By Ikome Christie-noella Eposi
With an intention of bringing lasting solutions to the Anglophone crisis, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland was in Buea on Friday December 22 2017. The August visitor was welcomed at the governor’s office in Buea, where she met with other officials. The brief but yet symbolic meeting began with the hoisting of both the Cameroon and the Commonwealth flags which contributed in adding glamour to the official visit as well as honoring the bond between Cameroon and Commonwealth.
During the meeting at the governor’s office, the governor of the South west region, Bernard Okalia Bilia brought forward the various problems that the region has been facing particularly as concerns the Anglophone crisis. The effects it has had on both the government and the community. He equally tabled some measures which have been put in place by the Cameroon government to reduce the tension in the region by promoting peace, stability and maximum security.
Proceeding to the Buea council, the Secretary General, Her entourage and other dignitaries met with traditional authorities of the Southwest and Northwest regions, youth and women associations etc. Though the meeting with traditional authorities was strictly forbidden from the press, the case was different with that of Youth associations where the Commonwealth youth ambassador for Cameroon, Achaleke Christian tabled some problems faced by the Cameroonian youth such as the well known unemployment, poverty etc which has all been the bedrock of grievances of the youths.
“Youths have been the key and the power to make peace sustainable. Dialogue is the only way out of all the violence and insecurity” Christian purported.
Patricia Scotland taking the floor to address the “youths” in the hall, she applauded the efforts of youths in bringing peace and tranquility in the country. Adding that every youth is gifted and talented in diverse ways, Madam Patricia Scotland urged the Youths to have a similar question in mind, “how can we build peace in our country”?
Patricia Scotland assured the Commonwealth’s readiness and availability to always assist their member countries. “Young people should be allowed to lead as they may have honest solutions to any problems” she advised.
Concluding her tour, Madam Patricia Scotland called for an inclusive and constructive dialogue as lasting solutions to the ongoing malaise in the two English speaking regions of the country. War, strife, disagreement and protest, she said, have never and will never be the solution to problems.
“Our young people are victims of violence and my call was to ensure a powerful plan for dialogue. There is always a call for dialogue but we end up seeing nothing, we really need this constructive dialogue because young people are dying at all levels and have a lot of problems as well. So there must be a dialogue and the youths must be included because they make up a majority of the country’s population and have contributed in the development of the country” Achaleke Christian pleaded.
It should be noted that before coming to the town of Legendary hospitality, Madam Patricia Scotland was at the country’s capital Yaoundé where she met with leaders of political parties represented at the parliament, civil society, commonwealth diplomatic community etc.