Opinion - The state of our country

Elali Effoe
Contributor

Cameroonians took to the streets again a few days ago to, amongst other things, protest the hardship they face in their daily lives. Political leaders, unconnected to the daily sufferings of their people, are already unduly taking credit for calling for the protest. Cameroonians in the United States who are fed up with the status quo are planning a peaceful demonstration at the Cameroonian Embassy on March 14th; a march that I hope will not go in vain. We all need a reflective pause, to etch a new course for the nation we claim to so dearly love.

For once we must move the blame for Cameroon’s (and Africa’s) deplorable political and economic situation from the West and put it squarely on ourselves and most importantly, on our leaders. In the west, businessmen accrue wealth by venturing into the private sector, and in-so-doing, stimulating the economy. In Cameroon, businessmen go into politics as a primary investment. Their business plans target government contracts which are paid for in full but projects are never realized. The incompletion of government contracts and lack of accountability has left our roads, bridges, and offices without any maintenance and has greatly impeded growth in the agricultural sector. Politics is in the hands of businessmen where election victories are synonymous to out-sized profit margins. This has poisoned the political atmosphere to the point were Cameroonians don’t have any reasonable dialogue about the future of their nation. Those in power and their compatriots of the so-called opposition consider themselves enemies, vying for an opportunity to feast on an election victory. The time for constructive dialogue amongst our leaders is long overdue.

We need to take an in depth look at who we choose as leaders. A politician’s dream should not be a ministerial position. Never should economic development be tied to electoral votes. In Cameroon, most areas remain underdeveloped because of their opposition to those in power. Ethnic groups are subjected to years of abject poverty because some sons of the soil have demanded accountable/transparent governance. The distribution of basic necessities (water, electricity, schools), should never be tied to electoral votes. Cultural diversity should be embraced for all the beauty of its languages, attire and delicious dishes. It should not serve as a tool for leaders to strengthen their hold on power. We could celebrate our diversity with the creation of ten national museums in our provincial capitals. The University of Pennsylvania , Harvard, or the School of African and Oriental studies have an elaborate and educative African language program. Cameroon universities happen to be geared towards impressing the Francophonie. Why can we not teach our own languages at language centers in our universities?

The educational system in Cameroon needs to be completely overhauled. Public schools educate the majority of Cameroonians, but they have been completely neglected. What would it take to provide such schools with good libraries? What would it take to provide schools with provide schools with proper lighting so students could stay on campus for night sessions? The influx of most of our youths to professional schools undermines valuable research projects. Our schools should be endowed enough to find answers for malaria, typhoid and otherwise. An atmosphere should exist for partnership with the world’s reputable learning institutions. Cameroonian intellectuals should reject to be caged.

The problem in Cameroon is underdevelopment. We are not underdeveloped because of the absence of human and natural capital. We are underdeveloped because we are also not wise in our foreign policy. France should not have a pass to our natural resources if they wouldn’t invest back into our communities. Our governments should pursue a foreign policy that is beneficial to our nation’s interest. Should Japan not be lauded for the schools or drinking water system it provides to our people? Isn’t this the kind of project that should be expanded? We should focus on developing our nation, rather than engaging ourselves in divisive endeavors that turn to enrich a handful of Cameroonians. How many times has there been a change of leadership at the helm of SCNC? Why do some of these people become suspiciously quiet after a while? Why is everyone who talks about “Le problem du Grand Nord” turn up in cabinet reshuffles as ministers? Isn’t there a “Probleme de L’Est”? There is one Cameroon , and that Cameroon is underdeveloped. We should chart a common path to develop the whole nation.

Fellow Cameroonians, we should all embrace the diversity in our country. Economic solutions should be targeted to all Cameroonians. We should not be divided by lines that don’t matter – Anglophone/Franchophone, Northwest/Southwest, Christian/Muslim. We need leadership that is accountable to its people. We have a long way to go. Most importantly, the people have to fight for such leadership.

To begin to tackle these problems, we must identify, cultivate and nurture a New-Generation of Leaders that would have the audacity to articulate constructive critiques of the state of affairs, we must re-orient our thought processes to appreciate the nature of the change we want and the impediments we must overcome to achieve such a monumental undertaking. We can start by contributing the brain-power that is requisite if we harbor any hopes of change. This is the time for us to unite and become involved in various projects. We can make this happen.