By SAH TERENCE ANIMBOM
Cameroonians and Anglophone Cameroonians in particular have never awaited a speech like the speech delivered by President Paul Biya last Tuesday, September 10, 2019, addressing the Anglophone crisis.
Since the president of the Republic delivered the address, there have been many reactions from across the region from politicians, business men, activists and the man on the street etc.
According to Pa Peter Ngufor, North West’s biggest agric entrepreneur and CEO of Farmers House, “The Biya we all know and the Biya I know very personally delivered the best speech he has ever delivered. He demonstrated to Cameroonians that he is that father who knows all the problems of the Cameroonians and that he is ready to see an end to the crisis in this region. For the first time he spoke for almost 30 minutes on a single subject. This shows us how serious the Anglophone crisis is. The call for dialogue by Paul Biya is a laudable initiative and should be given a chance. I however want to note that the Chairperson for the dialogue should have been left to be decided at the table by those on the negotiating table”.
Pa Ngufor also furthers that “I must remind that the Anglophones from their upbringing are people who love firm promises with concrete and immediate action. It will be good for the Head of State to grant clemency to those in jail using his fatherly attitude and should follow up with concrete actions for this dialogue to hold. We know he is not someone that yields to pressure. He has done quite some things without announcing. It is our hope that he will do something in the days ahead as he himself said that the constitution gives him the powers to do so.”
However, though many people on the streets of Bamenda think the call for dialogue is a promising step by the president, they however have many doubts and unanswered questions. Such as where the dialogue will hold and who will represent the Anglophones? They however remain hopeful that more concrete steps will be taken in the days ahead to make the dark clouds hanging over the dialogue process disappear.