By Francis Tim Mbom
CameroonPostline.com -- The Chairman of the Southwest Support Committee for the celebration of Reunification and Peter Mafany Musonge, has stated that the date for the celebration will be announced “when the time is ripe.”
Musonge facing the press
Today, Monday, October 1, is the date in 1961 when Cameroonians of the former British trusteeship territory of Southern Cameroons got their independence by union with French-speaking East Cameroon. Going in line with the Head of State’s declaration, in his New Year address, that the 50th Anniversary of this re-union shall be celebrated this year in the Southwest Regional Capital of Buea, the population had been warming up and putting their bets for the possible date of the commemoration to be, today, October 1.
But the former Prime Minister, Mafany Musonge, during one of the preparatory meetings for the celebration in Limbe, on Saturday, September 29, stated that the date has not yet been fixed. The Chairman of the Southwest Support Committee of the celebrations said the date shall be made known by the National Organising Committee of the celebrations. “The National Organising Committee will let us and all Cameroonians know when the time is ripe,” Musonge stated.
Musonge rather announced that they have scheduled another fundraising gathering for the end of October or early November. So far, the Musonge-led Committee has organised three fundraisings, which have yielded a total sum of FCFA 127 million. The Committee disclosed that they had a previewed budget of FCFA 150 million, which they said shall be used, variedly, to cater for aspects such as entertaining guests, transportation cost for tribal groupings residing in the Southwest, gala and other needs.
Though the venue for the fundraising as well as the date are still to be decided, Musonge averred that it shall take place either in Kumba or Limbe. He urged all traditional, cultural and the different tribal groupings that attended the Limbe meeting to go back and get set for the impending fundraising. “Whatever you shall bring, no matter how small it shall be, we shall welcome it,” the participants were told.
The Limbe meeting was attended, on one hand, by the administrative, political and economic and traditional elite of the Region who saddled themselves on the high table. Among them were Former Minister, Benjamin Itoe; Adviser to the PM, Bertha Ndoh; Hon Bernard Forju and the President of the Southwest Chiefs Conference, Fon Njifua Fontem. There were also representatives of the non-indigenes resident in the Region.
Thus, the whole essence of the gathering was to sensitise the non-indigenous populations of the Region that, as Musonge put it: the Head of State, Paul Biya, who is the President of all Cameroonians will be coming to the Region. He said it was incumbent on all to come out massively and mark the day of Reunification with the Head of state.
Paul Biya Like “Jesus!”
As the various speakers took the stage to woo the hearts of these lots of immigrant Cameroonians to the Region, the Fon of Fontem and President of the Southwest Chiefs Conference, likened the coming of Paul Biya to that of Jesus (apparently when he entered Jerusalem).
“I think that it is our own Jesus coming to the Southwest. I expect that all of us should come out massively,” the Fon said. He prayed that the population would turn out and show their solidarity so that the Head of State will leave the Region more satisfied. Meantime, the Chairman of the Mobilisation and Sensitisation Committee, Hon Bernard Forju, citing the massive crowds that turned up during President Biya’s visit to Bamenda and the Agric Show in Ebolowa, urged the population to be ready to do more than what happened in these two towns.
Problems Of Roads, Water, Electricity…
The participants, when asked if they had any worries to express, urged the Musonge-led team to help channel their problems to Biya when he comes. They raised the issue of poor roads, especially in the areas of the Region which do not yet have tarred roads. One participant, Michael Fokam, did not see the reason why in Limbe, the entire population was being obliged “to paint” their houses “white.”
According to him, the beauty of the Cameroon flag is inherent in the variety of colours that make it: Green, Red and Yellow. “I cannot understand how it will look like when people will come and see every place in Limbe white,” he said. “All of you on the high table are dressed in different colours and it is beautiful,” he added. But Musonge declined to give any answer. “Meet your Government Delegate and try to resolve the matter,” he urged.
First published in The Post print edition no 01379
