WITH OBAMANISM, ANGLOPHONE CAMEROONIANS SHOULD HOPE

First published on Cameroon newspapers on 10th November 2008. Was I right then? Am I right now? ......Read on

Martin Luther King Jr, delivering his speech on August 28th, 1963 at the national Mull in Washington, the civil right activist said “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed” We hold this truth to be self evident, that all men are created equal. Indeed the election of Barack Hussein Obama into the oval office had made that dream come true thus the minorities could also hope. By this election, Obama had inspired the world that minorities could also stand up one day and be something positive in their country and the Republic of Cameroon cannot be indifferent to this. The message and ideologies preached by Obama are not one of segregation but that of change, peace and most especially unity, reason why during his keynote address in 2004 democratic convention which open him up to the political sphere, he had this to say “Now even as I speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us – the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes, well I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America … there is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and African America – there is the United States of America"

His election into the oval office should serve as a source of inspiration to Cameroonians to rise above ethnic issues, to rise above social divides, to rise above linguistics divides, to rise above religious divides and above all try to be inclusive in what ever we do. But this can only happen in a country where there is democracy, justice, respect of human rights and freedom of the press. Yes we can, for history made us to understand that before Cameroon was divided between France and Britain, it was one and indivisible, but however this brought us today to what is known as Francophones and Anglophones, this alone made us two distinct people who decided to come together and be governed under the canopy Cameroon but some disgraceful politicians had been making derogatory statements that an Anglophone can never be a president in Cameroon. But of course Anglophones can only feel inclusive,  if the regime in place tries as much as possible to fix things, going back to the Federal system where indigenous can be governor, mayor, divisional officers, senior divisional officers where they are elected and can account for their actions rather than appointments where they satisfy just the person who appoint them. As in America, Obama, who belongs to the minority class could rise to the highest office because of good laws, better electoral system, freedom to practice in politics without fear so as in Cameroon if all these structures are put in place, Anglophones could also rise to the highest office.

It is high time Anglophone Cameroonians start hoping and working for that. Obama won equally because he did not present himself as an African – American Candidate because he knew where he found himself as a minority, but he presented himself as an American candidate who just happen to have a black colour, of course Anglophone Cameroonians could also present themselves as Cameroonians where they found themselves and get elected and while there could now bring change to where the forefathers originally wanted.

Obama victory has made us to understand that no conditions are  permanent and with everything being equal anglophones could assume that office (presidency) if we only have the judiciary separated from the whims and caprices of one man. Barrack Obama’s election as America’s first black president unleashed a renewed loved for the USA after years at dwindling goodwill thus US voters had blazed a trail that minority everywhere could follow, quoted one BBC reporter. Of course, there are a lot of potential Anglophone Cameroonians in this country who could present themselves as Cameroonians while appealing to the consciences of  both Francophone and Anglophones, this had worked during the 1992 presidential election when Ni John Fru Ndi an Anglophone Cameroonian won voted by both francophones and Anglophones if not that his victory was stolen reason why before the president of the supreme court read out the result, he proclaimed that his hands were tight, we all understood the meaning of this, thus  Fru Ndi did appealed to both francophone and Anglophone Cameroonians, this can be prevented from happening in 2011 presidential election, if we all as Cameroonians rise up for our rights and ensure that  ELECAM is at least put in place.

McCain ending his campaign in a concession speech said “In America, we never hide from history, we make history”. In Cameroon come 2011 presidential election, Anglophone Cameroon should not hide from history, we should make history, the likes of Joshua Osih in the SDF and many other potential Anglophones within the CPDM rank can begin preparing now, for Obama who started in 2004 is now today the president elect only after 4 years of hard work, we have just three years, things could still work. I therefore enjoined all Anglophone Cameroonians for God who sanctioned Barack Obama, an African American to be president might also sanctioned an Anglophone Cameroonian to Etoudi  Palace.
In God we trust