February 11 - Eclipsing Its Historical Significance

By Neba-Fuh

A historical date like  February 11, has been reduced to a mere tea time slot in the historical calendar of  the Cameroons, where kids,pupils,students, non-schooling youths, young adults and even adults amplify their exuberance. I have no problem with celebrating a Youth Day, for while still  a youth, I really enjoyed celebrating this day that was introduced to us as the 'National Youth Day'.
On the eve of every 'Youth Day', Mr Biya addresses the youth, outlining what his regime has attempted to do, has not done, or can not do.

One can compare the decision of celebrating the Youth Day on the 11th of February to that of deciding to celebrate Christmas by Christians on the 25th of December each year. My Jehovah witnesses' friends always remind my that celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December is not biblical. Furthermore, they say, 25th of December was a pagan feast day, that it was a day reserved for the worship of the sun and so on... History tells us that 25th of December was chosen as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, so as to deter the population from worshiping their sun god on that day. It worked, because instead of the people thinking of worshiping the sun god on that day, they then turned to merriment in the commemoration of Jesus' birth.

11th of February 1961 was a historical date to the two Cameroons, even if its outcome was undesirable.  It is the day, Southern Cameroons, a then trusteeship territory under the United Nations, groomed by the British  was 'offered independence' by deciding to 'join the Republic of Cameroon' which was entirely French or 'join the Federal Republic of Nigeria' . A plebiscite was held and the former option was adopted.Check out 'The Last Cry Of The Millenium' (1999)
 We do our youths no good by hiding facts like this from them. They deserve to know this and be reminded of it every year. We should teach them that a third option which was a legitimate option was not tabled during the Plebiscite-The option of 'attaining independence by being independent'.

Those who have been tagged extremists, radicals, secessionists,  just believe they have outstayed their 'welcome' in  La Republique du Cameroun. The door needs to be opened and they will leave, or else they may have to force their way out by breaking  that door.

Everything being equal, and putting the 1961 Plebiscite scenario in its context, without the third option of absolute independence by Southern Cameroons, a union with La Republique du Cameroun would not have reached its rock bottom if basic rights and dignities of the minority part were respected.
Just imagine a 'nation' where the linguistic and cultural aspects were upheld, people of English expression could enjoy a sizable probability  to be appointed to serve the nation in any capacity just  like their French counterpart, or  most importantly, the predominantly English speaking territories were benefiting from development projects like the French territories.

Just imagine a nation where the The President alternatively addresses the nation in both languages, English and French, and the English version of every official document is available before publication.

Just imagine a nation where the English system of education is adopted as a nationwide system, not in a piecemeal fashion- where children of the academic French speaking elite secretly send their kids to English schools while preventing national policies to let the whole nation enjoy something whose origin is from the 'minority'.

Just imagine the road Mutengene-Kumba-Mamfe-Widikum-Batibo-Bali-Bamenda, tarred.

Just imagine Buea, the former capital of Kamerun, a futuristic touristic hub-with Macadamized roads that can stand the extremes of the weather, not the lowest grade of tar, Biya sent to the people of Buea to console them after the Mount Fako eruption.

Just imagine the seaports of Victoria and Tiko serving as West African first choice harbours, generating billions of CFA  Francs to the 'nation' coffers and offering employment to the local population .

Just imagine a Refinery in Victoria called SONARA where its employees are not predominantly of a particular ethnicity and the local population benefiting tremendously from her God-given resources.

Just imagine the promise of the tarring of the Ring Road delivered, and the numerous schools decreed are well constructed and teachers trained and employed.
Just imagine a territory where the basic needs of medicine, potable water were affordable in every village.

Just imagine a 'nation' where justice is served justly to whoever seeks it....

For those of us who have travelled the length and breadth of the Cameroons, we know for sure that these problems are not only unique in the English speaking territories. That's why we hold no grudge with the suffering  people East of the Moungo per se, but their rulers. But, let them take the responsibility of clamping down these ravaging monsters, unstoppably drying out the people's treasury. 

It is absurd to simplify the Southern Cameroons struggle to 'just another tribal or regional problem plaguing the Cameroons' . It is even more simplistic to think that the 11th February 1961 fiasco was solely because of the naivety of the Statesmen then, Foncha, Endeley and Co. History tells us that the strings Foncha, Endeley and others pulled were seen attached not beyond their egocentric personal, tribal, and even religious edges. The knitted section of that string was hidden from them, and whether you were an MD, a PhD or a Headmaster, the spin doctors had done their job before the Plebiscite was held. Foncha and Endeley were just dancing to a rhythm they never composed. Even if you detested the rhythm, your only option was to leave the dance floor; like Fon Achirimbi II of Bafut, who was quoted as saying:

'We believe on two points during a conference in Bamenda in which Dr. Endeley and Foncha were present. I was the chairman of the conference. We rejected Dr. Endeley because he wanted to take us to Nigeria. If Mr. Foncha tries to take us to the French Cameroons, we shall also run away from him. To me, the French Cameroons is like FIRE  and Nigeria is WATER. Sir, I support Secession without Reunification'. 
(Colonial Office 1959);   

Note that Fon Achirimbi II  was not an MD, a PhD or  a Headmaster, but he and a few others realized how his people were being coerced to choose between two bad options- burning in fire OR  drowning in water( deep sea)!

Today, even with all the academics that the Cameroons and Africa possess, they still have not broken open that cocoon of lower emotions that guides their being. The West is still manipulative, but African ruling  intelligentsia are schooled now enough to forestall or thwart any of these  tactics.
How  can this be possible when the ruling African intelligentsia still believe that their legacy will be spelled out, not by what they bequeathed to the future generations of Africans, but by how much stolen billions of dollars, they left to rot in Swiss vaults?