Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism: Bidoung Mkpatt helping Musonge ⁰

The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt has signed a ministerial order setting up a day of bilingualism in his ministry. The new innovation in the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government is unprecedented and comes just some few hours after the 85 year old dictator ordered the release of the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium including Lord Justice Ayah Paul Abine.

The Minister Bidoun Mkpatt’s order stipulates that all personnel in the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education are required to speak “English” to French-speaking employees or to speak “French” to English-speaking staff on the last Thursday of each month .

The Minister who is reportedly an in-law to President Biya stated that the initiative takes effect as from today Thursday the 31st of August 2017. Minister Bidoung set an example yesterday Wednesday the 30th of August 2017 in the morning at the Multipurpose Sports Palace in Yaounde during a ceremony to launch the so-called bilingual day whose objective is the promotion of the bilingualism in Cameroon. During his speech on the occasion, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt alternated French and English.

However, there is still no news of the Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism created by the Head of State Paul Biya for eight months in a context marked by the Southern Cameroons crisis. We understand the commission’s chairman, former Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge recently got married and maybe enjoying his honeymoon.

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News