The unity of Cameroon is a reality and not a myth

By Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle

Elvis Ngolle Ngolle

In his 1999 thought-provoking and memorable book, Cameroon Political Story which is a highly useful contribution to the corpus of knowledge on Cameroon’s politics and history, the now late N.N. Mbille makes the following pertinent and conscientious points “After the 1961 plebiscite and upon return from the United Nations in New York in 1961, the Southern Cameroons delegations (both the Foncha-led and the Endeley-led), representing both the winners and the losers in the plebiscite, returned together in May 1961 resolved  to make reunification work” Mbille concludes prophetically, “Indeed, the state of Cameroon has firmly come to stay, standing as firm as Mount Cameroon, ready to take its place and face the coming age” (Mbille, 1999, p. 354).
    These prophetic and conscientious words, coming from the reservoir of both experience and the intellect of a political encyclopedia of the stature of the now late politician – N.N. Mbille, speaks volumes and informs every Cameroonian be they of Anglophone or francophone expression that the reunification of the former two Cameroons (Southern Cameroons-Cum West Cameroon and the Republic of Cameroon-Cum East Cameroon) in 1961, provided the bedrock and the constitutional foundations for the unification of the Cameroon nation that followed eleven years later in 1972 with the national referendum that was styled the peaceful revolution. Indeed, 1972 was one of the defining moments that gave meaning and substance to reunification and provided the momentum for the further strengthening and reinforcement of the unification process. These twin defining moments, 1961 for reunification and 1972 for unification, coupled with the 1966 fusioning of the various political parties into a unified national party- the Cameroon National Union (CNU), serve as the most palpable measurable and observable indices of the reunification and of the Cameroon that their dreams and sacrifices were not an empty dream or an arrangement of political convenience. These early indices of the collective will for unity also serve as the pillars of a new political, social and economic reality that has been the agenda, the conscience and the collective will of both Cameroonians of Anglophone expression (former Southern – Cum West Cameroon) and those of francophone expression (former French, Cum Republic – and latter East Cameroon) to forge a new and United nation and state (nation-state). Reunification and unification eleven years later, did not only constitute the building of a United nation, they also represented the construction of a new United state in the classical political science sense of one people, one territory, one government, one national anthem, one flag, one national constitution, one currency; one army, one justice and one future under one God.

    It has been forty-two (42) years since our nation and state embarked on the long journey or process of unification in 1972. It has also been fifty-three (53) years since reunification in 1961, the golden jubilee of which was celebrated in Buea and through out the ten regions last February 20 with the Head of State and President of the Republic of Cameroon as presiding chairman and guest of honour accompanied by his wife and the entirety of the national government in all its branches present. The golden jubilee celebration in Buea and throughout the nation, were a vivid expression and to some extent an unquestionable reminder to the world that the spirit of unity that was conceived, nurtured and manifested by heroic and virtuous Cameroonians within and outside mandated and later the trust territories in the pre 1961 period with such grouping as the Cameroon youth League in Nigeria, Cameroon students in France, the United Kingdom, the Cameroon National Federation, the Kamerun United National Congress, the Traditional associations like the Ngondo of the Doualas, the Kumze of the Bamilekes and the Union Tribal Bantou of the Bulus, is alive and it is an indisputable reality. When these national heroes of the examples of the now late Dr Foncha, Hon S.T. Muna, Dr Endeley, Hon Mbille N.N., Hon A.N. Jua, Hon P.M. Kalle, Hon S.A. George, Dr Fonlon, the Ntumazahs, the Um Nyobes, the Charles Asales, the former president Ahidjo, the Soppo Prisos, the King Bells of Douala, the Sultan Njoyas and the likes of the E.T. Egbes, the Effioms, the Elangwes, the V.E. Muketes stood up and rallied their fellow countrymen for the cause of unity through reunification, they did so with a high sense of conviction and patriotism and not the convenience typical of politicians without a conscience. They believed in their cause and in the force of their arguments and methods. They informed, they sensitized, they mobilized and they rallied their force towards the common and noble objective of unity through reunification. In every sense, the evidence attests to the success of their noble mission and sacrifices. After fifty-three (53) years, the Cameroon nation is reunited and that unity was reiterated 42 years ago in 1972 with the referendum.
    In 53 years total and 42 years since the 1972 unity referendum, our nation has stood firmly as mount Cameroon, the challenges and other difficulties not withstanding. Politically, the nation state enjoys full internal and international sovereignty through its national institutions and symbols of sovereign nation hood and state hood. These include, well defined and recognized international boundaries, a legitimate and constitutional national Government with all its attendant institutions, national laws, a national flag, a national anthem, a national defence force, a national judiciary, a national legislature and a common currency. Socially, the nation state exhibits it national unity in social transactions, in institutions such as marriages, cross-cultural, cross linguistic, cross ethnic or tribal, cross regional and cross religious friendship and common welfare associations, more francophones attend Anglophone educational educations and express themselves freely in English more than ever, more Anglophone speak French more than ever, more associational transactions such as personal friendship, business transactions, cultural transactions occur, cross cultural, cross linguistically and cross regionally more than ever, a better atmosphere of social understanding and accommodation across language, region, ethnicity, religion occur more than ever, francophones and Anglophones both make enormous efforts to close the social distance and understand one another more than ever, bilingual policies or not, infrastructure connectedness has intensified and increased across language regional lines be they in the sector of telecom, road links, educational, public health and other social sectors. In cultural terms, the mangambo of the West, the bottle dance of the North West, the bikutsi of the Beti, the makossa and Ambas Bay of the Sawas have all become national cultural patrimonies. Same is the case in culinary terms wherein, the Eru of the South West, the miyondo and the Ndole of the Sawas, the Ebobolo of the Beti, the Okro, the groundnut sauce or the jamajama and fufu corn of the West or the egusi sauce, the koki beans and the water fufu, have all become national dishes and thus national patrimonies true to the spirit of epluribus unum from (from manyone)as embedded in the American currency.  These indices of unity are real and not mythical. If these indices of national unity are not real, then what is rreal? Evidently, reality has only one meaning in what ever sense of the word, it is that which is visible, touchable, measurable and in existence in a permanent or sustainable manner. A myth is that which is the opposite or the antithesis of the real.
    Is it that mean that for that which real, there are no problems or is reality synonymous with perfection? of course not. Does it also by the same token or logic mean that reality with problems or challenges is synonymous with that which is a myth? of course not. The point that has to be made and must be made repeatedly as our nation Cameroon continues to celebrate or commemorate its national unity is that in a reality, all is not perfect because the men and women who are all heroes of the unity odyssey were not perfect human beings, neither were they angels. They were conscientious ordinary human beings driven by a high sense of history and purpose. They equally shared the common belief that their errors or omissions will be honestly and positively be made right by succeeding generations of which we are all a part. The value in this piece of wisdom expressed by the fore-bearers of our national Unity behooves on all of us of the current generation to avoid the temptations of division, of insensitive language and attitude, of revisionist positioning or selfish political posturing, deliberate misinformation or disinformation and the folly of the reversal of the clock or the so called zero option as espoused by some extremist groups and fellow citizens. Let us heed to the wisdom of President Biya when on a visit to the North West in Bamenda, he said “let us overcome our impatience and together seek solutions to our problems. Let us not set Cameroonians against one another. Let us not set English speaking Cameroonians against French speaking Cameroonians.” It is noteworthy that Mr Biya sounded the same note in Buea on the occasion of the golden jubilee of reunification.
    As the evidence shows, our national unity is a success and hence a reality. It is Sir Winston Churchill who once said “Success is not final and failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts… for success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. Only a pessimist sees the difficulty in opportunity while an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” The opportunity is real and the difficulties are real. The best choice is found in Churchill’s wisdom. Long live the Cameroon nation united in its diversity.