The President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya’s speech of Reunification in Emergence in Buea
yesterday left the propagandists of the UNO State of Cameroon, with a lot more of homework than they had expected. Prior to the empty speech, the rumour mill was at full gear churning out the hopes that Biya was going to declare the separation of the two states, as ordered by the UN. To their greatest dismay, and that of many gullible Southern Cameroonians, Biya completely ignored the issue. His speech even silently said ‘all the debates and roundtables that were organised were only window dressing’.
yesterday left the propagandists of the UNO State of Cameroon, with a lot more of homework than they had expected. Prior to the empty speech, the rumour mill was at full gear churning out the hopes that Biya was going to declare the separation of the two states, as ordered by the UN. To their greatest dismay, and that of many gullible Southern Cameroonians, Biya completely ignored the issue. His speech even silently said ‘all the debates and roundtables that were organised were only window dressing’.
The SCNC activists, on their part, had at least expected Paul Biya to say something, at least to sooth their frayed nerves. Again Biya never cared a hoot about that, in fact to him the SCNC and the UNO State of Cameroon and the rest are “sans objet”.
From the speeches made especially the welcome speech by the Mayor of Buea Patrick Ekema Esunge, Biya’s visit was to Buea, not to celebrate the reunification. Or else how would you expect the Mayor to make a welcome address on such an occasion without mentioning anything serious about it? Instead he dwelled on panegyric on the Head of State, thanking him for rehabilitating old structures in Buea … Buea Mountain Hotel, etc. the only new thing being the Muea road linking Buea Town. Shivering over his address, an address that contained too little substance in too many words, Ekema only stopped short of kneeling before he could read through the address. Biya, on his own part, started jabbering in some approximate English, as Madame Foning Francoise in her usual style started her choir which she conducted, “Paul Biya …Biya … Notre President” and before he could cough the applause was thunderous. Ask what he
had said no one would tell you. At every move Madame Foning intoned the
applause. Apart from thanking the Mayor for his welcome address Biya never
mentioned any other thing. He was thankful and welcomed the “Southwesterners …
from Lebialem, from Manyu, from Ndian, from Meme, from Kupe Manenguba, and from
Fako,” then like an afterthought, “all other Cameroonians from other regions …”
Ekema’s lengthy Dicken’s Oliver Twist anecdote was drowned into oblivion.
had said no one would tell you. At every move Madame Foning intoned the
applause. Apart from thanking the Mayor for his welcome address Biya never
mentioned any other thing. He was thankful and welcomed the “Southwesterners …
from Lebialem, from Manyu, from Ndian, from Meme, from Kupe Manenguba, and from
Fako,” then like an afterthought, “all other Cameroonians from other regions …”
Ekema’s lengthy Dicken’s Oliver Twist anecdote was drowned into oblivion.
Meantime like it or not
expectations were rife that Biya was going to say something at least to appease
the Southern Cameroons liberation propagandists. At least the debates prior to
this day raised lots of hopes. Intellectuals as well as senior citizens were
allowed to speak out their minds. It turned out to be a Trafalgar Square issue.
You could shout out your mind as much as possible and vent out your frustrations.
It ends there. Mola Njoh Litumbe, Dr Ndi, Prof Victor Ngoh, Prof Nkwi Paul,
Prof Fanso, Fon Angwafor, and the rest were all pulled out of their cosy
confines to come out and blow hot wind into the air. Biya never acknowledged
any of them in his elocution. Not even any of the ideas they discussed! It was
all a spending safari, as usual to compensate the organisers (his henchmen) and
let them have something in their pockets as the public treasury gets drier and
drier each day.
expectations were rife that Biya was going to say something at least to appease
the Southern Cameroons liberation propagandists. At least the debates prior to
this day raised lots of hopes. Intellectuals as well as senior citizens were
allowed to speak out their minds. It turned out to be a Trafalgar Square issue.
You could shout out your mind as much as possible and vent out your frustrations.
It ends there. Mola Njoh Litumbe, Dr Ndi, Prof Victor Ngoh, Prof Nkwi Paul,
Prof Fanso, Fon Angwafor, and the rest were all pulled out of their cosy
confines to come out and blow hot wind into the air. Biya never acknowledged
any of them in his elocution. Not even any of the ideas they discussed! It was
all a spending safari, as usual to compensate the organisers (his henchmen) and
let them have something in their pockets as the public treasury gets drier and
drier each day.
It is not clear what
the illustrious Prof Chia and his cohorts will tell the people now. The litany
of failed promises this group has made has beaten that of Ambassador Fossung’s
SCNC, noted in the early 2000s for raising the hopes of Southern Cameroonians
to fever-pitch. According to them 14th August 2013 was the date
“important announcement about the UNO Cameroon State was going to be made in
Abuja”. The day came and passed. They then talked of sometime in December 2013.
It came to pass. Each day there is a new story. Either it is a UN Army Commander installed
in a ‘hypothetical Bamenda Airport’ where according to them UN peace-keeping
troops are on one side and the BIR on the other side. The next is that the
Governor is now living in Kongbou, instead of Bamenda, the D.O. of Bamenda II
has sent all his family to their village, we already have our telephone code,
there are peace keeping forces in Man O’War Bay, UN officials occupied the
grandstand in Buea on 20th May because Biya was planning to go there
… where were the UN officials when Biya was landing on the historic Tiko
airport? Where were the UN officials when Biya told people in Buea “here I am
at last in Buea”.
the illustrious Prof Chia and his cohorts will tell the people now. The litany
of failed promises this group has made has beaten that of Ambassador Fossung’s
SCNC, noted in the early 2000s for raising the hopes of Southern Cameroonians
to fever-pitch. According to them 14th August 2013 was the date
“important announcement about the UNO Cameroon State was going to be made in
Abuja”. The day came and passed. They then talked of sometime in December 2013.
It came to pass. Each day there is a new story. Either it is a UN Army Commander installed
in a ‘hypothetical Bamenda Airport’ where according to them UN peace-keeping
troops are on one side and the BIR on the other side. The next is that the
Governor is now living in Kongbou, instead of Bamenda, the D.O. of Bamenda II
has sent all his family to their village, we already have our telephone code,
there are peace keeping forces in Man O’War Bay, UN officials occupied the
grandstand in Buea on 20th May because Biya was planning to go there
… where were the UN officials when Biya was landing on the historic Tiko
airport? Where were the UN officials when Biya told people in Buea “here I am
at last in Buea”.
True, Ali Trika, gave
Biya two maps on 20th May 2012 as a present. No one knows what this
signified. That Biya signed an accord to with draw to his boundaries before
independence is just a matter of conjecture as nothing as such has ever been
published anywhere. That the Green Tree accord handed Bakassi to La Republique
du Cameroun is no doubt. That Bakassi belongs to Southern Cameroons is no doubt
too. That the African Commission for People’s and Human rights declared in its
ruling that the Southern Cameroonians are a people by all definitions and, by
implication, deserve their independence is true.
Biya two maps on 20th May 2012 as a present. No one knows what this
signified. That Biya signed an accord to with draw to his boundaries before
independence is just a matter of conjecture as nothing as such has ever been
published anywhere. That the Green Tree accord handed Bakassi to La Republique
du Cameroun is no doubt. That Bakassi belongs to Southern Cameroons is no doubt
too. That the African Commission for People’s and Human rights declared in its
ruling that the Southern Cameroonians are a people by all definitions and, by
implication, deserve their independence is true.
Every cloud has a
silver lining it is said. Each of Biya’s moves to shade the Southern Cameroon’s
issue only throws more light and makes greater publicity. The cheap publicity
the Southern Cameroon’s issue has gained from this show or arrogance from Biya
is immeasurable. To have organised radio and TV debates on the issue would be
impossible under ordinary circumstances. But every radio station, every TV
station was broadcasting freely on the issue. Many people learnt many new
things and today the awareness is undoubtedly higher than yesterday.
silver lining it is said. Each of Biya’s moves to shade the Southern Cameroon’s
issue only throws more light and makes greater publicity. The cheap publicity
the Southern Cameroon’s issue has gained from this show or arrogance from Biya
is immeasurable. To have organised radio and TV debates on the issue would be
impossible under ordinary circumstances. But every radio station, every TV
station was broadcasting freely on the issue. Many people learnt many new
things and today the awareness is undoubtedly higher than yesterday.
However, independence
has never been served on a platter of gold. The late venerable Albert Womah
Mukong stated in one of his writings, “The UN is and organisation that has
never respected any petition unless it is signed with BLOOD”. It is not the
number of UN cars and helicopters that are moving over the territory of
Southern Cameroons or whatever you may choose to call it that will liberate the
people. Southern Cameroonians have shown no serious interest in liberating her
territory, and will not expect any outsider to weep louder than the bereaved.
Southern Cameroonians, Ambazonia, UNO State of Cameroon, … wake up from your
slumber and get courageous selfless leaders who have a vision.
has never been served on a platter of gold. The late venerable Albert Womah
Mukong stated in one of his writings, “The UN is and organisation that has
never respected any petition unless it is signed with BLOOD”. It is not the
number of UN cars and helicopters that are moving over the territory of
Southern Cameroons or whatever you may choose to call it that will liberate the
people. Southern Cameroonians have shown no serious interest in liberating her
territory, and will not expect any outsider to weep louder than the bereaved.
Southern Cameroonians, Ambazonia, UNO State of Cameroon, … wake up from your
slumber and get courageous selfless leaders who have a vision.
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