History, it is said, is like a flowing river that carries along on its course any floating object and deposits same into the embracing hands of posterity. Philosophers therefore hold that, history never waits for events. It simply packages them for posterity in the course of which they are recycled back in what now we are about to record as history having repeated itself through the unfolding events which the past two weeks produced.
That the Reunification Monument in Yaounde was turned into a celebration ground for the first time on a date that had been forgotten in history simply tells another story.
The bloody Sunday October 1, 2017 and the days that followed, were certainly not pleasant from all considerations, but the good thing is that it simply brought us very close to the reality of October 1, in the context of the substance of our reunification as a historical event, articulating the continuity of that reunion that identifies it as a nation-state and at the same time, a country that ought to be bound together in love, because it was on that date that the unified nation of Cameroon was born.
If we have taken the trouble of describing the process through which posterity passes to produce history repeating itself as it has done in our midst today, it is because we sincerely appreciate the recorded resolve of Parliamentarians and militants of the ruling CPDM party to go back to this date of October 1, to pronounce their solemn declaration for a one and indivisible Cameroon nation. This declaration will remain to be remembered under the title ‘’ The Yaounde Declaration.’’
This has however been government’s position, in as much as the current Anglophone problem is concerned. It has been repeated time again at every opportunity and does not seem to have surprised many if it was echoed once more. But we that think what has surprised many is the organisers having selected this date, to pronounce the ‘’Yaounde Declaration’’ a date which, to many had for long become a taboo in any historical analysis of the evolution of this country.
In spite of this, we cannot mellow down our appreciation, that the organisers must have reflected with a deep feeling of patriotism to honor history on its course, and they came to the conclusion that, the past had been an error and for history to be straightened, the reality that history always displays openly should this time around be respected in earnest. To destroy or distort the history of a nation is to kill the nation and lead its people in darkness. But that M.Ps and party militants of the ruling party gathered at the Reunification Monument in Yaounde to celebrate October 1, for the first time is in itself a history-making even that must be saluted with hope that we are beginning to pull the scales off our eyes.
We say this, because this has been one of the issues that raised suspicion among the Anglophone community about why October 1, had been allowed to rot in the dust bin of history, when in fact it represented the pride of the nation and bore all the zeal that a people require to consolidate such a precious gift of understanding as to unite themselves. To have upstaged May 20, as the country’s National Day, had obviously worried many Anglophones, who would want to live strictly by the norms of history and what history actually stands for in the life of mankind.
For example, when interviewed on his view about May 20 being celebrated as a National Day before his death, the Learned Professor Tazoacha Asonganyi , a social critic, said simply that May 20, should be scrapped as a National Day because it was not necessary in the history of this country. Others like Ben Muna, a renowned legal luminary and U.N. Envoy, maintains that the celebration of May 20, is meaningless when not put in the context of February, 11, 1960 and October 1, 1961. Barrister Ben Muna however regretted the falsification of these two important dates. These are just a few examples of the worries of Anglophones concerning the falsification of these two dates which they believe represents a false image of the reality in a nation called Cameroon.
It is on the basis of these arguments that, we strongly believe that in terms of merit, the date May 20, did not deserve any preference when put side by side October 1. It certainly did not deserve any place in the history of this country. We therefore hope that this is one other significant step towards an understanding of the issues at stake in the whole package of the Anglophone problem.
We have also taken judicious notice of the fact that in pronouncing the Yaounde Declaration on that historic Sunday, October 1, 2017, it was done in the two official languages, English and French. Although it is difficult to read the real purpose behind this stunt, it still reflects a turning point. But towards what direction of the wind, we cannot tell.