PAUL BIYA SHUFFLES THE PACK
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 24th of August 2002, in reaction to a cabinet reshuffle President Paul Biya had just announced. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
________________________________________________________________________
Although the shuffle was expected, some of the changes it contained might not have been predictable. Prior to the exercise for instance, newspaper speculations had been rife with how some members of government were on their way out. These included the Prime Minister and Head of Government Peter Mafany Musonge and Higher Education Minister Jean Marie Atangana Mebara.
In the end, the person who mattered most in the decision, that is President Paul Biya, retained his Prime Minister and twice promoted the Higher Education Minister as Minister of State and Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic. Henceforth, both men will be the President’s closest collaborators on a daily basis. They will assist him in the day-to-day running of the country.
The choice of the two men, just like that of the rest of the cabinet, generally, was sound, politically speaking. Paul Biya can make such choices, for he has decades of experience as president and is aided by the rare tranquility which makes our country an island of peace in a sea of turbulence. Cameroon commands considerable respect among its peers in Africa and runs a security system – some say a `police state`- whose ruthless efficiency makes it one of the best in Africa.
Peter Mafany Musonge thus becomes President Biya’s longest serving Prime Minister , having been appointed 6 years previously. Contrary to what some observers may think, Musonge is getting a just reward for a job well done. An engineer by profession, he came to the Prime Ministership after eight years as General Manager of the Cameroon Development. Corporation (CDC), the country’s largest parastatal and the biggest employer after the State of Cameroon. The scientific rigour and precision with which he ran the CDC were the same he has so far applied as Prime Minister. Among his achievements for the country are an impressive economic growth rate, the curbing of inflation and the feeling that generally speaking, something is being done to turn around a once depressed economy. Perfectly at ease in English and French, he has won the respect of international donors such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Paris Club. At home, there are no scandals haunting him. There are no skeletons in the cupboard. Mr Musonge can therefore be said to be a `Mr. Clean`.
From several points of view, Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara was the right man to succeed the long serving Marafa Hamidou Yaya as Secretary General at the Presidency. He scored high ratings at the Ministry of Higher Education, incidentally his first ministerial portfolio. He is perhaps the best higher education Minister we have ever had. Yet, he was not himself from the ranks of professors. He was, and remains an administrator and has always insisted on staying that way, even when a State university such as the University of Buea whose Pro-Chancellor he was, requested that he put on academic robes for a ceremony at the university.
In Atangana Mebara`s time as Higher Education minister, students, lecturers and auxiliary staff largely regained their moral. He has sanitized the higher education examinations system, even if a lot still remains to be done. He has dealt a deadly blow at bribery and corruption as a prerequisite for the passing of entrance examinations. He has laid down clear-cut guide lines for the promotion of lecturers. He has promoted inter-university solidarity and made members of the higher education group feel like one big and caring family. He is above all a man who listens. While at Higher Education, files were known to leave his office almost as soon as they got there. People who frequented him have testified that his table was usually bare, in testimony. He will no doubt need that skill at a place like the Presidency where many important files are treated.
Interestingly, Atangana Mebara as Secretary General is now the authority in charge of bilingualism, which is just as well, because of all the ministers in Paul Biya`s government, he was the one who made it a point to use both languages at the least opportunity. He must now make sure everyone else implements that cherished government policy.
The public service and the nation at large would be better places if all ministers emulated the examples of the re-appointed Prime Minister and Head of Government, and the new minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic.
© 2009
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est CAMEROON PARTY POLITICS. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est CAMEROON PARTY POLITICS. Afficher tous les articles
samedi 21 novembre 2009
THE SCNC AND THE WAY FORWARD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 3rd of October 2002, two days after the day the SCNC usually causes a stir in the country as it accentuates its call for an independent state for the once Southern Cameroons. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
________________________________________________________________________
A certain aphorisms hold that there is no problem without a solution. In fact, another goes even further by intimating that there are problems because their solutions exist. The real challenge therefore lies in finding the solution and implementing it.
The Anglophone problem as it has come to be known is really one that far from being dismissed as irrelevant should be examined with the greatest attention. It would be a disservice to our great nation, Cameroon, if the authorities were to sweep it under the carpet or simply paper over the cracks. Fortunately just at a time when it could have been reached, Fons of the North West have offered to officially take up the matter with the authorities.
But the Fons did another thing that was praiseworthy .They condemned both violence and secession. This political commentator adds his voice to that of the Fons, having come face-to -face with the horrors of war when he covered those in Angola, Mozambique, Chad and the Western Sahara. The casualties of war are as incalculably colossal as the adverse effects of secession. So any thought of violence and or secession must be crushed, with the last iota of breath buried and a requiem mass said over them. That is a figure of speech.
While the government studies the files from the Fons and deploys as well as employs its own channels to get an insight into the problem, there are certain measures that can be taken quickly at little cost, yet be appreciated by those feeling the pinch of the threat of secession.
The vexatious issue of religious studies at the GCE is a case in point. For years now official institutions such as universities and public competitive examination organizers have excluded religions studies when considering Advanced Level subjects. The consequence is that the work students and teachers spend years doing is suddenly and inexplicably treated with scorn and derision. Of course, Anglophone students are the ones who bear the brunt of the policy because they are the ones who do Religious Studies as a subject at the Advanced Level. Yet no tangible reason has ever been given by government for this state of affairs. Is it not a paradox that of all the subjects on the curriculum, Religious Studies is the one that can consolidate the policy of building a corruption free and upright Cameroon? Given this, it is difficult to argue with compatriots who feel they are being intentionally victimized because that subject is part of their own culture. The accordance of Religious Studies its rightful place among other subjects is therefore a necessity because such a move would go some way towards addressing the question of Anglophone marginalization..
Another bone of contention is the issue of official bilingualism in Cameroon. Our constitution is crystal clear about the question of bilingualism. Part 1, section 1 (3) of the constitution states: “The Official Languages of the Republic of Cameroon shall be English and French, both languages having the same status. The state shall guarantee the promotion of bilingualism throughout the country’’.
Despite those lofty assertions, the reality on the ground is otherwise. Daily, we read and here public official announcements, adverts and public tenders only in one language- French – which is the language of the majority spoken by about 80 per cent of the country’s population. And no one seems to care. Unless the government takes urgent steps to enforce the stringent implementation of bilingualism, this problem will persist.
One way of addressing the issue could be to give official translation a ministerial department of its own. The promotion of national languages could then be part of the package with provincial and divisional services being set up. It would be up to the government, of course, to do the fine tuning. If these measures are implemented, they will not only reduce the tension created by the SCNC and its quest for secession but would also augur well for national unity. A stitch in time saves nine.
© 2009
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 3rd of October 2002, two days after the day the SCNC usually causes a stir in the country as it accentuates its call for an independent state for the once Southern Cameroons. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
________________________________________________________________________
A certain aphorisms hold that there is no problem without a solution. In fact, another goes even further by intimating that there are problems because their solutions exist. The real challenge therefore lies in finding the solution and implementing it.
The Anglophone problem as it has come to be known is really one that far from being dismissed as irrelevant should be examined with the greatest attention. It would be a disservice to our great nation, Cameroon, if the authorities were to sweep it under the carpet or simply paper over the cracks. Fortunately just at a time when it could have been reached, Fons of the North West have offered to officially take up the matter with the authorities.
But the Fons did another thing that was praiseworthy .They condemned both violence and secession. This political commentator adds his voice to that of the Fons, having come face-to -face with the horrors of war when he covered those in Angola, Mozambique, Chad and the Western Sahara. The casualties of war are as incalculably colossal as the adverse effects of secession. So any thought of violence and or secession must be crushed, with the last iota of breath buried and a requiem mass said over them. That is a figure of speech.
While the government studies the files from the Fons and deploys as well as employs its own channels to get an insight into the problem, there are certain measures that can be taken quickly at little cost, yet be appreciated by those feeling the pinch of the threat of secession.
The vexatious issue of religious studies at the GCE is a case in point. For years now official institutions such as universities and public competitive examination organizers have excluded religions studies when considering Advanced Level subjects. The consequence is that the work students and teachers spend years doing is suddenly and inexplicably treated with scorn and derision. Of course, Anglophone students are the ones who bear the brunt of the policy because they are the ones who do Religious Studies as a subject at the Advanced Level. Yet no tangible reason has ever been given by government for this state of affairs. Is it not a paradox that of all the subjects on the curriculum, Religious Studies is the one that can consolidate the policy of building a corruption free and upright Cameroon? Given this, it is difficult to argue with compatriots who feel they are being intentionally victimized because that subject is part of their own culture. The accordance of Religious Studies its rightful place among other subjects is therefore a necessity because such a move would go some way towards addressing the question of Anglophone marginalization..
Another bone of contention is the issue of official bilingualism in Cameroon. Our constitution is crystal clear about the question of bilingualism. Part 1, section 1 (3) of the constitution states: “The Official Languages of the Republic of Cameroon shall be English and French, both languages having the same status. The state shall guarantee the promotion of bilingualism throughout the country’’.
Despite those lofty assertions, the reality on the ground is otherwise. Daily, we read and here public official announcements, adverts and public tenders only in one language- French – which is the language of the majority spoken by about 80 per cent of the country’s population. And no one seems to care. Unless the government takes urgent steps to enforce the stringent implementation of bilingualism, this problem will persist.
One way of addressing the issue could be to give official translation a ministerial department of its own. The promotion of national languages could then be part of the package with provincial and divisional services being set up. It would be up to the government, of course, to do the fine tuning. If these measures are implemented, they will not only reduce the tension created by the SCNC and its quest for secession but would also augur well for national unity. A stitch in time saves nine.
© 2009
A MUNA FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 18th of February 2005, following her appointment as Secretary of State for Commerce. One factor that drew attention to Ama Tutu Muna`s appointment was the fact that at the time of her appointment, she was an outsider, having come into government from the private sector, unlike most of the other appointees who were civil servants. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
________________________________________________________________________
Whatever way one looks at it Ama Tutu Muna, was always going to be one of the most closely watched cabinet members here in Cameroon. She is one of the relatively few females in government, just as she is one of the very few cabinet ministers born in the 1960s, most others having been born in the 1950s. The major reason for the raised eye brows about her though, is that she is a Muna. From that point of view, it all looks like history repeating itself because her father, the late Solomon Tandeng Muna was a leading long time cabinet member of the country.
Be it as it may, fundamentally, the Muna now touring Momo Division, her administrative unit of origin, is different from her father and even her swashbuckling brother, Ben Muna a high profile barrister who was once President of the Cameroon Bar Association. Ben has, of course, also dabbled in politics, having been Campaign Manager of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Cameroon`s leading opposition party, before he and the party parted ways. Unlike her father who ended up by breaking ranks with Yaounde, by tendering his resignation to President Paul Biya, Ama Tutu Muna has worked quietly but stoutly for the regime in place.
Although some observers believe Ben is the person who would have emerged minister from that family, had he been conciliatory towards the CPDM, the truth may never really be known, for in her own right, Ama Tutu Muna won many hearts and minds prior to her being appointed Secretary of State. She was a successful building contractor with one of the jewels of her making being the new court building at up station, Bamenda. It is not surprising therefore that as she left Yaounde for her Momo constituency, even members of the opposition in Momo were planning to receive her.
If Ama Tutu Muna who was a few years ago given the traditional title of Mafor, does not unite Momo, then perhaps no one else will. So far, Momo Division has lacked that single political force that could cut across party lines.
While Ama Tutu Muna may have succeeded as a contractor and is succeeding as a social being, the third challenge lies in her very job as Commerce Secretary of State. As things stand, she has what it takes to make it, for apart from holding qualifications in English and translation, Ama Tutu Muna has traveled widely.
Interestingly, Ama Tutu Muna’s boss, Commerce Minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana has an even richer background in commerce, having done higher studies in that domain and worked in Cameroon and Europe. Together, both can make the sky the limit for the Commerce Ministry. But more importantly, for Ama Tutu Muna, the people of Momo would be proud to say in future: ‘Here is a ministry that delivered the goods because our daughter was one of its key architects”.
© 2009
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 18th of February 2005, following her appointment as Secretary of State for Commerce. One factor that drew attention to Ama Tutu Muna`s appointment was the fact that at the time of her appointment, she was an outsider, having come into government from the private sector, unlike most of the other appointees who were civil servants. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
________________________________________________________________________
Whatever way one looks at it Ama Tutu Muna, was always going to be one of the most closely watched cabinet members here in Cameroon. She is one of the relatively few females in government, just as she is one of the very few cabinet ministers born in the 1960s, most others having been born in the 1950s. The major reason for the raised eye brows about her though, is that she is a Muna. From that point of view, it all looks like history repeating itself because her father, the late Solomon Tandeng Muna was a leading long time cabinet member of the country.
Be it as it may, fundamentally, the Muna now touring Momo Division, her administrative unit of origin, is different from her father and even her swashbuckling brother, Ben Muna a high profile barrister who was once President of the Cameroon Bar Association. Ben has, of course, also dabbled in politics, having been Campaign Manager of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Cameroon`s leading opposition party, before he and the party parted ways. Unlike her father who ended up by breaking ranks with Yaounde, by tendering his resignation to President Paul Biya, Ama Tutu Muna has worked quietly but stoutly for the regime in place.
Although some observers believe Ben is the person who would have emerged minister from that family, had he been conciliatory towards the CPDM, the truth may never really be known, for in her own right, Ama Tutu Muna won many hearts and minds prior to her being appointed Secretary of State. She was a successful building contractor with one of the jewels of her making being the new court building at up station, Bamenda. It is not surprising therefore that as she left Yaounde for her Momo constituency, even members of the opposition in Momo were planning to receive her.
If Ama Tutu Muna who was a few years ago given the traditional title of Mafor, does not unite Momo, then perhaps no one else will. So far, Momo Division has lacked that single political force that could cut across party lines.
While Ama Tutu Muna may have succeeded as a contractor and is succeeding as a social being, the third challenge lies in her very job as Commerce Secretary of State. As things stand, she has what it takes to make it, for apart from holding qualifications in English and translation, Ama Tutu Muna has traveled widely.
Interestingly, Ama Tutu Muna’s boss, Commerce Minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana has an even richer background in commerce, having done higher studies in that domain and worked in Cameroon and Europe. Together, both can make the sky the limit for the Commerce Ministry. But more importantly, for Ama Tutu Muna, the people of Momo would be proud to say in future: ‘Here is a ministry that delivered the goods because our daughter was one of its key architects”.
© 2009
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