Understanding the barriers to change in Cameroon.
The protection of privileges and ill-got wealth. The proponents of change in Cameroon, viz., political parties, civil society organisations, and human rights activists, have a herculean task at hand.
1) THE SYSTEM. The biya system is founded and meticulously built for 43 yrs on the selfish premise of conservation, exclusion and the insatiable quest for wealth and absolute power. The constitution of the Republic of Cameroon virtually makes Biya a monarch with absolute powers. Limitless and godly powers. The constitution was built not to foster a republic but to convert a republic into a feudal estate owned by Biya. Biya built the police, the gendarmerie, the army and all other institutions like the judiciary and parliament to serve him and not the people of Cameroon. Change proponents, particularly political parties, believe they can use these very institutions owned by Biya to effect change. The near impossibility of such a dream has been exposed by the more than 33 years of opposition parties grasping at straws and barely managing to exist.
2) CONTINUITY. Biya and his friends have never once reflected on the possibility of living without state authority, not to mention vacating power. No. Their resistance to clear and urgent reforms like decentralization is understandable from their own perspective. They must at all cost maintain their vicious grip on power. Powers to appoint from top to bottom. Powers to control finances. Powers to judge and condemn. Enam is their main instrument to ensure continuity. First, they ensure their kids walk into this colonial institution freely. Upon graduation, the children are appointed to key administrative positions. Key parastatals. With the same absolute powers wielded by their parents. And so continuity is guaranteed. Cameroon, with its tribal diversity, is a state tailor-made for a federal system. One does not need rocket science to understand this, yet just the mention of the word “federation” is viewed by the Biya gang as anathema. As a sacrilege. The hyper centralized system must be preserved even at the cost of exterminating a people in tens of thousands, like in the English-speaking regions.
3) Tribal diversity is a curse in disguise. By controlling all the resources of the land, Biya turned the state budget and resources into his personal weapon by pitting one tribe against the other. The allocation of posts and finances is now weirdly viewed as gifts from Biya rather than emanating from our collective entitlement based on the premise of “la res pulica” or commonwealth. Make no mistake, Biya and gang wield almost a limitless pool of money. That’s why they succeeded in achieving the near impossible task of impoverishing a paradise of enormous wealth called Cameroon. Only the biya system can deplete an oasis of wealth like Cameroon. They simply appropriated national wealth to themselves to the exclusion of the rightful owners, the people, then proceeded to barely dish out periodic handouts to sustain the existence of the masses at the minimum level. How do you in such a case unite a confused, diverse and hungry people behind a common cause?
4) The recent manipulation of the electoral calendar is the latest episode in a sad and brutal sequel demonstrating the omnipotence of MR Biya. He can twist, bend, disregard, toy, throw away, every law and regulation of the land to suit his interest.
5) Entrenched privileges and the madness of unlimited wealth. For 42 years, the gang has lived in a sea of ridiculous abundance with the propensity to innovate on ways to squander and exhibit crazy luxury. Their kids hire private jets for pleasure around the world at the expense of the taxpayers. Health care in the best hospitals for the ruling clan. Best wine and champagne. etc etc. How do you convince such a ruling class to abandon the power that gives them such bliss? How do you expect them to carry out elections in a manner that will see them lose these privileges? Backed by some colonial powers, the Biya oligarchy will prefer to perish rather than carry out changes or elections that will see them vacate power. They will resort to increasing taxes whenever their coffers are getting dry bc they know the people have been so traumatized and subdued that compliance is 100% assured. The barriers to change in Cameroon demand a change driver with unshakable courage and a fearless vision. Most of all, personal and selfless sacrifice. COPIED
Understanding the barriers to change in Cameroon.
