The language of President Paul Biya’s Reunification speech

It was easy to imagine the expectation and excitement awaiting President Paul Biya’s Reunification speech in Buea. If you are a social media presence like I am, you would have fallen on posts anticipatorily gauging Cameroonians’ take on the issue. Even a cursory look at Cameroonian TV stations would have proven this as they quizzed many intellectuals about the language which the President should use to address the nation on this momentous national rendezvous. So it is no surprise that hours after the speech was uttered it is trending on social media.

Be you a Cameroon or a foreign national dare not take lightly the pre- speech anticipation, the concurrent excitement and the significant post-speech residue, worse still if you are a policy maker or should I say a patriot. Better take the effervescence around the language of President Paul Biya’s speech as a renewed reminder that one of the greatest hindrances to our attainment of the utopia of unity is uncannily crystallised by language. Indulge this explanation.

What is a language?

I am not a linguist or grammarian or one of those nerds interested in and capable of gutting language to expose and explain its entrails. So I will rather start from this premise; language is the warehouse of a people’s hopes, aspirations, beliefs, phobias and much more. From this angle then speakers of different languages should have disagreeing aspirations, right?

Language in Cameroon

With Reunification in 1961, Cameroon became a bilingual country with two official languages, international for that matter, English and French. This choice has consistently been perpetuated by the various constitutions. Section 1 sub 3 of the current constitution unequivocally 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. It shall endeavour to protect and promote national languages.”  Despite this provision, practice has made this constitutional edict resoundingly hollow as English-speaking Cameroons opine that English practically does not have the same status as French. They point most especially to the absence of English translations for information from government offices as some legislative texts often appear first in French and then later, very much later in some instances, in English. This absence has created room for the preponderance and predominance of French which has in turn bred feelings of the marginalisation of English and so them amongst the English – speaking Cameroons.

Simply put, language, its use, the preponderance of its use in Cameroon is a reliable tool for measuring the road travelled so far in the unity quest.

 The language of President Biya’s Speech

Before yesterday’s bilingual speech, the President of the Republic’s English vocabulary was thought to be limited to the phrase “I do so swear”, generally heard only when he is being sworn in after getting another presidential seat. As a living embodiment of a bilingual State, delivering the speech in both English and French was a welcome move although the accompanying sounds of applause from many English – speaking Cameroonian should not be seen as victory for the president or a 100% approval rating from English-speaking Cameroonians. If for anything, the President should personally see this insultingly and as his belated righting of a wrong since as the expected most bilingual Cameroon he should have much much much earlier than February 20, 2014 incarnated the ideal Cameroonian when language is concerned. His delivering a speech should be a given, usual and not unprecented, groundbreaking, famous and grounds for ululations from an educated crowd. As early as 1983 when he came to power he should have been giving his speeches alternately in English and French during occasions like the Youth and National Days. He should not have waited for the 50^th anniversary of our Reunification to do this given that in the midst of the unity fanfare and secessionist grumbling, this act considered more introspectively seems to be a rabbit he has pulled out of his political hat. In fact it can rightly be considered a flash in the pan if on National Day 2014 he does not repeat this performance.

This is the unfortunacy of President Biya delivering the Reunification speech bilingually: it is belated, too belated to put it lightly. What if common Cameroonians had like him chosen not to express themselves oftenly and publicly in English and French. We would be in an existential stalemate as a people.

The real language of President Biya’s speech

Since  national unity is the background to all the celebration, one question that Cameroonians must ask themselves is which language best represents them today as one people; a people that have been through German  and Anglo/French colonisation, a people with the diverse realities of their past, the complexity of their present and the prospects of their future. When they get the answer, they should ask themselves whether the President also delivered his speech in that language. Let’s face it, from a language perspective English and French do not unit us. From a historical perspective, these languages and our insistence on them as the prisms through which we define ourselves are an indication of the long road we still have to travel to consolidate our independence and unity.

Some other side of the 2014 Mt. Cameroon Race of Hope

Mbatcha Eric - First place male athlete

10,000,000 CFA Francs instead of 3 000 000 for the cash prize, a quinquagenarian  queen of the mountain Sarah Liengu Etonge attempting to successfully ride the mountain again,  and renewed excitement about the Mt Cameroon Race of Hope due to  a corporate takeover of sponsorship.

The 2014 edition of the Mt Cameroon Race of Hope had all the trappings of a memorable event. In the men’s category, 15 time racer Mbatcha Eric got the 10,000,000 FCFA cash prize for coming in first, ahead of last year’s winner Godlove Gabsibui who came in second. Wingo Emmanuel was third. In the women’s category, Ngalim Lizette outran last year’s winner Ngwaya Yvonne, who came in second, to claim first spot while 16 yr. old Form Five student Tata Carine came in third. 

These were the standard hallmarks and headlines of the 41 year old sporting event. Beneath all this however, there was much for onlookers and observers to feed on.

Sarah Etonge and her legendary house

                         Queen Dr Sarah Etonge did not win any of the top spots this year but she just like her much promised and awaited sure made headlines. The veteran racer honourably came in 7^th position and received much acclaim for her stature as an icon of perseverance, courage and strength. Her name was uttered severally by media persons as the house which she had been promised during the ice age had finally been built, to a liveable level at least as toilets seats were still to be installed. Now the house has been built, many observers wonder whether the veteran lady will stop racing and maybe start consulting or mentoring given that she once declared that the non-construction of the much promised house was the reason she was yet to bid farewell to the challenge of taming the Chariot of the Gods.

                     While rejoicing that this lady with little or no formal education has been able to run from anonymity to fame with nothing more than her bare strength and muscles, onlookers are questioning the underlying logic of the house prize. The main question has been the grounds for the prize: is government going to build a house for every other female athlete who equals or beats Sarah’s record? Or is this nothing going to be nothing but a decision taken discretionarily by some government official? The absence of a standard rule spelt out in ink leaves room for the perversion of merit by rumours of discrimination. Other questions too are whether this largesse is going to be extended to all the winners in all the other categories or will be the sole preserve of female racers.

The “coffin” at the race

While the crowd was watching the athletes trickle in, a whiff was panic sprouted amongst some onlookers. This was when a coffin-like box carried in across the finish line. This got many fearing that an athlete may have died. The white cloth that was used to cover the contents of the box did not help matters neither did the dangling nature of the content as it conjured images of a corpse. Fortunately this coffin was nothing more than a rectangular box and the corpse was nothing more than bananas to be shared to the returning athletes. You can imagine the sigh of relief.

Two policemen playing blind and guide for crowd control

Police and soldiers or why not volunteers

Just like in recent years, organisers once again resorted to the usual police/soldier/boy scout battalion to maintain law and order. Crowd control as well as law and order at such events is always an event organiser's nightmare. But given soldiers poor social skills, it is worth wondering why there are always called in during the Mt. Cameroon Race of Hope. If the police to crowd ration is grossly unbalanced why don't the organisers call in backup from outside Buea as is always the case during other events like strikes for example. This writer witnessed another unfortunate scene of a soldier threatening to use his firearm on a civilian. Fortunately this incident was quickly atoned for by another, comic this time around. Frustrated with not being heeded to, two policemen decided to stage a blind man and guide performance to have the crowd toe the line and they did happily.  After all these years, one can also wonder why there hasn't been greater use of volunteers as with other big sporting events. This could be another avenue for curbing any human resource deficiencies. 

 Finally 

 This year’s race was comparatively better than its past counterparts, most especially with regards to the excitement it generated amongst people in Buea. This can surely be attributed to the corporate sponsorship it received. While lauding the organisation and calling for betterments next year, it is worth reminding the organisers that there is something called barricades and serve better than the rude soldiers imported from the army barracks.

 

Ngalim Lizette-First placed female athlete

I am Cameroonian but I don't like the Reunification.

Side view of one of the tribunes built for celebrations

As we speak Buea, the host city of celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of Cameroons Reunification, is wriggling to the erratic rhythm of preparations for the said anniversary. As a Cameroonian and resident of the host city, I should logically be excited about the celebrations if for anything the developments this event will bring to the city. Permit me surprise you, I am not the least excited. As a matter of fact, I hate the entire event and all what it represents. I prefer the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. 

I hate the Reunification celebration but not for the reasons some might suspect. 

I hate the Reunification

So based on the foregoing I should be a supporter of all things, especially celebrations of the journey we have travelled so far as a political unit. I should be a ready-made cheerleader for all the moments of national merrymaking for the "high" notes we have hit as a people. I should but I am not. In blunt terms, I practically hate the long-awaited celebration of the 50 anniversary celebration of the reunification of the English and French-speaking components of Cameroon. I am not a neither a secessionist nor their sympathiser.

Why

To be sincere with you guys, I must admit that there is generally just one reason why I hate the celebration of the Reunification. I hate it because  rather than  being a platform for Cameroonians to meet and articulate courses of action for casting our unity in steel, it appears to me as the umpteenth crystallisation of all the ailments affecting our country and the most credible  explanation of why we are still marking time when our peers of yesteryears are   soaring. Let me explain:

1: Time consciousness and unfulfilled promises

Despite giving the impression with the setting of the 2035 time limit for emergence that it had now realised that time is of the essence, the current government of Cameroon has through its handling of the preparations so far indicated otherwise. The celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Reunification was first announced in December 2010 by  President Paul Biya. But three years later the host city is still to see the anticipation transform into actual celebration. Sure, construction works to accommodate the celebration are taking place but the actual promised celebration is still to take place. Do this disregard of time and its symbolism augur well for a country that is trying to play catch up in the development race? Is this silence with regards to the actual date for the celebrations not a setting the stage for low secessionist voices to become audible? The answer in my opinion to all these answers is yes. Celebrating such a major milestone in Cameroon’s political evolution belatedly suggests, if not is, a blatant absence of consideration for time as well as its symbolic significance. It also reminds onlookers of the regimes reputation of not fulfilling promises.

2: Development is the President and the President is development

Prior to the announcement that it would host the Reunification celebrations, the host city Buea was just like other Cameroonian towns in need of infrastructural developments. March pasts and other state organised public celebrations were held at Bongo’s Square with participants marching uphill tediously. But when the Reunification celebrations – to be presided over by President Paul Biya- were announced, two new tribunes will pop out of the ground. Some roads have at last received a coat of tar and some old ones are finally being marked adequately. Other construction works are taking place. This was the same scenario in Bamenda last year 2013 with the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Armed Forces where some constructions works took place. This approach to things begs one question: so if the Reunification celebrations weren’t set for Buea and the President wasn’t to preside, the town would never have gotten two new tribunes? Would its long wait for more tarred roads have continued? The situations suggest that only the announced presence of the President of the Republic can kick-start the construction of highly needed infrastructure in some towns. This possibility is pretty scaring because the development of the nations about 360 towns – if we go by the number of councils- cannot be tethered to the arrival or not of one man. This is a myth that must be crushed pitilessly because it justifies the mediocrity noticed amongst the President’s subordinates. Each government official needs to know that he/she can autonomously spearhead development at his/her own level. Development and President Paul Biya should not be even perceivably synonyms else regions which our  history or politicians haven't made natural host of some historically- significant event will have to continue their long wait for development. 

3: Another instance of sustainable underdevelopment

As I said, infrastructural developments are taking place in anticipation of the celebrations but these are nothing but temporal fixes to embellish regional circumstances since the world will be ogling Buea during this period. Roads are finally being tarred and the inhabitants are grateful but provision isn’t made for cables or pipes before the tar is poured even though we all know sooner and not later it will be necessary to embed some cable or some pipe for some reasons. When this need arises, the roads being tarred will be tampered with and its slow destruction will begin. Sometime in the future money will have to be allocated again to re-tar a road that had already been tarred. This is unfortunately the vicious cycle being witnessed. It is a disheartening instance of unsustainable development: developments that will soon demand repairs or replacement instead of addition and extension. This vicious cycle entails repetition and wastage.

4: Politics at the expense of the future of the youth

Under normal circumstances, the graduation ceremony of the University of Buea would have taken place sometime in early December 2013. But due to the not-yet-slated and but announced coming of the President of the Republic to Buea for the Reunification celebration, no date has so far been announced  for the graduation ceremony and in the meantime the students are  stranded. Those who wished to get even their attestations and move on to further academic pursuits or start the job-search odyssey are grounded because the date for the graduation has not been slated because (in the Vice-Chancellor’s words) of circumstances “beyond their control”. This makes you wonder what the graduation of a school has to do with an event whose actual date of celebration is not known. It also makes you wonder why the already bleak future of the youths has to be held hostage by politicians and their machinations. Wasn’t it known since December that it was impossible for the celebrations to be held in December since most of the major construction works were hardly halfway done? The Vice –Chancellor has sure issued a notice saying students should go get their certificates but the poor drafting of the notice and its confusing interpretations have only worsened the situation. 

5: The smell of corruption in the air

Unjustified rumours and prejudices aside, I won’t pretend to master the ebb and flow of financial management. I will only state that I recently heard a taximan say in his taxi that he had heard over the revered national radio’s flagship English talk show Cameroon Calling that the money underwriting these construction works weren’t planned for in the national budget. If the funds for these works aren’t provided for in the national, where do they come from? Are they from the rumoured unaudited “black box” at the Presidency from where money is freely taken to carter to sudden needs? These are mere allegations but they fuel perception and perception is said to be everything. There is the smell of corruption in the air.

Preferring the Race of Hope

As most patriotic and not jingoistic Cameroonians, I would like to like the Reunification Celebrations but then again it is hard given the circumstances. As such, I prefer the 2014 edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. This is because I hear the prize money has been increased to 10 million CFAF for the first placed runner and this means this year’s race will be more exciting. Also its organisation has returned to the world-renowned brewery brand that made it famous. The race date has been  set for February 15, 2014 and the presence or absence of the President of the Represent won’t affect its holding. Most importantly, I prefer the Race of Hope because it will bring all Cameroonians- French and English speaking- together for a cause that unites us yearly and not only once every 50 years.