For a nation that was born on October 1, 1961, by virtue of its bi cultural and bilingual formation, Cameroon was seen as Africa in miniature, the vanguard of the African Revolution, a revolution that would have changed the course of history for the continent, just as it had started on October 1, 1961. Unfortunately, Cameroon stands accused of distorting history, destroying historical facts or even making a mockery of the importance of history to a people.

For one thing, a country can only forge ahead if its people are allowed to stand face to face with their history. If its people can become knowledgeable enough about its past, take credits for positive strides taken so far, and be willing to share the blame for errors made in some areas, in order that in good faith, the people can retrace their steps towards the right direction.

It takes common sense to understand that any attempt to hide the facts simply suggests that there is something to hide and that something can certainly not lean on virtue. It is vicious, it therefore beats every imagination why a nation that was born under the admiring eyes of even the most advanced countries of the world, should become the very enemy of its fine existence, its own glory.
The glaring efforts of the ruling class in Cameroon today, dominated by Francophones to hide the true identity of Cameroon as a nation that was born out of sacrifices made mostly by the Anglophones, whose desire to see this enterprise of building a strong African nation succeed without hitches, can best be likened to treason.

We strongly believe that the recurrent theatre of ambushing and arresting Anglophones who are simply and peacefully remembering a day in which they tasted the sunshine of freedom, has no other meaning or interpretation other than that the whole process of reunification was shrouded in mistrust, largely on the part of the Francophone leadership right from the very onset.

October 1, which is the day Nigeria commemorates as their independence day is not and shall never be a coincidence that it falls on the same day as the one on which Anglophones remember their past more than half a century ago. It is a historical fact, that Southern Cameroons attained its independence from Britain via Nigeria on this day. It was not done in isolation from the rest of the world. It was an internationally sponsored and supervised event, recorded in the annals of the United Nations.

That May 20 has replaced October 1, as Independence Day, is not only a distortion of the facts, but a display of dishonesty on the part of the leadership. At this juncture, it is pertinent for us to implore those in authority to strive to embrace some measure of the love for our Fatherland. In the same spirit and in good faith, we are calling on those in power to admit that within the chambers of their consciences it is accepted that to err is human, and that the errors of the past ought to be forgotten.

On the other hand, if the ambush , arrests and imprisonment of innocent citizens, who are only venting their grievances peacefully has become a passionate hobby for our security agents, we on our part strongly believe that the pride of a people lies on the good governance policies emanating from the inner qualities of their leaders. We think the country has reached a stage where we must search for a better place among nations of the world, to be counted and commended.

We obviously do not see where October 1, has become a symbol of an abomination for the nation to the extent that no meaningful mind adjustment can be effected, in order for the wrongs to be righted. We need to strengthen our unity not by undermining, or attempting to flex muscles on the other partner, so to find excuse to humiliate him. It is more reasonable to invite him to sit on a round table, to discover the source of the tears that flow from the eyes of the Anglophones. Certainly, along the line, something must have gone wrong. It just has to be sorted out and straightened.

The Sun Newspaper
Editorial