I will like to come back to the issue of Government intervening to see that Song is strong again. There has been a fierce debate on the 48 million CFA, budget, for song’s evacuation. This is the position of BaretaNews.

We do not in any way blame the government for intervening to see that Song regains his health. It is true that if the Government had failed to intervene, Cameroonians would have still poured blames on the government for failing to intervene. That is human nature.However, government intervention gives us the opportunity to talk about other issues plaguing our health system. No one will be happy to see SONG die.

While we recognize that Song is a national football icon, there are thousands of Cameroonians in other fields:from the military fighting BokoHaram every day, to classroom teachers to farmers, doctors etc. We cannot deny the fact that the world is not equal. We only strive to reach equality each day. There are more important people in the society than others. No matter how hard we try to avoid it , it is the fact. Even angels in Heaven are not equal.

Again, how do we strive to reach equality? This is an opportunity to talk about issues that matter. For all those icons in the military, farmers, doctors, teachers, other commoners in the society who faced similar situations, how can they be helped? How can those who cannot get government attention to get them out of the country be attended to? The only way is for the government to invest in healthcare heavily so that it is easily accessible and affordable to all Cameroonians. In this way, each and everyone will get equal opportunities to treatment. These are the issues which should be talked about not whether the government is right to intervene in Song’s case or not.

Some people have truthfully argued that Song throughout his rich career could have amassed enough wealth, some say he should have secured insurance, which could take care of the situation not the government spending taxpayers money. Some say his family is very capable of doing that. Some have questioned the treatment Jean Paul Akono received from the hands of the government after suffering a similar situation. Some have also questioned the source of the emergency fund? Why should the government have such money and not use it to invest in reference and other local hospitals across the nation instead?

So BaretaNews audience should know that we do not talk just because we want the Government to abandon Song, we talk because we care for other Cameroonians. Because we know we can never be equal in society. There is no society which is equal by the way. Therefore, the least the Government can do will be to provide affordable and accessible health care to all those who suffer similar situations back home. If the rich want to get more sophisticated and better care, they can travel out.

I know for sure that in the Western world, this is what the Government does to its citizens. It does not mean that those in the western world are equal. Far from it, but their Government does all humanly possible to see that even the commoners receive the best and that the social injustice gap is greatly reduced. This is what we ask of the Cameroun government and this is the basis for all those who have been criticizing government intervention, not that they want to see Song die, but they are looking at the bigger picture- which is an opportunity to continue questioning government policies towards healthcare in the country.

Thank You. God is still saying something.