By EkinnehAgbor-Ebai, Boston USA
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| Ekinneh Agbor-Ebai |
A preacher once told his congregation:
“Next week, I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my
sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17”. The following Sunday as he prepared to
deliver his sermon, the pastor asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how
many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The preacher smiled and said: “Mark
has only 16 chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.
This
joke says a lot about human nature, but shows how Francophones are often caught
committing the sin of lying about the Anglophone problem. Francophones are wont
to wish into reality what is not there and to deny the truth when it suits
them. Lying is a sin that was committed by five Francophone ministers who told
the world at a press conference that there is no Anglophone problem in
Cameroon. The integrity deficit associated with lying about the Anglophone
problem is a travesty that insults and diminishes every Cameroonian and must
stop.
The
point must therefore be made, and with emphasis, that there is an Anglophone
problem but the problem is deeply embedded in the asymmetrical political
structure of the country, which has led to institutional paralysis engendered
by leadership failure. Anglophones are divided over the Anglophone problem,
just as Francophones are united in their bellicosity and belligerence towards
Anglophones whom they cast as treasonable felons and secessionists who cannot
be trusted. Francophones have used this self-fulfilling fallacy as an excuse to
exclude Anglophones from the commanding heights of decision-making and treat
them as second class citizens. But facts don’t lie like the lying laity of Mark
17.
Consider
this: over 55 years after independence and re-unification, there has never been
an Anglophone President or an Anglophone Secretary General or Director of Civil
Cabinet at the presidency. Nor has an Anglophone ever held the strategic
ministerial portfolio of Defense, Finance, Territorial Administration,
Communication, External Relations, National Education or even in charge of the
Police, Gendarmerie, the Army and Intelligence services; not even Ambassadors
to English speaking countries like the USA and Nigeria.
For
a region that represents about 20% of the population, accounting for over 60%
of the GDP, the fact that the lone oil refinery named in French (SONARA) is in
Anglophone Cameroon, yet has been run by Francophone General Managers with a
predominantly Francophone workforce since its creation is unacceptable. It just
cannot be that there are no competent Anglophones to occupy these positions.
As
if that was not enough, higher institutions like the National Polytechnic,
ENAM, IRIC, ESSTIC, INJS, IFORD, CUSS, Public Works, ENSPT, IRAD are heavily
laden with French courses; another way of saying, Anglophones need not apply.
Although Cameroon is officially a bilingual country where both English and
French are equal, when has the president ever made an official address to the
nation in English? All official correspondences are in French, even when
directed to Anglophones. French is the language used in the administration,
police, gendarmerie, army and the courts. Anglophones have to seek translators
at their own expense. All road signs are in French and there is not a single word
in English on the FCFA currency in circulation; is this constitutional?
The
facts and figures of Anglophone marginalization under President Biya are
staggering. Of the 700 ministers appointed since Biya took office in 1982, only
76 (10.8) have been Anglophones. In the current 63-member cabinet, there are
only six Anglophones (9%) and only, Philip NgoleNgwese (2%) out of the 38
ministers has a cabinet portfolio. There are four Anglophone Secretary General
(10%) and three Anglophone DAGs 7%) in the Central Administration. In state
corporations, there are less than 15 Anglophones (11%) out of over 130 general
managers. Of the over 130 board chairmen of state corporations, there are only
10 Anglophones (70%). Of the 58 SDOs in the country there are six Anglophones
(10%) and only three of the nations 33 generals in the Armed Forces are
Anglophones.
The
picture in the judiciary is even more pathetic and scandalous with Francophones
occupying all key positions in the Supreme Court – President of the Supreme Court;
Attorney General; Head of Judicial Division; Head of Administrative Division;
Head of Audit Division; Head of Special Criminal Court; Director of Military
Justice; Registrar-in-Chief Supreme Court and Secretary General Supreme Court.
58
(61%) of the 89 magistrates in the legal department in the South West are
Francophones. Of the 50 magistrates working in Buea (Bench and legal
Department), 20 (40%) are Francophones, while 20 (71%) of the 28 magistrates in
the legal department in Buea are Francophones. Of the 30 new bailiffs that were
appointed in January 2014 in the South West, 28 (95%) are Francophones.
The
situation in the NW is even worse. Of the 128 magistrates in the NW, 68 (52%)
are Francophones. Of the 97 magistrates of the legal department, 64 (65.9%) of
them are Francophones; 22 (48.9%) of the 45 magistrates in Bamenda are
Francophones. There are 27 magistrates in the legal department in Bamenda of
which 21, (77.8%) are Francophones. All the 21 new bailiffs (100%) appointed in
January 2014 to the NW are Francophones.
