Cameroon unification: Ahidjo and Biya’s marginalisation of Cameroonians

They used their crooked control of political power and marginalised Anglophones to second class citizens and were determined to destroy the Anglophone culture and tradition

By A. S. Ngwana, Douala

Why did we vote massively to unite with the Republic of Cameroon instead with the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

On the 20th anniversary of the death of E.L.M. Endeley, the first Premier of West Cameroon, formerly British Southern Cameroon who died on 29 June 1988, it is important to re-examine why we of British Southern Cameroon voted massively to become independent by unifying with the Republic of Cameroon instead of joining the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I quote here the words of E.L.M. Endeley, words which truly describe the situation of the Republic of Cameroon, at the time of the plebiscite. «Nearly every one in the Southern Cameroons has heard of the word FREEDOM. Our association with Nigeria for nearly half a century has made us realise what it means to move about freely; to speak in public freely; to worship freely; to speak out our minds without fear of molestation. These freedoms, and many more will continue to be ours.
But if you vote for union with Cameroon Republic, you will invite a new system under which everyone lives in fear of the police and the army. You will not be free to move about; you cannot lecture freely or discuss your political views in public; you must carry your tax receipt around your neck like a dog; and you can be arrested and flogged by police and even imprisoned without a fair trial»

I voted during that plebiscite and I can attest to the truth of the above words of Endeley.

At the time of the plebiscite, the government of the Republic of Cameroon was most undemocratic, oppressive and brutal. Opposition parties were either banned or harassed out of existence or forced to go underground. Human rights were none-existent, and an indefinite state of emergency was enforced on the population to prop up an autocratic regime.
Looking at the horrible political situation in the Republic of Cameroon and the terrorism that raged there at the time of the plebiscite, one could never have expected us to vote for Unification. Why then did we vote for unification?
Well, Southern Cameroonians are Cameroonians and people of the Republic of Cameroon are Cameroonians. We voted to join our brothers across the Mungo. It was just a question of «blood is thicker than water».
As brothers, as Cameroonians, we desired to live together with our kith and kin. We voted for unification with our eyes open. We knew the problems ahead and the difficulties involved and we were prepared to face them, and determined to solve them. We were resolved to introduce democracy and good government in Cameroon, to defend human rights and the rule of law and insure economic prosperity for a unified Cameroon.

But what happened?

We have been betrayed by the CNU/CPDM governments headed by our francophone brothers Adhidjo/Biya. In bad faith, they have betrayed our trust and faith and aspiration for unification.
They have destroyed the basis of unification which is Federalism, they have, using their crooked control of political power marginalised Anglophones to second class citizens and are bent on destroying the Anglophone culture and tradition. How else can you explain the diabolic manoeuvers to make sure that an Anglophone can never be president of Cameroon. How can you explain the fact that since independence an Anglophone has never held the important ministry of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Minister of Territorial Administration, or of Defense. How can you explain the judicial system where the Court can be addressed in Anglophone territory in French, but the court cannot be addressed in Francophone territories in English.
How can you explain the fact that there is «regional balancing» in schools and universities only when it comes to admissions of francophone students. We did not unify to become second class citizens. Unification was based on equality of all Cameroonians.
It is unfortunate that the Francophone leaders do not understand the working of a federation. A federation is the only way by which any mult-inational and culturally diverse communion, has the opportunity for variation in laws, existences, dispensation, that take account of the different sensibilities and accordingly concede reasonable autonomy to the constituting units.
Cameroon is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious State. That is why The United Nations gave Southern Cameroon independence on the basis of Federalism with the Republic of Cameroon. Many countries in the world because of these differences, operate on a federal basis, for example, the United States of America, Nigeria, Germany, Australia even Great Britain.
Unification was based on Federalism and Equality of Status, on Unity in Diversity. We therefore condemn any attempts to abolish or absorb, destroy or assimilate, promote or ignore, favour or submerge one culture, as it borders on the unity and corporate existence of Cameroon.