By NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
Cameroon’s Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute begins the task of leading the crucial national dialogue, convened by President Paul Biya, today September 30 to October 4 in Yaounde. With over 400 delegates converged on Yaounde, Dion Ngute, has to, within the next five days, mediate exchanges that will reconcile varied expectations from the government on the one hand, and the Anglophone population on the other hand, in a way that will culminate in a set of resolutions that will put a halt to the crisis rocking the North West and South West regions for over three years now.
This is no doubt, a daunting task, given that Dion Ngute, by birth, tradition and otherwise, owes allegiance to the Anglophone regions, and to the government of Cameroon also, by political and professional affiliations. Coming from the South West Region, where he was born some sixty-five years ago, schooled for 17 years and is traditionally attached as a Chief, he will be careful to take any decision that will turn his people and ancestors against him.
Haven studied and spent most part of his life in the Francophone regions; first as a student between 1973 and 1977; lecturer at Université Yaoundé II in the 1980s; Director General of the École Nationale d’Administration et de Magistrature between1991 and 1997, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth, Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency, member of the CPDM Central Committee between December 1997 and March 2018, and now Prime Minister, Dion Ngute will definitely not want to bite the finger that once fed and is still feeding him.
His affiliations both to the Anglophone population and the Francophone dominated government, thus places him in a tight situation for at least five days, as he mediates national dialogue talks.
He will no doubt have to put his wit intact and tap from his long-standing diplomatic and problem solving experience to propel a resolution that will induce lasting peace in the two Anglophone regions and Cameroon at large. His experience in representing Cameroon at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, Gambia, and in leading the Cameroonian delegation to the negotiations that led to the creation of the African Union will need to come to play.
Also, lessons learnt as a member of the Cameroon-Nigeria Joint Commission under the aegis of the United States in the negotiations that led to the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague concerning the Bakassi border dispute will have to be put to use.
His down-to-earth attitude that charmed the population of North West and South West regions last May 2019 during his nearly one-week travelling the regions and meeting with local authorities, politicians, religious leaders and representatives of civil society will equally work in his favour. His constant re-echoing of President Paul Biya’s readiness to dialogue on any issue, except separation that has come to fruition today, has no doubt increased confidence in him.
The understanding that the Head of State, who commissioned him to lead the dialogue process will hold him responsible should the talks fail, should also propel PM Dion Ngute to score the shots. Over and above all, the fact that he will render an account to his conscience and God, his creator, on how he handled such a momentous peace-seeking moment in the life of Cameroon should push him even more to do justice, and nothing but justice!