Nkendem Forbinake
16 May 2008
column
In a small book "The Trouble with Nigeria", the celebrated Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe painted a captivating picture of even thieves seeking unity to attain their sordid objective.
This image, strange as it may be, simply teaches us the importance of unity, in the realisation of any human enterprise.
Even the most recurrent slogans such as "unity is strength", "united we stand , divided we fall" trace their origins to as for back as the 18th century.
"United we stand, divided we fall" is traced to the patriotic Liberty Song written by John Dickinson, published in the "Boston Gazette" newspaper on July 18, 1768 and which serves as the motto of the American state of Kentucky. Even from the Bible, references are made to unity when it is suggested that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
In African oral tradition, our local languages carry very beautiful and telling proverbs on the virtues of unity.
"One hand cannot tie a bundle", is a well-known Cameroonian proverb, cutting across the widest ethnic spectrum.
Meaning
The Cameroonian entity owes its existence to unity. For, if without a highly-motivated desire to stay together, how could the 250-odd ethnic groups and language affinities abandon their peculiarities to come together to build a nation? That is why May 20 is particularly important in the political and cultural history of our nation.
Many people have said the term unity has been over-used in the Cameroonian context to the extent that the mere mention of the word sends reminiscences of a déjà-entendu. But in Cameroon, unity cannot be reduced to sheer rhetoric.
History and geography have never really been in favour of a united Cameroon. Considered as Africa in miniatures, Cameroon has one of the most varied geographical features. Its ecological zones and cultural differences are such that moving from one part of the country to another could sometimes be like moving from one country to another. But courageously, Cameroonians, by a shared determination to overcome these obstacles, have forged a new national identity based on the shared values of patriotism and the defence for their of the fatherland.
The theme of this year's May 20 commemoration is very indicative of the desire of the public authorities to worknation that is one and indivisible. And in this task, the armed forces play an important role as the cement of national unity. The armed forces of Cameroon continue to be the guarantor of national unity as has been seen in their promptness in intervening wherever the unity of the fatherland had been in peril whetter from within or without.
The atmosphere of peace observed in the country is a result of the characteristic peaceful disposition shown by Cameroonians. The word peace does not appear on our national motto. Granted. But today that word is quickly associated with Cameroon, to the extent that the country has become an oasis of peace in a vast desert of strife and insecurity on the African continent.
As President Paul Biya's greater achievements programme takes off in earnest with the announcement of 12-digit CFA franc projects, the necessity for peace cannot be over-emphasized Because peace and tranquillity form the bedrock of all developmental initiatives.
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