Manyu: We Must Learn! ⁰

For many decades, many young people of Manyu descent have been asking why Manyu towns and villages are not growing as fast as they should though they have the population.

For lack of a proper response to their questions, many of these young people easily assume that the Division’s failure to turn its fortune around is basically because the Manyu political elites have not been doing their job. Can a region’s economic development depend entire on a few politicians?

Of course, it is easier to criticize and lay blame whenever there is an issue than to seek real intellectual answers to the socio-economic issues which dog us every day like stubborn shadows.

If today’s young men of Manyu descent really want to witness change in the Division of their birth, they must walk away from the intellectual laziness that has robbed their parents of the capacity to understand how development and politics relate and how, if employed properly, could bring about sustainable transformative change in a Division like Manyu which is screaming and begging for development.

Manyu is a Division endowed with huge natural and human resources which if well exploited could trigger a massive wave of development. But exploiting resources requires a huge understanding of how wealth and development operate.

Manyu might have sent many of its children to school and education is one asset that can cause a geopolitical environment to grow by leaps and bounds, but the education most young Manyu boys and girls receive these days clearly belongs to the past and is unfortunately inadequate.

Like most young Cameroonians, the education young people of Manyu descent receive these days is pointing them in the wrong direction and it clearly belongs to a distant past. It is not designed for an era which underscores the importance of knowledge. Today’s job market underscores skills. It prioritizes knowledge over certificates.

Today’s education in Cameroon prioritizes certificates over knowledge and skills and this educational system is keeping many young men and women unemployed and frustrated for a very long time. They are not being educated for today and the future. They have been trained for an economy that no longer exists.

Besides, the Manyu educated population only seems to have been wired for an office and this makes it hard for young Manyu graduates to even identify opportunities which can deliver better financial and economic situations. This is indeed an old mentality that is hurting many young men and women.

The Manyu man loves his white shirt and tie. He loves to be formally dressed even under the scorching sun in his native Mamfe. He loves to demonstrate his knowledge even when not necessary and even when his pockets are empty. To the Manyu man, modesty is still a foreign concept and this obnoxious behavior appears to be genetic and it has been transmitted from generation to generation with current generations posting the same outcomes like their parents.

Strangely, it is the young people who are bearing ideas and behaviors which belong to the past who accuse their seniors of having not given Manyu an economic facelift. It is these same young men who attack their political representatives openly for dereliction of duty without seeking to know the terms of reference of each political player.

A Member of Parliament does not have the same duties as a minister though both can work together to help move the Division forward if that opportunity shows up.

A minister like a parliamentarian does not create jobs but if there are openings in his ministry, he can help a few people in his constituency. He cannot help everybody as his ministry is a national ministry and not a divisional ministry.

A parliamentarian, for his part, does not have a corporation. His role is purely legislative. However, he can use his position to lobby for opportunities for his constituency and this does not imply that he must always succeed. He can intercede for his people where possible. He can negotiate for his people if he is aware of any job opportunities.

But before the minister and the parliamentarian can lend a helping hand when it comes to employment, they must be sure that the candidates they want to promote have the right certificates and skills. It will be preposterous of anyone who wants to help to engage in a game he knows will not deliver the right results.

Before young Manyu graduates can blame their politicians and those who hold high positions, they must ensure they have the right information, top-notch skills and relevant certificates. They must understand that a politician cannot help everyone on the same day, and that the politician will be diminishing his own significance and credibility by placing people in positions they cannot handle or do not qualify for.

Before we blame, let’s ensure we check every box on the list. Do we have the right skills? Do we have certificates relevant to the position? Do we have the right attitude? Can we deliver as required? Do we have the right CV that can attest to our experience?

I am not holding a brief for our Manyu politicians. I also want our politicians to do more, but looking forward to greater performance and delivery on the part of our politicians also implies that we must exercise patience and demonstrate a sound understanding of processes and procedures.

Of course, some complaints and criticisms could be right but how we package those complaints could make or mar our objective. Publicly disrespecting someone because they have not met our personal expectations is an error that might trigger negative sentiments and it could be counter-productive.

Our politicians are humans and they cannot be exceptions. They too deserve respect and they understand that their actions are being scrutinized.

As people of Manyu Division, we must start learning. It behooves us to avoid errors of the past. If Manyu Division has not posted any impressive economic outcomes over the last five decades, it is also because of our own mindset.

The Manyu mentality of unnecessary anger and show-off are also to blame for our Division’s economic demise. Our attitude which breeds unnecessary conflict makes it hard for us to work as a well-oiled unit. The time has come for us to shrink our ego if we have to work as a team.

Manyus always think we are more knowledgeable than those we expect can and should help us. We blame without doing our investigation. This is the tragedy that has destroyed Manyu and will continue to destroy it if we do not mend our ways.

Blaming is an idea whose time has passed. We, the people of Manyu, usually criticize not to make things better but to demonstrate that the other person is stupid and does not deserve what he has. This is our Achilles heels.

Our political leaders are not asking for unnecessary praises. They don’t want to be seen as gods. They just want us to be constructive. No reasonable person will hate constructive criticism.

It is time for us to think differently. We must start to learn from our past mistakes. Our disunity is our worst enemy. We must strive to promote social cohesion not just for celebrations but also for economic development.

We must understand that even if we do not like our politicians, we must respect them as every human being deserves respect. Respect is a key ingredient in the game of collaboration. If we make mutual respect our hallmark, then it will be easier for us to build leverage; the leverage that will enable us to work collaboratively to give Manyu the development it deserves.

Manyu’s journey to genuine and meaningful development starts with mutual respect. It is a journey which requires patience, collegiality and sacrifice. No individual, no matter how rich or well-placed can develop Manyu alone. That is why we must understand that creating conflict through disrespect and ill-informed opinions about others does not work in our favor. A word to the wise is enough!

By Dr. Joachim Arrey