Y’de downplays
Commonwealth day
Activities to
mark the Commonwealth Day were kept at a very low profile by Yaounde
authorities. Public media gave the day very little publicity
By Ojong Steven
Ayukogem in Yaounde
Given the rather
uncertain relations between Cameroon and the Commonwealth, Yaounde authorities
are traditionally lukewarm about the Commonwealth Day.
Unlike in previous years, there
were no activities to mark the build-up to the Commonwealth week. If any, they
were eclipsed by celebrations to mark the International day of the woman, a
more popularly celebrated event.
Commonwealth day was observed in
Yaounde at a ceremony hosted by the International Relations Institute of the
University of Yaounde-11 and chaired by the minister delegate at the MINREX in
charge of relations with the Commonwealth, Joseph Dion Ngute. The ceremony was
attended by the British, Canadian and South African High Commissioners to
Yaounde.
Curiously enough, the event at
which the Commonwealth virtues were extolled went unreported by the public
media.
Various news bulletins and
television news on CRTV, the public broadcaster, did not report the event the
day it happened.
The national bilingual daily, Cameroon
Tribune, carried a scanty story in its publication the day after, 12 March.
Private radio and TV simply threw a blind eye to the commemoration.
None of the public media
bothered to make reference to the Queen’s Commemoration address.
Generally, government has not
been enthusiastic about commonwealth day. But usually it has been preceded by a
few activities including an essay competition in schools to mark the day. But
such activities were absent this year.
Critics believe that
government’s lackluster attitude towards the Commonwealth is sometimes bordered
on sabotage. Several years ago, the British Council organized an event to mark
the day and invited minister delegate Joseph Dion Ngute as chair. But just an
hour to the event, Dion Ngute was summoned to the presidency and AdoumGargoum,
minister delegate in charge of Islamic Affairs was charged to preside at the
event.
This unprecedented change of
chairmanship at the last minute was roundly condemned by participants.
Pic
Dr. Dion Ngute
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