From: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: CAMEROON: Bilingualism and Cameroon's Future...
Date: 26 Jan 93 02:49:57 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <16B60109C2.UC475653@mizzou1.missouri.edu>, UC475653@mizzou1.missouri.edu writes:
> Dear Shemlon,
> do anglophones really feel inferior? This is news to me. 

Dear Sir / Madame, 
 
  Greetings. Before I proceed with my reply to your posting, I must
note with deep disappointment the fact that you concealed your
identity.  Dear fellow countryman (or countrywoman) (if you are
Cameroonian anyway), it is because of chicken hearted citizens like
you that dictators like Ahidjo and Biya have been able to do whatever
they want to our country. Now is the time to speak out. Fru Ndi and
his followers have been doing it for the last three years, like many
others before them and it is bringing change to Cameroon. All
Cameroonians need to speak out. If you think people like myself have
been speaking because we are out of Cameroon, think again. I last
visited Cameroon in January 1992 and I plan to go back immediately I
finish my studies this year. We will continue to fight for change both
from within and without. Personally I have worn no masks since my
student activists days at Ecole Polytechnique, University of Yaounde.
So dear brother or sister unmask yourself and join the fight. Stop
being a chicken.

From reading your message below I doubt if you have followed all the
discussions on Cameroon in the past couple of weeks especially my
postings. The issue of bilingualism is just one of the issues we have
been debating. It is not the only factor, but remains one of the
parameters in the "anglophone problem" in Cameroon.

In answer to your question "do anglophones really feel inferior?", I
say emphatically YES. I will not be surprised if you as an individual
does not. The fact of the matter is, those anglophones who have had
the occassion to deal with the Cameroon beaurocracy at the University
of Yaounde, at the Ministries, at Police Stations, at "Prefectures" in
Yaounde etc. etc., have had their own share of frustrations with the
system victimizing them for being anglophone and yes it does lead to a
feeling of inferiority or second-class citizenship. If you are
anglophone and you left the country immediately after Secondary or
High School, I will not expect you to have had any of this experience.
You don't understand how it feels to sit in a class struggling to
understand a francophone teacher, just to have the next teacher who is
anglophone struggle to teach you in very bad french just because the
majority francophone students insist that he either teaches in french
or they will complain to the administration and have him fired.
Granted these were not common occurences, but these things did happen
and are still happening and I must say are very frustrating to any
anglophone experiencing them. So brother (sister), if you haven't
tasted the bitter pill don't blame any one who has for spitting it
out, because you don't know how it feels. I still insist that the fact
that english is considered secondary to french in Cameroon is a major
contributing factor in the widespread anglophone feelings of
second-class citizenship.

> The reason they feel as second class citizens as you claim is simple. 
                                                       >>>>>
It is not a claim, many anglophones do. Do not take your example to
speak for everyone. 

> For 30 years now since the idea of a unitary state became reality in
> Cameroon, the anglophone political elite who were suppose to articulate 
> and defend the interests of their constituents did not live up to 
> expectation. Once they became initiated in "Grand Camarade's" sacred
> covenant, the accumulation of wealth together with fomenting tribal 
> sentiments became their preoccupation. At no time during this period
> did anglophones see Foncha, Muna, or Egbe to name a few take public 
> stance in defending the interests of their constituents (West Cameroonians).
> Instead, they were constantly playing one against the other to gain favor 
> from Ahidjo. Let me reiterate that the problem facing anglophones in
> Camaroon today is not bilingualism.
 
I agree with almost everything you have said above but I still insist
that the language problem is a major contributing factor in the
"anglophone problem" and anyone who neglects this is fooling himself
(herself) if they think they can solve the problem without addressing
this issue. Brother (sister) face up to reality, will you?

All the "anglophone leaders" (some call them traitors) you have cited
above betrayed the confidence of their constituenst. I personally
believe it would be worthless for anglophones to be looking for who to
blame at this moment in our history. Some of the culprits are either
dead or retired and trying to apportion blame will only be distracting
and disunifying. The anglophones should get together at this time in
their life and try to work for a better deal in this union than they
have had in the past 30 years. Most of their francophone brothers and
sisters are beginning to realise the injustices and a good fraction of
them are ready to sit down and talk things anew. The survival of our
country depends on reharshing the union under terms that will make
everyone comfortably.

> Rather fracophone Cameroon is 
> able to exploit the weaknesses of anglophones, especially, the 
> latter's inability to build a strong coalition to tackle their 
> common problems.  

I STRONGLY AGREE WITH YOU HERE.

> It is not uncommon to see anglophones
> make  stereotypes about one another. Who honestly will deny the
> distrust that leads to such stereotypes as "seven catta," "mujili," 
> or "chop broke pot." This indeed, is the reality that Cameroonians of
> all  backgrounds face. 

I don't see what the above has to do with the issue at hand.
Francophones also use words like "wajacks", "basist", "cotier" etc.
etc. but it doesn't make them to feel like second-class citizens
vis-a-vis their anglophone counterparts.

> Any honest Cameroonian knows too well that  these stereotypes 
> undermine sincere efforts to function as a cohesive entity.  
> It is therefore absurd to suggest that all anglophones feel inferior
> to their  fellow Cameroonians. At least, I do not.  
> Anglophones ought not speak French in order to earn a
> living. 

There you go again. When will you be realistic. Cameroonians NEED
FRENCH TO SURVIVE and I repeat they DON'T NEED ENGLISH TO SURVIVE in
the Cameroon of today. Wake up to reality ma booy (gaal).

> Unfortunately, some feel compelled to do so because it has
> become economically difficult to  survive in many areas of English
> speaking Cameroon. 

We are not only talking about economic reality here. We are talking
about realities in all areas of national life. In some Gov't Secondary
and High schools in Anglophone Cameroon at the moment, students study
Mathematics or Physics in French because that is the language the
teacher speaks but this is not the case in Francophone Cameroon. This
is not economics or finance, it is education.

> This region has become an  economic desert because
> a trend was started in the early years of independence whereby
> successful anglophone entrepreneurs gradually moved their businesses
> to Douala. This trendously diminished the economic stature of once
> booming  municipalities such as Limbe, Tiko, Kumba and Bamenda. If
> the problem was solely one of bilingualism, I would argue that many
> anglophones would have  been better off since it is obvious by ratio
> that more anglophones speak French than francophones speak English.

Do you then agree with me that anglophones are forced to learn the
language because they need it to succeed? How does that make you feel?
And remember I didn't say language was the only problem. There are many
others, some of which you examine below. But, but, but, the fact that
english is secondary to french in Cameroon among other things has
contributed in making the anglophone a second-class citizen.

> To the contrary unemployment in Cameroon is highest among
> anglophones. I should dare to say that bilingual  among anglophones
> is a reality. The point about making bilingualism a precondition
> for elected officials is  a good one if ONLY people subscribed to
> high ethical standards. Again, I  would dare to say that having
> bilingual elected officials is a necessary  condition, but not a
> sufficient condition for national development. 

I didn't say it was a SUFFICIENT condition but it is surely NECESSARY
for elected officials in a bilingual country to be bilingual among
other qualities. I shall be the last person to trivialize this issue
as long as we hang onto these foreign languages.

> In my humble opinion, all Cameroonians, governors and followers
> alike must adhere  to higher ethical standards. Hopes of building a
> better Cameroon are being  undermined by the lack of ethics within
> the citizenry. For how in the world will any leader opt to transfer
> funds from the coffers of a developing  country into those of the
> richest countries in the world instead of investing  in the domestic
> economy? How can an entrepreneur decide not to pay duty on imported
> goods knowing that the state relies on such revenues to improve
> the national economy? Finally, how can corruption be condone by the
> majority of the population? These are the real issues we as a nation
> ought address not bilingualism.

Brother (sister) where have you been? We have been addressing these
issues and proposing solutions in the past weeks. If you didn't know,
YES these are some of the things that have been identified to be wrong
with Cameroon, including our language problem. Many people have been
proposing solutions and I am presently compiling some of those
proposals. If you have any proposed solutions, share them with us and
please unmask yourself so we can know who is talking. We hate faces
behind masks. If you have no proposals, keep your mask on and stop your
babbling.

SHEMLON WAN SHEMLON WO WAN VIBAN
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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P.S: "Sorry for the flames. Once in a while a little flaming makes you
      fell good. It helps drive home the point".

      Wise Sayings of Kiggundu alias Makala alias Ogoucha
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