko Haram by contrast are ruthless in pursuing their goal, practising scorched earth plundering and murdering. Now that Mr. President negotiates with them and pays handsome ransoms, can Mr. President’s lieutenants tell the world if these groups are legal bodies?
Na daso contradiction or na proper lesson for Southern Cameroonians?

Episodes 03: October 30th, 12:00pm
Most Camerounese tenaciously hold the pernicious tenet that a federation works against national unity. Even as palpable examples in the world should exorcise them, they still do persist in their misconception, taking refuge in decentralization as the panacea.
Unfortunately, decentralization in Cameroun did fail ever before the experiment had begun. Cameroun has never been as acutely centralized as it is today due to the creation of the Ministry of Public Contracts. Aside from conspicuous inertia in that department, (most workers of the ministry can be tagged as gorgeous mediocrities), councils are today virtually irrelevant as they cannot award contracts for the minutest projects. Clearly, councils were far more autonomous and performed better when there was no formal decentralization than they do nowadays.
The politest way one can put it is that Mr. President has contradicted himself by preaching decentralization and accentuating centralization simultaneously. A very huge contradiction!

Episodes 02: October 27th, 09:53 am
Papers have reported today that SELEKA rebels of Central African Republic have abducted 9 Camerounese. They ended up taking away five as hostages. SELEKA have kidnapped Camerounese in the Grand Nord many times before. At that time, the hostages had been released against ransoms paid by the victims’ family relations.
SELEK have now become Mr. President’s devoted “meilleurs eleves”. Their president-teacher’s lessons have been faithfully imbibed: Mr. President pays higher ransoms. Needless treating with private persons for meager amounts that do not adequately sustain ravaging wars! And the more you kidnap, the more you are provided; and the better able you are to fight! Very uncomplicated! So attractive the bait! Lavishing the very enemy Mr. President vows to crush in tutored verbal dexterity!
That’s why we must praise Southern Cameroonians to the skies for their unblemished dedication to peace. They still hold firmly to “the force of argument and not the argument of force”. Even when Mr. President provokes them to the extreme: arrogantly refusing to dialogue with them while negotiating with ruthless murderers – tainted with crimes against humanity – and arming them to destroy his fatherland! All this in the face of the portion of deciderata that “…as much as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons;, and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant. They too have their story…”
This may not amount to contradiction in the eyes of the many labouring under cerebral numbness. And so many such patients there are in contemporary Cameroun. The truth though is that it is a palpable contradiction for the ordinary! Just one more! Out of several!
For those crusading for adulterated “Nobel Price Peace Prize” drenched in corruption for their leader, they may wish to admit that Southern Cameroonians are more meritorious. That’s it! No apology!
C u soon!

Episodes 01: October 16th, 8:00am

The national and international press as the internet is awash with publications that the Biya government paid a ransom and gave arms and ammunition to Boko Haram for the recent release of 27 hostages. It would be recalled that Boko Haram has wrecked havoc in Nigeria far much more and much longer in Nigeria than in Cameroun. Nigeria has neither declared war against them nor paid any ransom to the best of our knowledge, belief and information. Not even for the release of over 200 girls!
But Mr. Biya precipitously declared war against Boko Haram on foreign land from foreign land. To the best of our knowledge, information and/or belief, Mr. Biya has paid ransoms at least three times already; and is likely and liable to pay many more times. This time around he has allegedly additionally supplied arms and ammunition, and exchanged “prisoners”.
Mr. Biya must be a hopeless contradiction in his declaration that he will eradicate the very Boko Haram that he has been financing and arming; and will so be doing in his war against the group in the future.

 
Could some knowledgeable Camerounese christen such ambivalent conduct the politics of contradiction, please?

Friday, December 19, 2014

THE PROMOTION OF CHIEF JUSTICE AYAH PAUL ABINE - SYNOPSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS SO FAR (1) COMPILED BY MARK BARA, ANGLOPHONE YOUTH ACTIVIST

Preamble:
The body that handles the careers of magistrates and higher judicial officers met at Unity Palace on Thursday 18 December 2014 with President Paul BIYA presiding over the deliberations that lasted over five hours. The agenda of the sitting included an examination of disciplinary files, the promotion of magistrates, the transfer and posting of magistrates. And so Ayah Paul Abine amongst others Ngatcha Isaiah, Jacques Frederic Tchale II, Alfred Souffosi were appointed by Paul Biya.
:

Arguements Against :
1. Hon Ayah opposed constitutional modification. He preached the Anglophone course, declared his assets. Accepting an appointment from Mr Biya in my view does not make him strong. If he refuses he emerges stronger.He should ask for his pension which was suspended and not take the post. People are saying he want chop too for the very system.He should spit on it.Thats my view.
Solomon Amabo Amabo, South Africa
2. Possible scenarios: 1) after the defeat, in the election, he had the impression that there is nothing left for him as he will never be a parliamentarian anymore. Then he figured out that if he could used SCNC to either make a name, or gain an appointment.2) HE could be an argent of la republique. La republique is known for sending in people to destabilize SCNC. He is neither the first nor the last. SCNC has to be careful. I now agree with guys Tata Mbinglo that were totally against him..
Jude Dzevala, Canada
3. They say the best fights are fought from within and not from outside but this is not true when Cameroon in particular is concern. No one has ever fought that fight from within as they always claim. They only go to fight from inside with grabbing hands and deep pockets. When Fru Ndi says he's not going to lead any street protests again because he feels a lot of innocent blood has been spilled, people condemn and style him a traitor. When Ayah Paul is called back to service with promotion as a means to kill the spirit of opposition in him by a government he openly opposed, some people see nothing wrong in it. Which fight is he going to fight from inside? Is it the same fight, Issa Tchiroma and Bello Bouba fought?? History lives on and keeps repeating itself. Should Ayah accepts this offer, he will be signing his death warrant.
Joe McAfong, Belgium

4. Politics of the blind is played in public and gets illusive rewards.Politics of reality is played behind closed doors, and get noble rewards.Ayah Paul just played the both so well and hereby gets double rewards at crossed roads.
Ashu HailShammy, Thailand

5. Ayah Paul Abine step down as a member of parliament for CPDM for Akwaya constituency bc of President Biya constitutional change if he has to accept this appointment by President Biya let him be ready for the worst bc President Biya has proven beyond imaginable doubt that he has no cameroonian to be trusted let think of the Marafa inoni Abah Abah just to name a few where are they now I rest my case. This the end time ememy will become friends.
Cyprain Ayuk, Douala

Arguements For:

1. If am the one appointed, I will also accept because change can't come from outside but from within. Did u know u can't really change what u don't know?? Being inside will expose him to the environment n also the chances to bring change. Moses in the Bible could not change the fate of the Israelites if he didn't grow up in the palace to see how his people were mistreated. We need an insider.... A don talk my own
Keng Tata Chick, Belgum

2. I think there is one issue to underscore here the fact that Ayah Paul accepts the appointment at the supreme court could be a stepping stone into an objective arbitration of the issues the two factions of our national territory. we could consider a whole lots. I think the full picture has not yet been fully painted. if there is a choice to make here it's not whether to accept chairmanship of SCNC or the office at supreme court, but it is the guarantee that the vision of a born again Cameroon will push through. vessels may change, but a vision remains. personally am ok with Ayah going for the supreme court job because his role will be indispensable in the arbitration ahead of us, we can't escape that phase.
Ako Allan, Douala

3.  I do agree with positions held by my very respected friends and brothers like Mr. Jude Dzevela (skeptical of Mr. AyahPaul's integrity) and Mr. Akoson A. Raymond ( advocate for Mr. Ayah). I wish I could easily pick a side to this ambiguous argument. It is true what Mrs. Keng Tata Chick said, in a way! Had Moses not grown up in Egyptian royalty, he might not have had the audacity to face and challenge the Pharaoh and his cohorts. We can argue his case was somewhat easy because he had the Almighty ' s blessings. My question here is; "where does Mr. Ayah ' s loyalty lie?" Does his heart beat for the Southern Cameroons plight, and if yes, how credible is that to the ordinary man? If there truly now exist an article 32 (2) in the Cameroonian constitution that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, then I concur with Akoson Raymond ' s contribution. If I had any reason to believe that Mr. AyahPaul's allegiance (if any) to the Southern Cameroons question was without question, I would say being the chief magistrate in Mr. Biya's Cameroon is worth accepting. We all know, you can't win a "war you don't even understand". Mr. Biya and his cohorts have called Southern Cameroonian leaders all sorts of names, ranging from terrorist to being a part of Boko Haram. It is high time we had one of ours at a high position in the judiciary, who can help set the records straight! Keep
Chesah Denis, USA

4. When one time MP for Akwaya, Manyu Division in the South West Region, Hon. Ayah Paul resigned from the CPDM, January 2011, “fearing for (his) life and the safety of (his) family,” his action was viewed with scorn by the Party’s diehards, yielding him dark results. The bone of contention was "unpopular" moves by his peers to vote the government-induced bill on the limitless term of office of the President of the Republic, which he strongly opposed as unconstitutional and undemocratic. His inflexibility on the matter resulted in fiendish stigma, plots and plans - especially from his Manyu kith-and-kin - to politically squeeze him to dust.

As a man of caliber, he endured and survived the ‘hurricane’, and gained conscription into (or did he create?) the People’s Action Party (PAP), preparatory to the 2011 presidential election. His sympathizers acknowledged this as a bright action, especially as his participation in the election yielded a bright result (5th in the general classification of the results, out of over 20 contestants). This performance exposed him as a political heavy-weight, which ended up charming the SCNC. 

After a while of political courtship, the SCNC members found merit in him and recently elected him as their Chairman (even though he is yet to make a public pronouncement on the issue). Public Opinion however appears divided on the sociopolitical status of the personality under review: while some people, especially the SCNC sympathizers, consider him as a square peg in a square hole, others see him as a political flirt considering his third hop onto the SCNC, after the CPDM and PAP.

Recently, the Hon. Lord Justice AYAH Paul ABINE was appointed (by presidential decree) as Advocate General at the Supreme Court of Cameroon, dragging him back into the foliage of the CPDM-controlled government with whom he has been trading barbs over the years. Besides dampening the 'comfort' of his new found SCNC abode, the appointment has come/gone to divide public opinion as to whether the appointee should, or should not, accept it and accordingly assume office. 

It must be noted that before being an admirable politician, the man, Ayah Paul Abine, is, first and foremost, a judge by career. Therefore, based on his longevity and professional know-how and output,he, like any conscientious civil servant, deserves promotion anywhere within his professional field. The only person to effect such appointment is the President of the Republic based, of course, on the recommendations of the Higher Council of Magistracy (not the CPDM) that handles the careers of magistrates and higher judicial officers. Since the appointment was/is not politically motivated His Lordship Justice Ayah Paul deserves, as of right, the promotion (however belated) and should be warmly congratulated and highly encouraged to (a) accordingly assume office without hind thoughts and (b) continue to be the upright and courageous person he has ever been. After all, success is not very much the position one had attained in life as by the obstacles one has overcome while struggling to succeed.

Therefore, to the Hon. Lord Justice Ayah Paul, Law first!

Courage Brother

Jesse Konang, Buea.

GOD IS STILL SAYING SOMETHING

Thursday, October 23, 2014

CELEBRATING A LIE - OPEN LETTER TO NI JOHN FRU NDI, AYAH PAUL, KAH WALLAH, BEN MUNA

This article was first published on 1st March 2012





I have decided to pen these few words to you, politicians of Anglophone extraction, because I am aware you are a force to reckon with. I believe, like any other people or country who jealously and preciously love their identity and independence, it is high time you people start taking a strong, resistant and objective stance concerning the history of Southern Cameroons. It is above time for us to be biting our tongue.

Fifty-one years of a nation’s life is long enough, and you politicians should have a unified voice for a better bargaining power. Thus as a young West Cameroonian, an Ambazonian of which I am proud to be, I write with all authority and with the blessings of our fore parents that with the present dispensation, there is no reason on this planet earth for us to celebrate the so-called re-unification. It takes only an adulterated Anglophone to do so. We cannot celebrate what did not exist; it would be a miscarriage of justice.
New Year Message
Mr. Paul Biya during his New Year message to Cameroonians passively mentioned re-unification which came at the end of his speech; he said it as if it is a non-event, and he never gave an afterthought. The so called re-unification that is supposed to touch the very facet of Cameroon’s existence could not have been treated with so much scorn and as a second class message. It is therefore true that Mr. Biya was playing to the gallery either to please the embittered Anglophones, international community or to further weaken the argument of Anglophone nationalists.
My Dear Anglophone leaders, there is no gainsaying that Mr. Biya had no political will in celebrating the “re-Unification”. If not, an event of such importance would have been celebrated in 2011 despite the Presidential Elections. You all will bear with me that the 11th February 1961 Plebiscite was just an intension our fore parents made in joining La Republique du Cameroun; reason why the Plebiscite question was simply “Do you WISH to gain independence by joining the Independent Republic of Cameroon or by joining the Federal Republic of Nigeria”?
It is no secret that our people voted massively and in good faith to join La Republique du Cameroun but Britain and France in their typical Western imperialist mafia decided to trade Southern Cameroons and so at mid night on 30th September 1961, French Cameroun crossed over and annexed the British Southern Cameroons.
Young West Cameroonians Are Tired
We are aware that the UN has no document in their keeping supporting re-unification or that both countries formally unified, so I believe it is high time you people as politicians seized this ‘window dressing re-Unification celebrations’ to make a strong point against Biya as to engineer dialogue. After all, did the Court in Banjul not rule that Mr. Biya should dialogue with Southern Cameroons 
My parents, we as young West Cameroonians are tired, you need to walk down the streets and listen to the cry of Anglophones, we need our true identity, we want to feel Southern Cameroonian in all aspects, we want things put straight as originally wanted by our fore parents during the pre-1961 era. You will accept with me that whether we like or not, Anglophones are marginalised. It is now a way of life in Cameroon.

Did you people not get Nfon Mukete, one of the architects of re-unification during a preparatory meeting at CNPS Hall in Mile 17 Buea indicting government for marginalising Anglophones? Yet he shamefully declared that he will still vote for re-Unification if given the second chance. You will accept again that the marginalisation of the Anglophones is not the same like any other people in Cameroon who are marginalised like some adulterated Anglophones have been preaching. Ours is a Constitutional and Political problem that warrants a political solution.
Mr. Fru Ndi, did you not recently declare to your militants that you will join the SCNC if they fail to give you majority of seats in Parliament? I take it to mean that it is not again one of your political rhetoric, I do hope you mean everything you say, it is time you start being consistent in your political declarations. The Anglophone youth look up to you a lot.
It is true that most of our Anglophone brothers and sisters in the military and police force have been francophonised to the extent that speaking English to them is a taboo; is it not also true that Mr. Yang Philemon even addressed his own native Oku people in Yaounde in French. 
You will also get the so-called Anglophone children Parliamentarians complaining that all documents are in French; also the Pre-1961 West Cameroon assets gone; now one La Republique du Cameroun agent in North West Province (Region) Governor Bakar Ahamat is trying to ‘Boko Haram’ CAMCCUL so that it will necessitate Government take over thereby facilitating to crumble one of the last surviving asset of Anglophones.

While our appointed brothers in the French Region try to speak in French to serve them, those Francophones appointed this way West of the Mungo speak English as a matter of choice; whilst you will hardly get an English notice posted in French Cameroon Government offices, you will get offices like the treasury in Buea, Delegation of Youth and Sport, DO’s office etc posting documents in French this way West of the Mungo etc.
Wikileaks Cables
In October last year after the Presidential election when most of your votes were stolen, did you people not send out the Yaounde Decleration? What did they (Francophones) say? Did they not remind you to go back home and that Yaounde is not your home? What does that signify?
Look at the Wikileaks cable where they proclaimed without any fear that an Anglophone can never be President. Look at our parents in Tole who for over five months have been protesting but nothing concrete has been done, but immediately the workers of the Doula airport started striking, government ran to the rescue. What was government’s reaction to the Lake Nyos and Nsam fire incidents? You can better tell.
Even look at their own CPDM militants in Bamenda who lost lives and property during the 1992 post-election violence-what have they done? Are you people not aware of our road network? Are you people not aware that the Minister of Communication dished out millions of CFA Franc to French owned media during the last presidential election, but nothing was given to the Anglophone media? Are you people not also aware that in the 25.000 Government Job Scam, less than 1.000 recruited were Anglophones?

The Government was even proud to say Anglophones were incompetent; have you people not heard that the lecturers sent to teach in University of Buea and Bamenda in this recent 25.000 job cannot even express themselves in English? Again is it news that important announcements over CRTV must come first in French before it is “truncated” to the English language? The same is true with most Government ministries...The list is endless.
It is time we as a people rise up to our identity and we can only do so when our Anglophone leaders are in tandem with the Anglophone youth. You, as politicians, must start speaking one language to salvage this Constitutional hold up by French Cameroun.
Parallel Parliament in Buea
I think Mr.Fru Ndi, Hon. Paul Ayah, Madam Kah Wallah and Barrister Ben Muna have both the Political and Economic power to solve this problem. It has a simple solution if there is a political will. All of you should sit down and make sure it is a duty that this upcoming parliamentary election, all seats in North West and South West Provinces (Regions) is gripped by the opposition.
Then instruct your MPs when they move to Yaounde to institute a Constitutional discussion on the Anglophone Problem or walk out of Parliament and form a parallel Parliament in Buea. This will cause the International Community (UN) and Mr. Biya to force a dialogue. It should be noted that the same above could be done even if all the seats in Anglophone Cameroon is not gripped by the opposition, again it takes just the political will for the few opposition Anglophone MPs to do same if Yaounde refuses to dialogue. This will serve as a force of argument.
I should make it categorically clear. My position is not secession as some will want to believe. In the first place secession does not exist in this circumstance as there was and had never been any union formally between the two Cameroons.
My position is to free the Anglophone people from the political and economic annexation the French Cameroun and take this blessed land Cameroon back to the original idea our fore parents wanted-the idea of federalism with the presidency alternating between La Republique du Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons, where we shall be able to elect our governors and with the states enjoying autonomy. This is what Cameroon needs now.
Our political leaders and opposition MPs should be rest assured that should they agree to take this bold step, the Force of the Anglophone youth, the International Community and the spirits of our fore parents shall continue protecting and supporting this just cause. I am therefore prepared with all sincerity to lead the Anglophone youth in this mission if given the necessary support

I rest my case


Friday, October 17, 2014

'REGIONALISATION' OR DECENTRALISATION DOES NOT WORK: THE CASE OF CAMEROON

The idea of 'regionalisation' or decentralization of Cameroon political system only came into being when the All Anglophones Conference in 1993 and 1994 which called on the Biya's regime to revert to Federalism of two states-the original idea why Southern Cameroon gave their intention on 11th February 1961 to join the French over the Mungo. In his paper: Because we were involved (Reflections on the All Anglophone Conference ten years after), by senior citizen Mwalimu George NGWANE, he declared " Whether the Anglophone problem is considered a forgotten scar of our collective memory or an open sore of our collective survival, it will continue to prick the conscience of the Cameroonian body-politic".Over the years the Government of President Paul Biya has been involve in decentralizing powers, changing the names of the provinces to regions. The Cameroun/Cameroon people have largely seen this as a smokescreen because nothing works in truth. The issue of decentralization or changing of names from provinces to regions is just a matter of semantics.

Any political groupings in Cameroon that seeks change away from the current status quo by adhering to the Government of 'Regionalisation' or Decentralisation is just a lesser evil to the Biya's administration.

Personally my take is that any change to Cameroon political system without considering the reasons why Anglophones wanted to join the french would largely see a new form of Biya or Francophone government in another style or form. Cameroonians and Anglophone youth especially should recalled that in the former federal constitution during the federal government, Anglophone MPs had power of veto meaning that any decision which the house ( Parliament)  takes without the backing of absolute majority of the Anglophones MPs , such decision cannot be accepted. This protects the minority rights of the Anglophone people. Any proposed change to Cameroon system should state clearly how the Anglophone people shall be protected in the larger Francophone country. This issue of 'regionalizing' the government does not work, it's just a lesser evil of Biya's decentralization, it does not solve the Anglophone problem.

As an Anglophone political activist, I caution that Anglophone youths engaging in any political change should know where they are coming from, they should know the true history of Southern Cameroon, and above all they should not run from the issue.

Remember the original reasons why Southern Cameroonians voted to join French Cameroon was the idea of two states of equal status with alternating powers of all arms of government between the two Cameroons in a federal government. In 1972, President Ahmadou Ahidjo against the spirit and letter of the Constitution pushed through a new document that abolished the federal system, renamed the country the Unitary Republic of Cameroon, and granted the president greater powers. After assuming the presidency, Paul Biya again in their assimilation style pushed through a revised Constitution in 1984. This document changed the country's name to the Republic of Cameroon- the name French Cameroon had at independence on 1st January 1960 thus completing the colonilization and assimilation of Southern Cameroon. Needless to mention the issue of Reunification as historians and constitutionalists of both Cameroons confirmed the illegality of the Union when they agreed in Yaounde on April 5, 2013  said that no legal documents were established at the time of reunification between the two Cameroons to bind them in a union.

It is interesting to note that my political friend from the other side of the Mungo (Francophone), a former Unionist, comrade Alain Ngono had this to say "On our nation, there should be no taboo. We shall be ready to listen to others. Whether we are against or in favour of SCNC, is not a big deal at this stage. The truth of the matter is that it is an issue that our generation will have to address. So we need to have the best possible understanding of it. We should not look at it with passion, favour or ignore it". This is the type of Cameroonians I am looking for, this is how our brothers from the French side should look at the future Cameroon .He stated it clearly, it is a problem our generation will have to solve and by inviting leaders of the SCNC movement on the table, a lot of things could change for the good of the entire Country yet Biya's government have ignored the calls for dialogue from the Banjul African Court. Another former student Union leader comrade Tata Mbinglo from Nkambe constituency corroborated comrade Ngono when he declared "We the youths are positivist. Let's hold each other's hand and walk through this gate to our destination. That which God has shown to us. It takes some time but we must get there as activists, politicians, scholars, civil society, youths, as SCNC, as religious organizations, one thing is certain we are getting there as a people! Each night before we go to bed, let's reflect on this ,on where we started, it was Faith that brought us to this point, it is faith that will take us there". Comrade Tata has embodied all components of the Cameroon society to seek a new Cameroon. These are the new breed Cameroonians I am looking for in my quest to see a new Cameroon, those that acknowledges the problems of our people and are prepared to get involve in honest and sincere solutions.

That said, personally I think the best form of Government that could address Cameroon political landscape is that of Federalism with state and federal parliaments, independent structures, greater autonomy to both Cameroons to manage their affairs. It could be a two states solution or a ten states solution transforming the regions to states or better still it could be the four states solution as proposed by the SDF. Whatever form we want, all major actors must sit on the drawing board to map a new road for Cameroon. Let us not forget this as youths and most especially those of Anglophone extraction. We should always have in mind where we are coming from and what type of Cameroon we want to leave for our Children.

I recalled sometime in 2008/2009 in one of my write ups I defined Cameroon bilingualism as "the ability to read and understand French, whether you read and understand English does not matter so far as you speak and understand French, the job is largely yours" thus in my quest for a new Cameroon I do not want my children to fight through marginalization to succeed, I do not want my children to speak a particular language to succeed as we have seen in the military, police, government offices, national team etc. I want my children to live in a society where peace and justice is seen to be done between both cultures wherein they will succeed not because they are seen to speak French or they come from a particular area but based on our distinct cultures and meritocracy they are seen to succeed. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.

You may not agree with me but please do not crucify me. Just my one cent.
God is still saying something


Bara Mark B
Cameroon Anglophone Political Activist
Political and Freelance Writer
Msc. Environmental Sanitation
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
University of Ghent
Ghent-Belgium
25/sept/2014
NB/ Bara Mark is a Former Student Union Leader UB, currently he is one of the Student Representative of the University of Ghent Faculty of Bio-science Engineering Council Belgium and the first and only black student representative of that Council.

Monday, October 6, 2014

THE ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM IS UNIQUE

The Guardian Post Newspaper, Friday 3rd October Edition: Is there an Anglophone problem in Cameroon? My reaction as published.

I am glad the Guardian Post is doing a vox pop on this issue and I think such questions should only be asked to those from Anglophone extraction i.e those from Northwest or Southwest Provinces (regions) because from my experience and interactions addressing this question to our francophone brothers, the answers you will get are " There is Francophone, Bamileke or Cameroon problem" thus the Anglophones are not the only one with problems.
This brings me to defined what the Anglophone Problem is all about. First a little background knowledge is important. Worthy to note is that, the Anglophones are a people, the Anglophones are not a tribe, we are a people that on 11th February 1961 voted declaring our intention to join French Cameroon based on two states of equal status. Till date such Union or treaty does not exist as French Cameroon has merely assimilated or colonized English Cameroon. This is true as on April 5, 2013, historians and constitutionalists gathering in Yaounde, declared that no legal documents were established at the time of reunification between the two Cameroons to bind them in a union. The issue of reunification or unification has been cleared, the Union between the two Cameroons legally speaking does not exist.
Secondly it is important to note that each country has problems, in Cameroon the pygmies, Bamilekes, Doualas, Nordist, Bakweries etc all have problems. Cameroon has a problem of corruption, unemployment, tribalism, nepotism, etc and each region of the Country cry of their own problems. The Anglophone problem is neither of the above nor the Anglophone problem is about marginalization, appointments, developments, infrastructure etc. These are sub-issues of the Anglophone problem.
Again, the Anglophone problem cannot be compared to any other problem in Cameroon because the Anglophone problem is unique and distinct. The Anglophone problem is a Constitutional problem. It is a constitutional problem because a certain people with distinct way of life and culture called Southern Cameroonians voted to join another group of people called Eastern ( French Cameroon) based on certain terms which has not been respected. The problem is an identity problem. Recalling that in 1972, President Ahmadou Ahidjo against the spirit and letter of the constitution pushed through a new document that abolished the federal system, renamed the country the Unitary Republic of Cameroon, and granted the president greater powers. After assuming the presidency, Paul Biya again in their assimilation style pushed through a revised Constitution in 1984. 
This document changed the country's name to the Republic of Cameroon- the name French Cameroon had at independence on 1st January 1960 thus completing the colonilization and assimilation of Southern Cameroon.

This is the Anglophone Problem-The Constitutional problem. The name of the Country was changed and the two stars which binds us removed thus where is the identity of the Anglophones. Worthy of note is that if we had remain in federalism of two states where presidency and arms of government rotates between the two Cameroons, where both states manages their affairs, the issue of marginalization, language, appointments etc would not have arise because the federal constitution would have taken care of it and any other problems would be the usual problems which befalls any country on earth. Therefore to solve the Anglophone problem, the Country must go back to the original idea of joining-the spirit and letter of the federal constitution must be revised and put in practice. I personally think a Federal Cameroon would be the best solution.
Like senior citizen comrade Mwalimu George NGWANE In his paper: Because we were involved (Reflections on the All Anglophone Conference ten years after) said " Whether the Anglophone problem is considered a forgotten scar of our collective memory or an open sore of our collective survival, it will continue to prick the conscience of the Cameroonian body-politic".

God is still saying something

Bara Mark B
Cameroon Anglophone Political Activist
Political and Freelance Writer
Msc. Environmental Sanitation
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
University of Ghent
Ghent-Belgium

NB/ Bara Mark is a Former Student Union Leader UB, currently he is one of the Student Representative of the University of Ghent Faculty of Bio-science Engineering Council Belgium and the first and only black student representative of that Council.