The Colbert Factor 3/9/18
How Unifiers are Dividing Us.

This reflection is inspired by the fact that since the reemergence of the Anglophone identity crisis, authorities in Yaounde who have been shouting at rooftops each time opportunity presents that Cameroon is one and indivisible have on the contrary been effectively contributing both in word and indeed to the division of Cameroon.

It is the more informed by the fact that although some top government functionaries in Yaounde have been claiming that anybody questioning the articles of association binding Cameroonians together is unpatriotic, their actions in themselves betray them as rather unpatriotic as each of their utterances only go a long way to push Cameroon down the path of Mogadishu with a stop over in Kagali.

It is also inspired by the fact that beyond the division of Cameroon orchestrated by the supposed and self proclaimed Unifiers, even those who are seeking to divide Cameroon are in the process, unconsciously unifying Cameroon as the sustained campaigns for school boycott in the Southern Cameroon’s, instead goes a long way to promote the campaign of living together with students and pupils streaming from English speaking zones to far flung francophone areas for education and culture.

Point is, Unifiers are Dividing Cameroon and dividers rather seem to be unifying Cameroon. Self proclaimed Unifiers like Isssa Tchiroma Bakery, Communication Minister, Paul Nji Atanga, Territorial Administration Minister, Fame Ndongo, Higher Education Minister, Laurent Esso, Justice Minister, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, CPDM Academy Director, Pauline Nalova Lyonga, Secondary Education Minister,Okalia Nokia, South West Governor, Patrick Elena, Mayor of Buea, et al, have all by their words and actions have been dividing Cameroon rather than unifying it.Come to think of it.

When Communication Minister in virtually all of his outings makes those who care to listen to him to understand that Anglophones are terrorists and although actions on the ground demonstrate in triumphant detail that the military is using scorched earth strategies and burning down whole villages in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, is he trying to unify or to divide the country he himself never mises an opportunity to recall it’s oneness and indivisibility?

When Special Duties Minister cum Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Nji Atanga claims in the first place that there has never been an Anglophone Problem in Cameroon and in the second place that Anglophones who make up less than 20% of the population occupy over 40% of appointments in Central Administration, when even the blind know the contrary as the truth, is he working to divide or to unify Cameroon?

When it is reported by Hon Joseph Wirba that Cameroon’s Justice Minister once told him to his face that Anglophones are just like two cubes of sugar that can melt in a cup of tea and that it is Anglophones who in the first place opted to come join francophones in the Union, is he struggling to divide or to unify Cameroon?
When another self proclaimed Unifier, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle claims that Biya has always mean the best things on earth for Anglophones and that as a humanist Biya has demonstrated more love for Anglophones than others when facts and figures are there for everyone to see, is he helping to divide or to unify Cameroon?

When Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilia refers to Anglophones as dogs and despite calls for apologies, none is volunteered, is he helping to unify or to divide Cameroon? Better still, when a francophone journalist over Vision 4 television in Yaounde urges the military to decimate Anglophones the same way citizens are killed in Syria and other war torn countries and a collective of Anglophone journalists mount pressure on National Communication Council to call him to order and the sanctioned journalist and TV station not only disregards the sanctions but goes ahead to witch hunt Peter Essoka in court, is it unifying Cameroon or dividing it?

When each passing day government claims Cameroonians are living together and Anglophones fleeing exactions in the two English speaking areas into francophone zones are picked up and detained in secret locations, is there any element of unifying Cameroon here. Better still, when government wants the world to believe that both Anglophones and francophones happily live together in Cameroon, and when it comes to eating or sharing the national cake, they do not share together, is that unifying or dividing Cameroon?

When the Northwest and the Southwest is in total conflict with thousands fleeing to refugee camps in neighbouring Nigeria and thousands more living in the bushes and adjacent communities as IDPs and all what we hear government say is that Cameroon ‘se Porte bien’, is that trying to unify or to divide Cameroon?

When the military recklessly kill, maim and rape Anglophones and all what the Head of State and government agencies under him publicly come out to praise the professionalism of the military, are they unifying or dividing Cameroon?

When Southwest CPDM leader cum Bilingualism Commission Chair, Peter Madam Musings organized rallies in Buea to enable Southwest elites claim that all the trouble in the South West is orchestrated by settlers and that Southwesters are strangers to violence, are the struggling to divide or to unify Cameroon?
When Buea Mayor, Patrick Ekema openly threatens settlers only months after he was seen on TV platforms shouting about living together and when he declares that even President Paul Biya cannot convince him to allow Cardinal Tumi hold his peace initiative in Buea, and Southwest elites later concur, are they helping to unify or to divide Cameroon?
In the same light, when dividers in their effort to push through their position continue to insist on ghost towns that crumble business in Anglophone Cameroon and the shutting down of schools, which acts unconsciously push students and businesses to relocate in droves to francophone Cameroon where they would be forced to imbibe the French culture and system of education, are they not unifying rather than dividing Cameroon?

When African legendary musical icon, Miriam Makeba alias Mama Africa, sang in her hit song, ‘Unifiers, don’t divide us’ she might not have been thinking of the particular situation in Cameroon. Today, it is difficult not to relate the song to the particular Cameroon situation. Like Miriam Makeba, I also declare ‘Unifiers don’t divide us’, and dividers don’t unify us’.

The Muteff Boy’s Take.