The biblical interpretation of 1st October

NB: This article was first published on 24th September 2008 at Eden Newspaper and other local newspapers in Cameroon.I was still naive maybe but the fundamentals remain the same.For the records I now hold the opinion that Re-unification and/or secession does not exist. I have decided to re-publish it unedited as it was first written...Read on

All men were born equal with equal inalienable rights; the human rights declaration makes us to understand that and even the holy bible preaches this to us. Each and every nation in this universe cerebrates their independence day with all plumb and pageantry.

The Holy Bible in Genesis chapter twenty three to twenty four reads “Then the Man said, at last, here is one of my own kind-bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh, woman is her name because she was taken out of man, that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one”.

Implicitly looking from the Biblical point of view, the Holy Marriage between la Republique du Cameroun and British southern Cameroons can be related to the marriage between a man and a woman in the sense that southern Cameroons with all her economic and natural resources was the “man” who left his home town, voted massively during the 11th 1961 February plebiscite to joint la Republique du Cameroun in a marriage with equal status and therefore by this very act Francophones and Anglophones became one blood, one bone and one flesh. But it is important for us to note here that even before a man and a woman get married, they come from different background and cultures with equal rights before coming as one and there are certain rights that neither party can breached.

But again what does 1 st October teaches or reminds us? 1st October reminds us as the day both Cameroons; the British Southern Cameroons and la Republique du Cameroun became one following the 11 February plebiscite even though the marriage was not consummated because there is no document at the UN which seals such a marriage but Historians tells us that Cameroon was one before being partitioned between Britain and France and so this is the basis of the so- called Cameroon being one and indivisible as propagated by our Francophone brothers and even some of our Anglophone Francophonised brothers.

It is also true that a man and a woman getting married might come from the same village but again they might still have some cultural differences and ideologies (for example Bali nyongas and Bali kumbat, both having one origin with some different cultures ) thus Southern Cameroons even though were one with la Republique du Cameroun before being partitioned, we now have different status, cultures, language, education, ideologies and difference ways of doing things for it has been destined to be so through the scramble for Africa and this makes us two different people if not we would have also claimed that Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Equatorial Guinea etc is Cameroon because Africa was one and indivisible before being partitioned among Europeans who scramble for Africa.

British Southern Cameroons being the “husband” because of her economic and natural resource got married to la Republique du Cameroun the “wife” and they became one, therefore a husband or wife in a marriage will never stop his/her partner from celebrating his/her birthdays instead both partners can contribute and make such a day a success without the other getting afraid that celebrating a birthday might make you think of your family ties and return to them.

La Republique du Cameroun has been behaving like a nagging wife, one who wants to take control of the house and over throw her husband for it is the same with the Francophones the “wife” who has assimilates and annexed Anglophones the “husband” while using her population and military power to take over all the husband resources and even deprived the husband God given right to celebrate his birthday and in a better sense depriving Anglophones from celebrating their independence.

We are all aware that 1 st January 1960, La Republique du Cameroun got her independence and fortunately for them year in year out, on this day the president of the Republic addresses the nation and awards/ medals given to deserved military officials implicitly La Republique du Cameroun is celebrating her independence day. It should be recalled that the whole idea of Anglophone secession only came up as a result of Government neglect of Anglophone cause, changing of names from Federal Republic to United Republic to Republic of Cameroon; a name originally acquired by Francophones during their independence, Marginilisation etc. Where is the place of Anglophones?

The mistake the government and francophones most especially have been doing is to consider Anglophone as a tribe/province, I want to refute this, history does not teach us that, we are a state that voluntarily voted to joint East Cameroon and so had it been the above would have been avoided then I think there wouldn’t have been any need for some Anglophones clamouring for secession.

What the government should realize is that, there is nothing bad allowing Anglophones to celebrate their independence day on 1 st October for the President Mr Paul Biya could also address the nation on this day most especially in English. This will make Anglophones proud and inclusive for I am sure the tendency of secession preached by some Anglophones will be dying out.

The whole issue lies on the political will to make things work. I want to believe allowing the celebration of 1 st October in good faith will not breed secession. A husband ‘Southern Cameroon’ will only sue for divorce with his wife ’La Republique du Cameroun’ if the wife is a cheat, does not keep to the ethics and terms of marriage, does not use her political background, population and military might to make the husband feel marginalized and so if Southern Cameroonians are provided with what their forefathers originally wanted, trying as much as possible to avoid policies that makes Anglophones feel marginalize, keep to the term of re-unification, making Anglophones feel inclusive; and above all return to a federal system where the presidency rotates between Anglophones and Francophones then I think all will be good and no body will preach secession for want to believe British Northern Cameroon that joint Nigeria had not been complaining of secession because they feel inclusive, they get to manage their resources in a Federal system and administration is closest to the people. Cameroon could also emulates from other federal systems .Believe me it will work. It just demand the political will and good faith of our leaders.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said “ our lives begin to end the day we keep quiet about things that matter”and so the issue of celebrating the independence day of Southern Cameroons matters to me a lot and there are so many ways celebrating days like this, therefore my conscience will not let me be if this day passes by without me celebrating it in my own way. I believe historically and naturally it is my birth given right for it is high time Anglophones start doing what historically and naturally belongs to them. I advocate for federalism and not secession. Let the government allow Anglophones start celebrating our independence day.