National Day celebrations usually portray the solidarity, the unity the common destiny and above all, the pride of the people. The military is the symbol of the strength of the nation and its ability to defend the nation and its peoples. Which is why, worldwide, military parades are perceived as a gallant display of how much the security of the state can best be guaranteed.
For the past 45 years therefore, this has seemingly been the spirit with which the nation has celebrated May 20, as the country’s national Day. Yet underneath this fanfare there have always been burbles by a segment of the population of this same country. We can therefore not pretend that this year’s celebrations that held on Saturday May 20, which marked the 45th edition of the national day celebration, was marked with the same spirit. It was marked with mixed feelings, particularly as it concerns the people of the two English speaking regions of the country. The general contention is that this is the day that transformed Cameroon from its original status as a dual- state federation, to a unitary state. It may surprise many, that after forty-four years of this historic transformation, this event does not only raise a number of questions, but also widens the scope of nostalgia for many: The 20th May celebration.
This notwithstanding, we do not feel comfortable with the approach taken by some political parties that called for boycotts, while others tend to transform this day to one involving a show of their popularity. We would have preferred those parties who share in the grievances of the present situation to rather put more pressure on government to see into the present crisis. We share the same reasoning with them and therefore hold very strongly to the fact that, no matter how much the regime in place tries to hide the truth, a majority of the people of these two English speaking regions could not have been expected to celebrate this year’s May 20t, with the same zeal and enthusiasm when those who are fighting for a course to right the wrongs of the past are languishing in detentions and others in hiding. For forty-four years this celebration has virtually become part of our national life, despite the questions that are being asked mostly the minority Anglophones who, after these forty-four years, are still to count their blessings, or their gains in this transformed set-up, which they claim deprived them of their pride as a people with an identity.
Obviously, federalism at the time of recreating the Cameroon nation was considered the best choice for a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society. Federalism still remains an ideal political arrangement that guarantees certain fundamental rights, especially for minority groups, that other options will not be able to provide. For example, in the case of Cameroon, the unitary state has shown its weaknesses. There is also the issue of nostalgia for those who today find themselves in a rather strange setting. The nostalgia is reflected in the Anglophones’ disappointment that some of their cherished freedoms and attitudes to life, have been taken away from them and have for the past forty-four years been subjected to certain patterns of governance and moral characteristics that virtually embarrasses them. This is, in addition to certain institutional formulas that are strange to the Anglophones, but which have been forced down on them to accept as standard models.
For instance, there have been complains expressed loud enough to be heard from any distance, about certain flaws in our educational system, bearing the dire need to harmonise same. The rationale behind the establishment of the University of Buea, was originally based on the principle of creating an institution that will uphold with pride, some of those Anglo- Saxon values that Anglophones have all along thrived to define their true nature in the union with our Francophone brothers.
From all perspectives, the mission only seems to have failed. From all indications, the ordinary Francophones readily admit that the Anglo-Saxon education system is more preferable, and they openly demonstrate this appreciation by the way our higher Institutions of learning are being flooded by Francophones, under the cover of the outdated quota system, in the process of admissions.
There are similar misgivings in the legal system when it comes to the conflict between the common law system which is a prerogative of the Anglo-Saxon legal system, and the Francophone civil law system which tends to take the front seat in the Cameroon judicial system. It is therefore understandable why some members of the Cameroon Bar have been vocal in challenging the system, which culminated in the Anglophone members of the Bar giving government an ultimatum, calling for the return to federalism as it was in the beginning. There is therefore every reason to believe that there are very strong arguments to justify such a call.
As we celebrate another anniversary of the unified state, let both right thinking Cameroonians and the leadership reflect on why we have tarried so long on our way to emergence for the past forty- four years. It is time we burry our pride at our backyards and look forward towards a new beginning. This year’s celebration should bear the true spirit of a nation and a people committed to its progress and concrete development without resorting to prejudices. There is still every opportunity open for us to redress our situation. Just a little added zeal, backed by the spirit of patriotism will lead us through.