Addressed to Taxi Drivers and Okada Riders in Anglophone Cameroon.

Members of the National Unions of Taxi Drivers and Okada Riders of Anglophone Cameroon

My dear comrades, Peace be with you all. The events in the last weeks and months in this country have left much to be desired concerning our future as fellow citizens of a unified Cameroon.

We are aware of the ongoing Lawyers strike in anglophone Cameroon and we all witness physically how they were beaten like Children by policemen when they attempted to match publicly in Bamenda and Buea to voice their grievances. Now, teachers in all the sub-sectors of education in anglophone Cameroon are also planning to join the lawyers on the 21st of November this month in protest to protect the English system of education, which is our cultural pride as English speaking Cameroonians.

Consequently, as road transporters who play a key role in national development, we need to send a strongly worded message to the authorities that be in solidarity with the lawyers and teachers. The marginalization of the Anglophones in this country has reached an alarming proportion. Some of us are okada and taxi drivers not because we like the job but because the present system through its exclusive tendencies has technically knocked out most of us Anglophones from the system. It may interest you to know that this writer is an Okada rider with a masters degree in political science and public administration. My attempts to get a decent job in this country as presently constituted is a story for another day.

I am therefore by this message suggesting that in solidarity with the teachers and lawyers, let’s all Stay at home on that 21st in the morning and start working only as from 1pm. Let’s do this till when the government decides to give adequate attention to the grievances of the teachers and lawyers. Remember some of us also have children and others will also have children in future. This fight is all about our identity as anglophones and the future of our children. We cannot any longer continue to sit and watch the Francophone regime in Yaounde, supported by some of our misguided elites treat us as second-class citizens in a country where our forefathers saw as the best alternative for us.

As we all do this, we should also pray and hope for the day that an Anglophone person will be President of this country Cameroon and when we shall all be treated as citizens of equal status with both English and French having equal status as national languages. A country where people like me will have the opportunity to get jobs that befit our level of education.

This is Alphonse Anya Asanjong, the only Okada Rider with a Masters Degree in Bamenda town and I approve this message.

Please, forward until it gets to all taxi drivers and Okada riders in North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.