By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
The population of Meme Division, Southwest Region has accused ministers of the Southwest origin of not painting a real picture of what is going on in the region. They equally faulted them of not fighting for the rights of their brothers whom they claim to represent.
The people aired their grievances last week during meetings with the peace commission members of Kumba I appointed by the Head of State, Paul Biya.
“Our ministers and top elites of the Southwest Region are the ones killing us. They are not telling the government the real truth in order to protect their political interest”, they noted.
According to one Mr. Dibo in Kumba Town, citizens in the Northwest and Southwest Regions have been marginalized with non of their ministers are fighting against this marginalization for political reasons.
“We the Anglophones are extremely marginalized as if we didn’t go to school, whereas we have Ministers who can fight for us”, he added.
While speaking with anger, Mr. Dibo enumerated the names of Southwest Ministers who have served and are still serving the government in multiple functions.
In the course of talking he was nearly interrupted by a senior elites who was equally hushed by youths and a member of the Kumba I peace commission, Lawson Tabot Bakia who reminded the population that the meeting is meant for the population to express their minds freely so that they can transmit their problems to the hierarchy for a better solution.
Mr. Lawson Tabot cautioned the population not to be too personal while explaining their grievances.
The representative of indigenous Bafaw youths noted that they stand against not going to school and the respect of ghost town. They urge the President of the republic to dialogue with elites of the Southwest and Northwest Regions of the country and also for government officials to desist from using provocative and derogatory statements in the media.
Creation of 10 Autonomous states
In all meetings the Meme peace delegation held with elites, the creation of 10 autonomous states came up as a primordial condition to the resolution of the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
According to the population, giving autonomy to each region will help them manage their resources well and improve on development.
Speaking to the press, the head of Kumba I delegation noted “The population has been talking about a decentralized ten autonomous regions in Cameroon.”
He was corroborated by Lawson Tabot Bakia, a member of Kumba I Commission “Nobody in all the meetings we have held talked about separation, all they are grieving for is regional autonomy”.
President to Visit NW an SW Regions
Another proposed solution to the ongoing Anglophone problem is for the President of the Republic to visit and dialogue with the population of the Southwest and Northwest Regions of the country.
“If the Head of State can dialogue with Boko Haram terrorists while can’t he dialogue with his citizens of the Northwest and Southwest Regions”, an elite lamented.
Quarter heads equally disclosed that the minds of the population are bitter and only the President’s visit to these regions can calm down the situation.
They added that if the Head of State keeps on sending delegations to these regions, it will aggravate the situation because the population may think that he attaches less importance to their plight.
An inclusive Commission
Unlike in Kumba II, where the peace mission was solely a CPDM affair, Heads of delegations in Kumba I and III disclosed that their list was enlarged and updated to include all active political parties, civil society activists and other sectors concerned.
“The list was enlarged and updated. It included all active political parties, clergy, civil society. We all dialogue as one man and reputable people from each community came up with a way forward”, the head of Kumba III delegation told reporters.