Shey Peter Mabu
11 March 2008
The past fifteen days in Cameroon have been eventful. Pleasant and unpleasant surprises marked by destruction of property and elimination of innocent lives needed the vigour of a statesman to weather the storms.
It started with the transporters strike action which President Biya in his declaration of Wednesday 27 February 2008 said was normal in a democracy especially when negotiations have failed to yield the expected fruits. But unfortunately the destruction of property and elimination of lives that accompanied this strike action took a different turn even after it had been called it off.
This unexpected trend triggered the declaration in which President Biya in a rare tone since his assesion to power (November 1982) strongly decried the unpatriotic actions of misguided citizens. The Cameroon Head of State did not end his statement without the warning that those behind the outpourings of violence would be arrested, tried by the law courts, and disciplined.
These trials and sentencing have been going on, but the unfortunate events could not have made President Biya forget the promise made to Cameroonians on 31st December 2007 when in his new year message to the nation, he said, "Measures have been taken to defend our purchasing power".
These measures, he expatiated, would include strategies aimed at combating price hikes, fighting speculation, removing of taxes on essential goods and liberalizing the importation of some goods direly needed by Cameroonians.
This concern for raising of the purchasing power of his compatriots was again resounded on Sunday 10 February 2008 when President Biya in his message to Cameroonian youths, said "I want to underline the efforts being made to establish a partnership between public services and the private sector, a partnership centred on the empowerment and placement of opportunities for youths."
With these promises, besides other plans that had been disclosed about what awaited Cameroonians during the year, did we need to set fire on public buildings and eliminate lives to pressurize the President's fulfilment of the promises made in December 2007 and February 2008? Pressurization could be made in a peaceful strike action which the President himself said is normal in a democracy. But violence cannot be allowed to replace dialogue and negotiation.
The promises the Cameroon Head of State made to compatriots had to be fulfilled, but who doubts the rationale of patience and tolerance especially after the patriotic, and indeed enviable spirit Cameroonians have demonstrated since the drastic cuts in salaries in the 1990s regrettably, aggravated by the devaluation of the franc (cfa).
Having deplored the violence and destruction that marred a trade Union dispute (common in all democracies), President Paul Biya has since allowed the law to take its course. But this has not distanced him from the promises made to the nation on 31stt December 2007 and February 2008.
In fulfilment of these promises, the Cameroon Head of State last Friday 7 March 2008 went into action aimed at raising the purchasing power of his compatriots and their living conditions. But before announcing the increase in salaries, lodging allowances for civil servants and the other poverty alleviation measures that affect all Cameroonians, the President in a ministerial council called on the Prime Minister and members of Government to carry out with celerity and efficacy the measures spelt out to raise the purchasing power of Cameroonians as well as their living conditions. But who doubts that the celerity and efficacy demanded of Government ministers is also expected of their immediate collaborators as well as other civil servants with a concern for their country?
In actual fact, a state of inertia, the canker worm that has been deplored by the President on several occasions is responsible for many other societal ills that rob us of political maturity and the spirit of statesmanship which all patriotic citizens ought to adopt, and portray in their service to the nation.
Life, is indeed a learning process; consequently after the events of the past fortnight, we should instead of crying over spilt milk adhere to the present challenges of raising our living standards through hard work and cooperation to see that the increases announced are not rendered meaningless by unscrupulous businessmen, farmers and landlords, who may be tempted to consider themselves left out of the redress measures that in fact, affect all Cameroonians.
Civil servants and other workers should also aim at effective production so as to earn more and continue to raise their living standards thus averting the worse that can be triggered by today's world of uncertainties.
The challenge to build a nation that we can all be proud of, calls for a spirit of patience, tolerance, dialogue and above all, patriotism without which we will continue to admire other nations while regretting our retrograde comportment.
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