What I think about the present and future of Cameroon could help those who really want to return to normalcy, peace and prosperity.
It is obvious to one that Cameroon needs a new brand of politics to reflect and champion the common dreams and aspirations of the people in the light of the global challenges we face now. There is a great need for us to catch up with the progress and prosperity of other countries basking under globalization and localization of human ingenuity. Their abundant progress and prosperity did not happen by chance. It took a lot of virtuous factors into consideration. Do we Cameroonians act with virtue in mind, that is, are our actions virtuous and worthy of the human dignity of one another?
One’s persistent and consistent pursuit of nonviolence methods to usher in a genuine sociopolitical transformation of Cameroon remains a moral obligation. I implore every Cameroonian politician to ask themselves that quite apart from talking and pointing fingers overseas about how bad the regime is, what social justice policies have they ever put in place in their communities that favour the ordinary citizens of Cameroon in the ten regions? Every politician and leader were given enormous opportunities to influence lives positively in their communities/ constituencies. So, let everyone cross-examine their role and account for what they have before making trips overseas to decry injustice.
There is perpetual electricity shortage, outages, lack of clean water and horrible roads and bridges all over the territory. Granted that poverty is taking a huge toll on the population especially IDPs what policies are undertaken to help them? What policies favour farmers if Agriculture is the backbone of Cameroon’s economy? Where do Cameroonian politicians invest? Do they invest in the country or out of the country? Where are their loyalty and patriotism? In order to explore these questions and find their answers let me question the undemocratic process of the recent Municipal Elections in Cameroon.
How can Councilors be choosing a Mayor to represent the people? I thought the people do vote their Mayors and his or her list automatically are voted alongside the Mayor? That is how Mayors are elected by the people in order to ensure transparency and accountability in governance. Either they are voted separately and independently or the list is voted headed by the Mayor. So this practice now enforced by the authorities in question whereby elected Councilors are the ones choosing Mayors after the elections is instead opposite to the notions of decentralization and democracy.
That means the Mayors will not be transparent and accountable to the population and they will not, in turn, be able to hold them accountable. That looks more like an indirect way of perpetuating dictatorship and centralization. At this rate, one wonders if the people will be electing their governors in the near future or the Mayors will be asked to also nominate Governors in their regions. I think there is a disconnect in the way the Municipal Elections have been conducted in terms of the new laws of decentralization. Again that is CPDM and the Opposition Parties in Cameroon doing things the opposite way. That is what Cameroon has been for years ruled by the political, religious and traditional elites.
No doubt you find some people selling the Councillor seats for so much money and ironically some are willing to buy it. The seller and buyer are both corrupt. Does the President of Cameroon know about this? Maybe not. Do you see where some of the problems of Cameroon lie? Most Cameroonians are corrupt and have the tendency to accept corrupt laws because they have penchant likeness for bribery and corruption. It looks like one is only hoping for a different future for Cameroon when all is said and done. Right now this present generation of Cameroonian leaders is too corrupt behind repairs. They are only doing everything in their powers through hook or crook to keep the status quo of active and ongoing corruption, plundering and exploiting the downtrodden. Even the so-called mainline Opposition Parties condone many corrupt and undemocratic practices because everybody just wants to have access to power and money for themselves. If we live with the idea that everybody has to fight tooth and nail for their own fair share then we will soon be a lost generation doomed to constant warfare and violence when there aren’t good government policies to foster fair play.
In the end, every Mayor chosen by Councilors should ask themselves if they can represent the people if they are not elected by them. What will motivate them to mobilize the population to support public policies for the public good if they are only reporting to a small group of Councilors who will be bribed like parliamentarians? Keep aside the trials and tribulations in the past years due to criminal gang violence. What future are all these elections offering to Cameroonians in all honesty?
The country is in chaos aggravated by overcrowding of IDPs from war tone regions. There are widespread poverty and suffering among IDPs. Their economy is stagnant. Yet so much money was spent during the Major National Dialogue. Politicians who boycotted the MND are on a rampage. Shall we survive at this rate of confusion and fear? The crisis is only deepening as there is hardly peace and security in the conflict-torn zones. I am like thinking aloud. If it is enshrined into the new Decentralization Law that Councilors should choose their Mayors then hmmm, what else is in the law that will be shocking?
I am concerned about Cameroon. Let the future unfold even faster than normal so that the natural wind of change and transformation could come to fruition. We do not want people who either sell or buy councillor seats or who have bribed Councilors in order to be chosen Mayors to lead us. For many years since 1990 when multipartism was introduced in Cameroon, all politicians regardless of party affiliation have been fighting only for themselves and their closed families and friends. About 85% of the whole population are completely on their own and manipulated with lies and misled by false hope.
If they continue like this then one must ask the question do they want the rest of the population to disappear. Practically speaking criminal gangs like Ambazonia armed groups prey on any society only after there is a lack of responsible politicians and leaders. In the case of Cameroon, the leaders from all walks of life (Politics, Religion and Tradition) have demonstrated that all that it takes is for them to do nothing for the population by garnering support among a few loyalists.
Afterwards, they sponsor propaganda as well as demonize the rest of the people questioning them while they are exploiting the ignorance or nonchalance of the people. Therefore, the future of Cameroon remains very bleak. It is important that every Cameroonian in leadership think about the suffering population even if they are so powerless right now. It is like the Ambazonia separatists have become a reason to justify stagnation and encourage gross irresponsibility and further corruption. The elites have access to everything with their financial abilities and privilege positions for outside connectivity.
This level of comfort has blinded them to the real human condition in all of Cameroon but all of these can change radically if everyone loves Cameroon and have empathy for their fellow Cameroonians. It is absolutely important that all Cameroonian politicians/leaders start doing their job the right way. I still insist that the Major National Dialogue could mark the beginning of a turning point in Cameroon and amongst Cameroonians if the 10 Commissions will hitherto be transparent and accountable in the way they are conducting the business of politics for the public good. The time of Alleluia praises should be over. We need to unite and deliver for the people. That means the government should ensure that all ill-gotten wealth should be returned to the country to invest in sustainable economic projects. Also, foreign nations and corporations responsible for the plundering of Cameroon should also change their unethical foreign business practices. Lastly, those who want to separate the country should refrain from their wishful thinking and recommit to remittance practices that once inspired economic stability and growth in Cameroon. Thanks
Jonathan Awasom
Executive President of COPIC
