BY Barrister ATOH WALTER
All too frequently, leadership is abridged to a simple dichotomy: the strong versus the weak. Yet, there are innumerable, myriad or countless ways to exercise effective political leadership, as well as different ways to fail. We blame our leaders for political downfalls and praise them for vital social/economic gains or benefits.
Arguably, decent/good leaders, are the best problem solvers. Often times, they have the patient and ability to step back and see the problem at hand through enlarged observation and or circular vision.
They could see around, underneath and beyond or yonder the problem itself. They approach problems through a lens of opportunity because, life is problems solving. Problem solving could be defined as the essence and or spirit of what leaders exist to do. Their goals is to diminish and or curtail the occurrence of problems, which means, decent/good leaders must be spirited, audacious, brave and resolute or firm enough to tackle problems head-on before it gets worse. Likewise, they are resilient in their quest or drive to create and sustain momentum for the country and the people they serve.
Appalling to note, is the fact that, within a period of one year (plus), problems keep mounting so fast every day in Cameroon, specifically in the Southern Cameroons, notwithstanding several measures (shutting down of internet, maiming, abduction, arrest and detention of persons, to name a few) to resolve the current Anglophone crisis.
It would have appeared we are taking short- cuts to temporarily alleviate the tension points in said crisis and in such a process, we fail absolutely to solve the core of each problem we are dealt. Thus we, continuously get caught in the trap of never-ending cycle that makes it difficult or problematic to find any real resolutions.
Never take short-cut: it is dreadful and or atrocious. Leaders who lack this wisdom, intelligence, shrewdness and or astuteness, approach problems with linear vision. Consequently, only seeing the problems that lies directly in front of them and blocking the possibilities that lie within the problems. As such, they never see the totality of what the problem represents, that it can actually serve as an enabler to improve existing best practices, protocol and standard operating procedure.
Decent/good leaders, must never view a problem as a distraction but rather as a strategic enabler for continuous improvement and opportunities previously unseen.
When citizens of the country start thinking of change, then there is an obligation on the part of the government/decent leaders to respond or the citizens will consider the government inaction as laxity. In this light, the populace will receive government response either positively towards resolving the issue or negatively being laxed and seeing its citizens as having no problem.
Unfortunately, when everyone seem to take the wrong way, it therefore becomes the right way. So, even if an unnecessary situation results to an uprising, it is incumbent on the government, decent/good leaders to respond to resolve the issue. The mere presence of the government is an indication that the government has the interest of its citizen at heart. The government is for the people…
The Anglophone crisis is purely that of identity/identification and until such identification is done then could we have resolved the Anglophone crisis. ‘ … Our ancestors and forefathers trusted you (East Cameroun) to go into a gentleman’s agreements that two people who considered themselves brothers could go to live together,Hon. Wirba.
We are perhaps relatively well-placed to respond to these new political complexities or challenges of today. We need to think seriously about how to respond to new and emerging challenges, Southern Cameroonians are a given people with distinct attributes that must be respected and or observed, and until said uniqueness is observed honestly, then could there be peace in Cameroon, for even a genuine dialogue cannot resolve the present ramifications and or complications in Cameroon without said acknowledgement as noted herein above.
It is said, ‘Probatis extremis, praesumitur media’, meaning, when the extremes have been proved, the intermediate proceedings are presumed. Likewise, ‘Deliberandum est diu quod statuendum est semel’, meaning, what is to be resolved once and for all should be long deliberated, considered and pondered on. God bless Cameroon, God bless Cameroonians.
*Barrister ATOH WALTER M. TCHEMI
MEMBER: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THE CAMEROON BAR ASSOCIATION
LEGAL CRITIC, RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR
FOUNDER AND HEAD of THE TIME LAW FIRM, KUMBA
C.E.O: PRO BONO GROUP.
TEL: (+237) 677 62 73 08
atoh@thetimelawfirm.com