“The idea of opposing CPDM anonymously or staying indifferent in this struggle is betrayal”

By Sessekou Asu Isong

A friend of mine who is blessed with a finer and richer mind than most of us called yesterday to warn me about the consequences of publicly criticizing Biya’s corrupt regime. He advised that the best way to attack the sleaze and evil in Yaoundé was to do it anonymously. He said the political racketeers that have been in charge of The Cameroons since 1982 have failed miserably but in his monologue he was adamant that anyone who dare criticise the gods in Yaoundé publicly risked being arrested upon arrival at that filthy aerodrome in Douala and refused entry into The Cameroons. As I listened to myman empty his vocal cords, I had to force myself to sustain polite silence. I thanked him after the thirty minutes sermon for his concern and consideration for my wellbeing and promised that I’ll follow his wise words.

Later, I reflected upon the lecture andit appeared to me that his words sadly represent the thoughts of a great many Cameroonians. They are cognizant of the issues that have brought their country to its knees and on the verge of secession and civil war, but afraid to confront it publicly. Why have we as a people been so apathetic to injustice? Why have we been so indifferent in the face of this flagrant abuse of power and subjugation?

As I look back over the last thirty-six years, I can’t find a single noteworthy achievement of this current administration. A country blessed with so many natural resources, great people and brains could do better than it has. Surely!! As a people, we have collectively taken the easy options- emigration, apathy and silence.My good friend advised that God would intervene and perform miracles. Sadly, The Devine hasn’t done that over the last few centuries.

Today, the great nations of the world are nations that haven’t waited for miracles but fought against corruption and suppression. Subsequently, they have established systems that respect the dignity of men, women and the rule of law.Great Britain, France, USA, Germany- where many Cameroonian economic and political migrants now call home, are not enjoying the economic prosperities, respect for law and the reverence of human lives by accident and prayers. At certain times in their histories, they had to fight oppressors, evils and corrupt thuggery. I’m convinced they succeeded because they weren’t afraid to publicly confront the despots of their time.

Over the years, as the kindhearted, peace loving and miracle expectant people have migrated from The Cameroons, the so-called leaders have laughed all the way to the bank. They have looted the state treasury and natural resources with impunity. They have embezzled, misappropriated and thieved at a level our language can’t provide satisfactory adjectives. I hold as true that our collective lackadaisical approach to the big issues that our country has faced over the years is the main reason a cruel few have taken advantage of a kind and generous many.

The good news is; the moment of epiphany has arrived in the consciousness of many Cameroonians especially British Southern Cameroonians who have come to the decision that the illegal occupation of their land must stop. The unconcern showed by many Cameroonians in the diaspora to the criminality that has engulfed their homeland is a worry. The immortal words of the great Martin Luther King Jr should shame us. In 1967 he said “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Is the answer a nameless and faceless opposition to this regime? That idea, appealing as it seems is not a solution to the issues our nation is facing. By our inactivity and fear of arrests, themobs ruling the nation have audaciously abused their positions. As a nation, we have shamelessly made Biya a demigod. He has succeeded in drilling fear into us in thousands of litres. It’s about time we stop this nonsense.

At a time when the bloodthirsty military of French Cameroun is unleashing barbarism on the defenseless people of British Southern Cameroons by indiscriminate shootings, burning of villages, torture, arrest and detention without trial, we have a collective duty to inform the world of these crimes and oppose them with every energy in us. We have an obligation to do something about it.

This media group, Cameroon Concord News will fight the tyranny and political harassers in Yaoundé with every dollar, dynamism and talent we can muster. We are prepared to be remembered like Steve Biko, Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther, Malcolm X. For, these men and countless others, faced evils during their times but they didn’t abdicate responsibility. We shall expose and condemn this criminality until justice is a reality.

We shall not stop until all the political prisoners occupying the dungeons in Yaoundé are free. Until that day, we would be with them in spirit and keep their stories alive in the minds of those who have access to smart phones, computers and the internet. To all the silent voices in all the remote areas of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, our promise to you is simple; your voices will be heard in all the corners of God’s earth. To all those who have lost their lives as a result of the cruelty of fellow men, we hope that as they meet their makers, let the wrath of God be revealed and released from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of these men, who by their unrighteousness are suppressing the truth and committing murder.

The idea of opposing CPDM anonymously or staying indifferent in this struggle is betrayal.We should look at evil in the eye and confront it.A great Greek historian and author who lived circa 460-404bc in the name of Thucydides best put it distinctly in these words “The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.”These words add springs to our steps. They inspire us with courage and we hope they inspire you too.

This is a Cameroon Concord News Group Editorial Desk Production

Over the last two years, Cameroon’s political future has been very uncertain, especially as the current political elite is constituted mainly of people who are over 75 years. For many Cameroonians, this is very concerning, especially as more than 70% of the country’s population is between 20 and 50 years old.

But one of the greatest challenges facing the country today is that of holding the country together. The country’s unity is under threat. Over the last two years, Cameroon has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The Anglophone crisis has revealed the inadequacies of the current political system and the divisions within the country are clearly pointing the country in the wrong direction. These divisions are threatening the very foundation on which this beautiful country has been built.

The Anglophone minority is threatening to leave the union on grounds that it has been characterized by injustice, corruption, marginalization and abuse of human rights. Months of street demonstrations in early 2017 only resulted in violent clashes, with government troops killing Anglophone demonstrators.

Matters came to a head in the later part of 2017, with Anglophone fighters taking on army soldiers. The consequences of this fighting have been unbelievable. The death toll has been high on both sides and the end is unfortunately not in sight, as the government remains steadfast in its logic of winning the war through military violence and at all cost.

The crisis has not only revealed how politically vulnerable the country is, it has also demonstrated that a new political class is supposed to emerge if Cameroon, the once stable nation, has to preserve that attribute that has made it a special country on the African continent. The country’s dual colonial heritage has always made it to stand out and this beauty is under threat as the conflict between Anglophones and the State plays out on the streets and jungles of former West Cameroon.

While Anglophones are right in their fight against political and economic marginalization, there is a growing consensus that there is a huge governance problem that needs emergency action. The country lacks modern infrastructure. Its roads have become death traps. Its hospital have been reduced to consultation clinics and the quality of education that inspired hope in millions of Cameroonians has declined over the last twenty years to ridiculous levels.

Today, human rights abuses are rampant. The courts have lost the people’s respect. The judiciary is at the beck and call of the executive branch of government and this is making it hard for Cameroonians – both Anglophones and Francophones – to get the justice they need in their own country.

Cameroonians in general are looking forward to meaningful political change. The current political leaders have fallen short of the people’s glorious expectations. The ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), has monopolized power for more than five decades and there is nothing to show for it. The arrogance of government ministers and CPDM parliamentarians has been the subject of many discussions ever since the Anglophone crisis started. And this is causing many people to take a look at different strategies that can help the country rid itself of the ruling party which is widely considered as a crime syndicate.

But it is not only the political scene that is begging for improvement. The country’s economy has been melting down at an alarming rate and this has been exacerbated by the escalating corruption that has made life unbearable for millions of Cameroonians. Cameroon’s economy has contracted over the last decade and this contraction is bound to continue, especially as the country is mired in multiple conflicts. The Anglophone crisis is already swallowing huge amounts of financial resources that could have been invested to transform the lives of many young Cameroonians and this situation is very likely to continue as the government refuses to call for an inclusive and sincere dialogue that most believe can deliver better results. In the North, Boko Haram is maiming and killing innocent Cameroonians and this threat is also affecting the country’s economy.

Over the years, unemployment has become an issue in Cameroon. Unemployment is blighting the lives of many Cameroonians as a resulted of long years of mismanagement and corruption. Today, many young Cameroonians prefer to look outwards as their country has failed to harness their potential. Poverty –generated by the ruling party – has robbed Cameroonians of their dignity. Their desperation can be seen on their faces. The people of Cameroon need change. They need someone who can inspire hope in them. Someone who understands their plight and is driven by a strong feeling of patriotism. This has been the missing ingredient in the entire political game for the last thirty years.

But all hopes are not lost. A new political class is gradually emerging and Joshua Osih, the smart, bilingual and patriotic Cameroonian who understands the people’s plight has finally thrown his cap into the ring. After having served for long as vice-president and parliamentarian of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Mr. Osih believes that this is the right time to help pull the country out of the political and economic doldrums.

His candidacy in the upcoming presidential election comes as a relief to many young Cameroonians who clearly hold that it is time to walk away from the ineffective and inefficient gerontocracy that has brought pain and death to many Cameroonians. Many young Cameroonians hold that the country needs younger hands to transform the country’s economic and political landscape and Joshua Osih has a safe pair of hands.

It is widely believed that his understanding of both Francophone and Anglophone cultures makes him the ideal candidate for the post of president in a country that might implode if the right person does not step in. His moderate stance on many issues has earned him the respect of the entire nation.

Joshua Osih’s time has come. He is being considered as the comprise candidate even by Anglophones who have clearly demonstrated their frustration with the Yaounde government. Cameroon needs to heal and only someone with Joshau Osih’s temperament and charisma will  be able to help the country walk away from its ugly past.

Born on  9 December 1968, Joshua Osih is the first Anglophone Cameroonian to serve as a Parliamentarian in Douala in the Littoral region. Besides being a politician, he is the chairman of Camport PLC in Cameroon, a successful business that has made many to think that he is the right man to lead Cameroon into a prosperous and peaceful future.

A Cameroon Concord News Group Production