By Ndicho Awudu in Douala
As Cameroon government deploys security forces to arrest, torture, and incarcerate some English- speaking Cameroonians under the pretext that they want to secede, it is important to situate the Anglophone in the Cameroonian society. Does the Francophone-dominated
government really recognise Anglophones or their ability to manage positions given to them appropriately? Do French -speaking Cameroonians know that Anglophones’ ability to manage has an origin? Shouldn’t that origin be recognised and accepted?
The success of any leader partly depends on the successful flow of instructions and hitch-free implementation. This seems not to be the case with Anglophones who hold positions of responsibility in our country. The current Prime Minster is said to have instructed the former Minister of Finance to allot financial provision for new furniture in the PM’s office. But the Finance Minster brushed it aside and dumped the file claiming that it was not going to improve on the country’s revenue.
Incarcerated former Finance Minster Abah Abah even refused arogantly to listen to the PM concerning the planned privatisation of Cameroon Airlines. The Prime Minister insisted and the then finance minister stood his grounds and was about to adjudicate the sale to his cohorts.
It only took a presidential decree to annul the deal. We all know that all ministers are subordinates to the Prime Minister who is Head of Government, but yet his instructions or decisions are not implemented. I believe this is because some influential Francophone power wielders don’t consider Anglophones as part and parcel of this country. Not even the clan that rules the country pays considerable attention to Anglophones’cry.
Furthermore, when Mr. Peter Mafany Musonge(another Anglophone) was Prime Minister, a commission awarded a FEICOM contract worth 188 million to an Anglophone company. The then Prime Minister signed the contract and forwarded it to the FEICOM former GM, Ondong Ndong, for visa before publication. Ondong Ndong, now in prison for embezzlement of billions of FCFA, said an Anglophone was unable to win such a juicy contract in Cameroon while he was still alive. His statement was final. Even if Anglophone firms do win such contracts from government, how many of them and how often does this occur?
When Mr. Inoni assumed functions as PM, he paid surprise visits to some ministries to encourage punctuality and duty -consciousness. French- speaking people with whom I associate refer to it as ‘‘les choses des anglos-là’’, ça va finir. But did it work? Did Mr. Inoni succeed? If not, why? Is he being respected as the head of government?
On several occasions Anglophone heads of government have had little or no say as most of their instructions are disobeyed or waived aside with the left hand even by low-ranking Francophones
However, Cameroonians believe that the post of PM. is given to us and that there should be no complaint. I believe elsewhere in the society, the story is not different.
In fact it is even worse than what I observed when I used to spend holidays in Douala in the 1980s. I recently noticed that an English- speaking citizen heading a taxation centre or a custom post is referred to provocatively as‘‘un Bamenda’’. His or her subordinates would say in French that ‘‘ l’anglo là est stricte pour rien’’. Or « il peut aller ou avec cette rigueur’’?
Before long, all decisions taken are ignored or partially executed to the detriment of the State, leaving the English speaking boss humiliated. That Anglophone nursery, primary, secondary schools and even thier lone university (Buea) are invaded by French speaking children is not news.
The question is, what is their aim? Would they really succeed in their mission? Many of them claim that the world is dominated by English speaking people, so they do not want their children to suffer the same embarrassment as they the parents. This is purely a mockery. . How many of us went to French -speaking schools to learn English before becoming bilingual?
Talking with a French speaking parent the other day, he confessed that his main reason for falling in love with Anglophone education system is that, “vous les anglos, vous êtes disciplinés. Vos écoles vous forment bien ». This according to him is not the case with the French educational system. Their children are let loose and many do not actually succeed the way Anglophone children do. Even though they have all the means, my friend says that his people are not well groomed. So he has observed and seen that ‘‘ les anglo sont meilleurs en tout’’ .
If Anglophones are truly the best why do they not give them that recognition officially, by allowing our leaders in the system to excel?
Francophone guests in Anglophone education system has plunged Anglophone parents into more trouble. It is more difficult for many Anglophone parents who in the past could sell their farm produce and get their children into good private or mission schools.
They have been so deprived that they have turned to government schools because the Francophone parents come in with their huge pockets filled with ill-gotten bank notes and can easily buy their children’s way into schools of their choice. Their children even enter “our” schools through the window before the huge fees are paid. The poor Anglophone parent who has been invisible in his or her struggle for survival is further pushed into oblivion by such invasion. Note that the some ministers, who fail to work according to Anglophone standards, go by their children to acquire an Anglophone education.
In a way, they recognise that Anglophone education system is better but wouldn’t admit it. Many fail to come to terms with Anglophones’ ability to perform better from the classroom to the public service than they. Someone needs to teach them this Pidgin English adage that ‘‘if man pass you, carry his bag’’. Let the Francophone open their eyes and see our abilities.
Let the government come out clearly and embrace us-Anglophones, not only as better managers but as true brothers working for the development and progress of our country.
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