CAMEROON JOURNAL GETS THE INSIDE OF BIYA'S VISIT TO NIGERIA
Dero Momoh's photo.
President Biya has just concluded his visit for the first time to Nigeria.A country Cameroon shares more history than
any other African nation. It is reported that Biya and Buhari discussed security issues especially as relate to the ongoing war against Boko Haram in the Northern parts of both countries.
Come to think about this – for all the years he has served, President Biya has never been this flirtatious with Nigeria – not so much as to pay her a State visit. But how this visit with the current Nigerian leader reminds all of us Cameroonians, the love for power that is embedded in Paul Biya!
The Cameroon Journal recalls as noted in his site, Simonatebanews.com, that, when General Muhammadu Buhari, then a military dictator seized power and became the Head of State of Nigeria in 1983, Paul Biya was already President of Cameroon for one year – he had been President since 1982.
By the time Buhari was overthrown by Babangida in 1985, Biya had been President for three years already.
Fast forward, thirty years later in 2015, when Buhari made a ‘second coming,’ this time as a democrat and got elected President of Nigeria, Mr. Biya was still President of Cameroon with a seven year term in 2011 that doesn’t end till 2018.
When Buhari will be seeking a second term in 2019, Mr. Biya, certainly would have gotten another mandate in 2018 to rule for another term of seven years. As Biya stood beside Buhari in front of a frenzy media and paparazzies, it is no overstatement to suggest that all Buhari was thinking in his mind was huh, ‘I left this guy in power, came back 30 years and he’s still in power”?
Biya doesn’t usually smile a lot on these state visits – if you ever observed that. But watch him with Buhari, – he used the smiles to cover up the guilt of his eternal presidency.
Biya’s visit to Nigeria had to do with security? Yes. About Boko Haram? Not as much. Biya is a very shrewd politician – he found in Buhari an ally against an emerging Biafra rebellion and a Southern Cameroons insurgency that wants to team up to fight for their collective freedoms. Biya thought, ‘this is an issue that Buhari and I see eye-to-eye. I am accosting him for a pact that should impede the development and spread of these splinter groups’.
The mission might have been accomplished – as it seems, if the elaborate reception, state dinner and the plethora of photos we see mean anything. However, The Cameroon Journal would like to remind President Biya that no matter how far he schemes to impede the freedom of the Southern Cameroons, this territory will certainly outlive him to herald its freedom.
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Dero Momoh's photo.
Chieftaincy refer to formesrly autonomous entities of varying sizes and importance, which support the ways of pre-colonial micro–states and which play a crucial role in cultural and political lives. Chieftaincies are ruled by Traditional Chiefs and the name associated to them varies from village to village or region to region: The people of the grass field region refer to chiefs as Fons and Mbe; the Bafaws as Nfon; the Bakossis as Nhon and Khen; in the South, center and some areas in the eastern region of Cameroon they refer to their chiefs as Nkunkuma; Lamido for the chiefs of the Far North, North and the Adamawa regions; Sultan is appellation of chiefs in the West region etc.
Chiefs have both political and special duties to lead their communities. According to Cameroon Chieftaincy Law enacted on July 15, 1977 served with Decree No 77/245 hierarchically, Traditional Chiefs are directly below the State representatives in their Electoral Districts and their means of appointment, responsibilities, financial status and disciplinary approach make them agents of the state. This has led to either conflict between the administration and the indigenes or the indigenes against their traditional rulers.
Recently, a lot of chieftaincies have been witnessing crisis: Botaland in the South West, Nkongsamba in the Littoral, Big Babanki, Bamali and Bangolan of the North west of Cameroon just to name a few. Momohnews sampled the view of Rev Father Foleng S.D. who had this to say “The government of Cameroon has continued to make the mistake of thinking that they are the ones who enthrone Fons. The ‘Ngumba’ or ‘Kwifuo’ does and informs the administration. It is NOT the administration that determines who should be a Fon, Ngumba does, and the Fon (at least in the North West) is NOT and CANNOT be an ‘Auxiliary of Administration’. The SDO/DO represents Civil Authorities, Parish Priest/Pastor represents Religious Authority and the Fon/ Chief represents Traditional Authority. So the Civil, Religion and Traditional are coworkers, one does not assist the other, they work in synergy and in collaboration. The Fon and Father are Priests and offer sacrifices for their people. No DO/SDO is a priest and so cannot offer sacrifice. The SDO/DOs are mere civil administrators, who deal only with temporal issues. The Fon and Priest handle both temporal and spiritual matters. If the SDO/DO thinks the Fon is his auxiliary, can the SDO/DO offer sacrifice for a people in the absence of the Fon or can the Fon preside at say Labour Day Celebration in the absence of the SDO/DO? If the SDO is absent, his A1 acts for him, if the Fon is absent his notables know what to do. If the Parish Priest is absent, the Parochial Vicar acts. So the Government of Cameroon should STOP arrogating to itself powers it CANNOT have. The Fon is NOT “auxiliary” of the administration.
Is the Rev man of God right? What is your take on this? Please we want writers who can think and also present facts, that will improve tnbpkhe wellbeing of the people of Cameroon in particular and of mankind in general.
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