By ELAH GEOFREY MBONGALE
The commission for the promotion of bilingualism and multiculturalism led by former Prime Minister and Senator, Peter Mafany Musonge that was created last March 15, 2017 by the president of the republic, Paul Biya as one of the measures by government to solve the Anglophone problem is yet to make any perceptible moves on the field.
Head of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism Commision
For a commission that was heralded to be a possible panacea to the Anglophone problem and used by many politicians and government officials as a bargaining chip to quell the flaring tempers of Cameroonians of the Anglophone extraction, the deafening silence from the body after its members were officially installed last April 27, 2017 has been raising eyebrows.
A part from the impromptu and informal meeting held on the day of their installation were members resolved and expressed the wish to mediate in the current crisis rocking the English regions of the country, the commission has failed to meet ever since.
Inside sources have revealed a quiet discomfort amongst committee members who have sent in proposals to the body’s secretariat but a meeting is yet to be convened by the president of the commission.
The maiden official meeting that was scheduled to hold on the June 2-3 has equally been postponed to an indefinite date.
Members of the commission were appointed on March 15, 2017, by the President of the Republic with the task of promoting bilingualism and multiculturalism in Cameroon in view of maintaining peace and strengthening the people’s willingness and day-to-day experience with respect to living together.
Hence, they are charged with submitting reports and recommendations on issues related to the protection of bilingualism and multiculturalism; monitoring the implementation of constitutional provisions establishing English and French as two languages of equal status; conducting studies and proposing measures likely to strengthen cameroon’s bilingual and multicultural character; receiving petitions against discriminations arising from non-compliance with constitutional provisions on the said topic, amongst others.