Letter from Buea to Yaounde

Dear Ngwa,

The world is confused about the reason for terrorist attacks, but for the terrorists themselves.

In Cameroon, we ask what we have done to the terrorists that they are attacking our country. They might have a case or grievances in Nigeria where it all started. But we did nothing to them for them to start attacking us.

Terrorists have started attacking Europe, and the Europeans are asking, why! When I heard of the attack in France, and now Belgium, I remembered you observing that the West has murdered sleep, the day they finished destroying Kaddafi and, with him, Libya. According to the Sarkozys, they were destroying a dictator.

Since then, many dictators on the African continent have changed and are changing constitutions to cling to power, but nobody is saying or doing anything. Many other dictators are still riding rough in their countries on the African continent - one very close to you.

Have they brought him down?
I hear you guys are making plans to take us by surprise. Well, we are Cameroonians and are ready for anything. The good thing is that we know what you guys are planning.

Is business finished yet at the Glass House? I told you that the House in Cameroon is not worth the name. That the people in there are representatives of their stomachs and their families, not representatives of the people, as they insist on being referred to, but you did not believe me. Now, you see? They are fighting over car allowances, where do they go to in those cars; to the people? No! It is for their comfort.

Ngwa, have you been up country recently? It is hot for the man of law Fon. But see what the supporters of the ruler whose authority is being challenged have done to him. When things are rough for people, they come to the opposition, but when they are rough with some people, they turn but to ‘chop people dem money’, where the rule is ‘dog chop dog’, or everybody for himself and God for us all - where God is spelt with a small ‘g’.

How could His Highness have allowed his supporters to politicise the issue? How could he allow them to go to the market with such cheap talk as he started having problems since the inception of the opposition party because he militates in the ruling party? Now, instead of sympathy, which should have come from all sides of the political divide, they, by so stating bargained for apathy from the opposition party.
Ngwa, the chieftaincy issue here is still an issue.

Since the passing of Nakuve, the family has not decided on who should be his successor. While his children are quietly tussling for the stool, I hear the other families of the ancestral tree think it is their turn.

Some even claim that it was their turn when the man of law took it. We hope peace and harmony will reign in the end.
Schools have resumed and we are still waiting for our own minimum package. We are also waiting for structures to be put up for our village school.

You know, our politicians fought for the school to be created by Government but it has been running on private premises but the rain storm of the other day blew off the roof. So, our children are schooling in roofless classrooms.

How are your own children? How are they taking this back-to-school period?

Please, greet them for me.

Bye for now.


Mbella