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Cameroon: Flee Regrets
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Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Shey Peter Mabu
The first practical, and indeed significant step toward Cameroon's political reunion and the consolidation of unity which was effected on 20 May 1972, took off on 11 February 1961.
On that day, 349,650 Cameroonians west of the Mungo went to the polls and took an important decision concerning the future of their country. The two questions posed by the United Nations Organisation in that plebiscite were,
1) "Do you want to achieve independence by reunifying with the Republic of Cameroon?"
2) "Do you wish to achieve independence by integrating with the Federal Republic of Nigeria?"
It should be recalled that the former French Cameroons, a UN trust territory administered by France had became independent on 1st January 1960 while the British South Cameroons, administered by Britain (on the same status) awaited its own freedom after Nigeria's independence on 1st October 1960.
In the absence of a third option which could be the achievement of independence before reunification or integration, Cameroonians west of the Mungo in that UN organised plebiscite massively voted for reunification with their kindred east of the Mungo.
Of the 349,950 British Southern Cameroonians who registered to participate in the referendum, 331,312 went to the polls, and to the surprise of many observers, 233,571 voted in favour of reunification with only 94,741 opting for integration with Nigeria.
Pleasant Surprise
The peaceful manner in which the plebiscite was conducted and the massive "yes" for reunification surprised many observers as well as some Cameroonians who had feared that they were in for a political venture that could result in blood shed. Nevertheless, the peace-loving sons and daughters of Cameroon, west of the Mungo had proven to the rest of the world that despite the socio-cultural incompatibilities caused by a colonial divide, their craving for a fraternal reunion was strong and had to be effected.
The 11 February 1961 decision at the plebiscite was concretised on 1st October 1961 when the former French Cameroon and the former British Southern Cameroons reunified to become the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
Regrettably, the British Northern Cameroons in the plebiscite opted for integration with the Federation of Nigeria and was named the Sardouana Province. Meanwhile, the two federated states of the new Cameroon federation became East and West Cameroon with their federated state capitals in Buea and Yaounde.
As the rest of Africa admired the political steps Cameroon had taken and qualified to be known as the laboratory of African Unity, little was known of another courageous move that was being nursed to be hatched on 20 May 1972, barely 11 years after the reunification.
With the peaceful political developments that unfolded, indeed a pleasant surprise, Cameroon's first President Ahmadou Ahidjo addressed Cameroons in the Federal House of Assembly decrying in strong terms the ostentation of keeping to two federated states, three Assemblies and other exigencies of the federal system. Following that speech, the President declared the creation of a Unitary state to replace the federal type, and announced that the decision would be endorsed in referendum on 20 May 1972. The massive "yes" in the referendum that came in less than a fortnight was later termed a peaceful revolution, and the federal Republic of Cameroon became a United Republic, today, Republic of Cameroon.
Challenges
From German Kamerun, to British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon, the Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon and today's Republic of Cameroon, citizens of this beloved triangle of our have followed closely the political evolution and challenges in the country. But their craving for genuine unity, national integration, and development cannot be compromised with any strategy that betrays their intellectual prowess, tolerance, and political maturity.
This explains why they speak with one voice when it comes to cracking down on the perpetrators of violence and societal ills that have robbed us of the pride we ought to continue enjoying at home and abroad.
In the face of these deficiencies, what is expected of truly patriotic Cameroonians is commitment to effective unity, national integration and development. To be precise, we must flee those retrograde attitudes that betray our political maturity, honesty, transparency and assiduity, needed for the building of a nation we can be proud of.
For, without this spirit, the younger generations are bound to question the rationale in all that we preach about nation building, the meaning integration amid tribalism, and development which is shamelessly stalled by misappropriation and poorly-executed contracts.
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The challenge for the consolidation of unity and national integration demands the right to identify and combat the societal ills that tarnish our image at home and abroad.
SHEY PETER MABU FROM, THE CAMEROUN PRAVDA. THE PROPAGANDA NEWSPAPER OF THE BARBARIC REGIME OF FREMCH CAMEROUN. YOU SAID ,THAT BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS VOTED TO JOIN FRENCH IN 1961, IN ORDER TO BECAME INDEPEDENT. AND USES THE TERM RE-UNIFY, BUT THE RIGHT TERM IS UNIFY, SINCE THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE NEVER BEEN ONE IN AFICAN HISTORY BEFORE OR AFTER 1961.
YOU SAID CAMEROUN WHICH MEANS (FRENCH CAMEROUN) MOVE FROM GERMAN KAMERUN TO FRENCH CAMEROUN. WHICH IS A LIE; THE GERMAN... [Read Full Text]
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