THE ESSENCE OF THE STRUGGLE

It is easier to become popular by hating than it is to patiently make people see the light of goodness that abounds even in the nucleus of a good dream that has been denigrated by the enemies of the people (the anachronistic French-imposed system and some of the confused and one-sided who are also against it).
My comment is controversial, that’s for sure. Truth is always controversial. I suggest that all those who made criticism reread their articles or comments again and again and try to be self-critical.

Q: Who am I?
A: I am a union nationalist, born in Victoria and raised under the Anglo-Saxon education system, spending 80% of many Cameroonian days in English-speaking Cameroon.

Q: What am I against?
A: The French-imposed system and those who are its custodians.

Q: What am I for?
A: The realization of the century old Cameroonian dream permeated by progressive Cameroonian concepts that would be used to advance the nation; create a genuine bilingual ethos for the nation. This Cameroonian dream and ideal is dedicated to:

•  Bridge the gap in the development of both the English and French speaking parts of the country.
•  And to realize a new, desirable and humanized Cameroonian mentality from the different breeds of thoughts and actions of its Anglophone and Francophone children. The New Cameroon would be the model for a politically united and economically integrated Africa.

That is what I have believed in for close to two decades. I was deeply involved in the implantation of the SDF in the South West province, worked at all levels in the party and could not afford for a day not to think, plan or act for the struggle. I often said it was a blessing that my base was Victoria (Limbe) a town where we successfully made it possible to have weekly SDF rallies and which became a model for other SDF districts nationwide. The district embraced all (Anglophones, Francophones, Christian, Muslims, Bakwerians, Ngembas, Bayangs, Bassas, Chambas, Bamilekes, Bakosis, Dualas, Foulbes, and Betis etc); and under the late Dr Samuel Tchwenko, Agnes Makia, Charles Nkwanyo, Bate Greg, Azah Clement among others, it came to epitomize the soul of the struggle.

I do recall 1994, when all of a sudden it became fashionable for some of our SDF folks to pick up anti-Francophone rhetoric and Anglophone nationalism in order to win instant popularity. I made the first public statement in the SDF rally about the position of the party vis-à-vis the Anglophone problem; which some claim, stirred the party into making its first official statement on its position. There is a colossal Cameroonian problem of changing the system, a colossal problem that is made up of a collection of problems, of which the foremost is the Anglophone problem.

Q: But who is to be blamed for it?
A:  The system I repeat. Cameroonians are not responsible for the system, but rather a clique which has Anglophones and Francophones in it. There is objectivity in my postulation. And it would be a great asset to our future if we of the post-independence generation are objective enough and stop collectivizing blame. No people are evil. Only individuals are evil. A struggle is scientific based on facts, statistics and rationale. If we want to defeat this system, we should be pragmatic enough and be on a higher moral ground based on truth and consensus with those who share our interest in a future democratic and prosperous Cameroon. I am against the system for leading us into abyss, but I equally will not be quiet about it on those who are dividing the ranks of the exponents of change.
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0831495.html
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0849547.html

Posted by: Janvier Tchouteu | Monday, 18 April 2005 at 01:02 PM