Bitterness Grips Anglophones As CRTV Team Is Installed

By Kini Nsom
   

Beneath the euphoria that marked the installation of the recently appointed officials of the Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV, last week at the Mballa II Production Centre, laid animosity and frustration.

While those who were appointed virtually drowned in joy, others who were never appointed or relegated to some obscure positions bowed their heads in disillusionment.
Despite the acrimony, some Anglophone journalists The Post contacted saluted CRTV General Manager, Amadou Vamoulke for giving the English news desk a kind of independence by appointing separate Editors-In-Chief for the English and French news desks.

Senior journalists, Ephraim Banda Goghomu and Jessie Atogho Ekokule had their places as Editors-In-Chief for TV and Radio News respectively. But some observers pointed out that the sum total of the appointments speaks volumes of the traditional Francophone hegemony in the state-controlled audio-visual house. The two top influential positions, Director of Information and the Director of Programmes went to Charles Ndongo and Sali Messio, respectively both Francophones.

Emmanuel Wongibe and Robert Ekokule triumphed as the Directors of Public Relations and International Cooperation and TV Productions, respectively. But most Anglophones at CRTV remained assistants to their Francophone colleagues.

It is, however, difficult to say what criteria were used for the appointments. Critics hold that even though CRTV authorities gave in to the virtue of merit, professionalism, experience and longevity were apparently relegated to the background when they were choosing those to make the state broadcaster tick. In some cases, virtually greenhorns were appointed to lord it over their senior colleagues.

Philip Bawe, who was the Station Manager, CRTV Bertoua, is now the Assistant Director of Information for the radio. Kenneth Asobo is the Deputy Director of Programmes for the radio.

There is talk among some Anglophone journalists in the house that the greatest embarrassment was the transfer of Peter Ful to Bertoua as Station Manager.
After the death of Luc Ananga, the journalists claimed, the most senior journalist that English-speaking Cameroonians could look up to was Peter Ful.

They also say Ful's transfer was masterminded by a vindictive score-settler in the house.
Moses Nyoh, a senior journalist who rose to the rank of news editor, was relegated to an obscure position. The Anglophone journalists at CRTV say the greatest casualties of the appointment are two of their colleagues, Dora Shey and Mwalimu Johnny McViban who were transferred to Buea and Garoua respectively. Dora Shey, a senior reporter, was sent to the Buea Mount Cameroon FM while McViban was sent to CRTV Garoua as a reporter.

Achuo Che Mathias, popularly known as 'wise man' was appointed Chief of Service for New Recruitments. The news anchor and senior journalist, Ufei Nseke, was appointed Deputy Director of the CRTV audio-visual training centre at Ekounou, Yaounde.
Among those who were given a place in the special brigade, George Ewane stood tall as he was appointed leader of the presidential coverage team.

Observers hold that the appointments would not have attracted much criticism and frustrations had the new GM not whipped up enthusiasm and expectations in his 10-month stay at the helm of CRTV.

One of the journalists, who claimed that his transfer was punitive, vowed that he would fight the matter even at the level of the Presidency of the Republic. He said score settling, blackmail and a calculated attempt to ridicule some senior journalists marred the appointments.

While installing the officials into their functions, the CRTV boss told them to continue working very hard because God's time is the best. He said only providence made things happen the way they did. He urged the new team to give CRTV a new kiss of life to better serve it stakeholders. The GM warned against the gombo phenomenon, which he said kills the profession of journalism.

Comments

[boma claude]

You guys should try to break away from that trash.

[Stephane]

Stop seeing just any damn thing along the francophone/anglophone divide. For once meritocracy triumphed over occultism and nepotism. I honestly think Anglophones had their own fair share of the appointments. Naturally you can never satisfy everyone. If a journalist out there is not happy he/or she can quit for a new job like Anne Nsang..offcourse if he/she has the courage and can deliver the goods!

[Bobga Samgwa Tafon]

Please,you guys should not take any little opportunity to settle scores with the francophones.What is really wrong with the appointments made by the CRTV GM?Anglophones need to work hard and look for other alternatives,rather that wait to be appointed to high offices.

[wanaku]

Did someone comment about "meritocracy"?
Life, in general, is not fair, but what does anyone "merit" when they are "appointed" by someone else?

Without running the risk of comparing 'gov't-run media' and 'privately-run media', the issue here is bigger than a head count of how many so-called "anglophones" have "merited" a so-called "appointment".

Until a newer generation truly senses and makes changes to the culture of 1p.m. radio announcement 'appointments', talking about "meritocracy" in a universal sense is a non-starter.

In other cultures (of the world), you get a job because you "qualify for" and "apply for" a specific advertised position.
In this case people get "appointed" or get "planted" in positions that might not even make logical sense ... positions that in the "big picture" (if anyone has one) do not contribute anything at all. Some so-called 'positions' get described as "created posts"! Does anyone ask for 'job descriptions'? You might have to write yourself one ... after you are "appointed".

Well as someone else commented "anglophones need to work hard and look for other alternatives ..." Brilliant idea!

Question is: What other "alternatives" do "anglophones" have in an environment that is crushingly dominated by "francophones"?
It is like playing a soccer match with 11 (eleven) "francophones" on the other team and just a goalkeeper on the "anglophone" team. How many balls does the "anglophone" goalkeeper need to keep his eyes on? You tell us.

Blessings
~w~

[aLPHONSE]

Its a big shame to all Southern Cameroonians.The only solution is to break free.

[Ma Mary]

Yes, and they go into panic when a single Southern Cameroonian radio station opens up. Just you wait, there is going to be more.

[Charles Forkwa]

I think the problem here is that people continue to think of Cameroon as a bilingual country with two equal and official languages, thus the expectation of an aceptabble "anglophone" presence at CRTV. Well folks this multiligualism has been watered down since the time of Ahidjo. There has been a calculated effort on the part of both administrations to minimise albeit eliminate english in all its incarnations. Once there ceased to be a West Cameroon and a federated arrangement, which by the way was what made the two languages equal, there ceased to be a need on the part of the administration to maintain any constitutional agreement that might have continuted to uphold the importance of english in government as well as society.
Without that arrangement, which has been long lost, the english speaking population which constitutes about 1/5 of total population and 1/5 of the territory will not have a chance at surviving the gradual and deliberate assimilation and the eventual demise of english both written and spoken.
Look at the "bright side" - at least there will still be pigin.

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

Charles Forkwa,

I understand that many Francophones are learning English and that they are flooding our traditional anglophone schools and universities to pursue Anglo Saxon education.

I also understand that in francophone parts of Cameroon there is a rush to gain admission into bilingual schools. In England we are inundated with Francophone students from Francophone Africa.

So the problem is not that bilingualism is losing ground at the roots (to the contrary it is gaining ground rapidly).

The problem is with Biya's government, and its silly policies that are alienating the Anglophone community. However, it appears that, with the increasing adoption of good governance principles, all these will change.

[Lopsco]

Dear Agbormbai,

It is true many francophones are flooding English-medium schools today. But the question is, do they want to be like Anglophones? Are they interested in what you call 'Anglo-saxon-education' or what others have called the 'Anglophone culture'? My answer (if you asked me) is NO.
They are simply being smart; reacting to changes on the international front; living up to the opportunities offered by the larger world ... What is the consequence for the anglophones?

When the francophone children finally grow up, they would have covered the little iotas of anglophone feeling that exist now -- they would be both francophone and anglophone. And the anglophone children would only be anglophone. They would share English equally with the anglophones who on the contrary would have only English to brandish.

It is therefore up to the anglophones to also learn French (more increasingly) or another language so that the limits of belonging would exclude those we now call francophones.

[Dr Grace Odine]

Dr Agbormbai,

The “good governance principles” are a Whitehall (British Government) idea and are unlikely to permeate Cameroun without being corrupted. One of the principles is the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission with a remit to organize and manage elections.

Mr. Paul Biya successfully corrupted this principle. Instead he established a toothless “National Electoral Observatory” in Yaoundé and appointed its members. These appointees are automatically grateful to the Head of State! Elections are still handled by the Ministry of Territorial Administration in whose interest the Government MUST win! Simply, Paul Biya corrupted a fine principle.

France already has a successor to Paul Biya. If France does not succeed then there will be a coup d’etat soon afterwards. It will be a déjà vu. In the Republic of Congo, for example, we saw the French-supported comeback of General Denis Sassou-Nguesso who in 1997 deposed the elected former President Pascal Lissouba, and his Prime Minister, Bernard Kolelas. Ex-President Pascal Lissouba’s "fault" was to have invited American oil companies to bid competitively against entrenched French interests in oil exploration rights in the country.

Dr Odine Epie

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

What I don't understand is why the international community lets France to go around Africa committing atrocities with inpunity. Aren't these crimes against humanity, similar to ethnic cleansing?

Does this mean that countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, etc. do not fancy defending the rights of their business men in Africa?

[Charles Forkwa]

Dr. Agbormbai,
You are more optimistic than I that things will change in Cameroon continuing down the current path.
You may also have missed my point on the demise of the english language. Even if all Francophones are fluent in english it does not mean that the bargaining power that West Cameroon had when it joined East Cameroon as an equal partner could be regained. That leverage is gone for ever. The most anglophones can hope to achieve in the current arrangement is an aportionment equal to 1/5th of Cameroon's wealth, which as you well know is far from that at the moment.
One reader earlier asked that posters "stop seeing things along Anglophone/Francophone divide". If you are a Francophone - like with all in the majority - it is easy to say, since you are hardly marginalized. Also the history of Cameroon is unique in that at independence Southern Cameroon joined La Republique du Cameroon on an equal and trial basis, which as we all know was eventually manipulated into a unitary statehood.
We cannot keep sticking our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that these sentiments run deep and left unremedied will blow up one day. Re: Bosnia, Ruanda.
Remedies will include a recognition and reinstatement of the Anglophone culture and values rather than an effort at continued assimilation and nullification.
That will be a beginning.

[Abdul from Johannesburg]

As a Francophone; I do not think English is losing ground over French. It is the other way around. Instead, more and more Francophones are now studying in institutions that dispense tuitions with English as a medium; we are now trying to speak English.
This is what Anglophones realized long ago; most of my Anglophones friends spoke French or at least tried to speak when we met 7 years ago in South Africa. For us, this was never an option because we think “we are running the country”. It is about time for that change long overdue.

I can’t describe that feeling when my people from “Bamenda” speak English to me and I am able to respond in English; not trying to force them to speak “la langue de nos patrons et ancetres de toujours: les Gaullois!”.
“Les Bamenda” (the way we used to call them. For us, when you spoke English you were from Bamenda)

Do you know why these things are changing? We have realized that English is the way to go (for some, it is a bit too late tough! Sorry for them). Most francophones are suffering as much; we are not all part of the Elite in Yaoundé; so we have understood and we are looking at other options. Today in my family; from me onwards (my younger brothers, my cousins and our kids) every one is following the English path and most families that I am aware of are also doing the same.

We have always considered Anglophones as lesser people in Cameroon (I speak from experience). When I got to South Africa I met the people we usually call “les Bamenda”; they told me this: “Voici alors les Bamenda que vous dites souvent!” that’s when I realized who the fools were.

In fact my kids will be studying in that beautiful part of Cameroon that we have always neglected. I have learnt from my “Bamenda” friends here and I want to give that sort of education to my kids. Humbleness, Humbleness, Humbleness!

Francophones, showing off for no reason! That is the first thing and that’s why they are biting the dust while we are making it happen because we are following the NEW WAY! They want to keep that style of theirs even in an English speaking country like South Africa.
The NEW WAY is staying away from any French virus and doing it the English way. I am just happy I am no more part of that whole crap! (excuse my French!)

To justify my case please visit their comments on the forum "www.camerounlink.net";
you will let me know.
God Bless Cameroon!

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

Abdul,

Thanks for an honest, humble, and insightful account of your experiences. The anglophone way is certainly the way to go in Cameroon, and I bet you that if we have more Francophones like you the better it would be for our beloved country.

Like I have said before our country has been damaged greatly by two Francophone presidents who thought the old way. Today, some Anglophones and anglophone institutions are championing a rebirth of the country to the benefit of all Cameroonians.

I am very convinced that if we carry on in this way we shall be able to resolve most of, if not all, our problems.

[claire]

i was just glad when i read the previous comments, i believed in our dear country . may be things are taking a long and slow step to move but i believed we will reach that day when we will not identify none of us as francophone or anglophone but just as fellow cameroonian who both contribute to the construction of our nation. someone said once after a night the always a day our actual administration will come to an end...
i was just discussing with an European and i was talking about my country KMER and he just told me you konow actually i think cameroon is like a bridge in Africa that links the english speaking part and the french speaking one. and i just realised how much we can give to the other nations in Africa. we really have a very strategical position in our position.

[claire]

i was just glad when i read the previous comments, i believed in our dear country . may be things are taking a long and slow step to move but i believed we will reach that day when we will not identify none of us as francophone or anglophone but just as fellow cameroonian who both contribute to the construction of our nation. someone said once after a night there is always a day our actual administration will come to an end...
i was just discussing with an European and i was talking about my country KMER and he just told me you know actually i think cameroon is like a bridge in Africa that links the english speaking part and the french speaking one. and i just realised how much we can give to the other nations in Africa. we really have a very strategical position in our continent

[Martin]

Monsieur N. Abdoulaye writes “We have always considered Anglophones as lesser people in Cameroon (I speak from experience)”. Perhaps you can narrate some of your experiences!

Foreigners who have read the file against the modus operandi of France in La Republique du Cameroun praise the humility and peace in Anglophones. Past chicanery and injustices would readily spark off a violent civil rights uprising in other parts of the World.

However, at this moment, the authentic Southern Cameroons leaders have rightly chosen the path of peace and lawful argument to pursue justice despite daily bruises from occupation forces. Cameroun is practically a garrison state with the highest density of security checkpoints after war-torn Iraq.

Justice shall be served when Southern Cameroons is no longer part of what Mongo Beti described as the “clientelism” between France and her neo-colonies in Africa.

TO Dr Agbormbai: The UN Security Council deserves reforming. The present structure implicitly allows France unfettered power over her former colonies in Africa. The French can do what ever they like there with impunity. Even the British could only harp about Rwanda after the dirty work was done as evidenced in the BBC Documentary “The Bloody Tricolors” – a cheeky euphemism for the French flag.

Last summer, we all witnessed the belittling of President Mbeki by President Chirac on South Africa’s attempt to broker peace in Cote D’Ivoire! Mr. Chirac claimed Mr. Mbeki does not know West Africans (I guess, better than the French and by implication, Mbeki should get out!).

Martin

[Joseph]

Why do we anglophones only look at situation in cameroon as two persons. Why dont we have a more positive view and stop complaning. When senoir anglophone junalist heads posts of importance we don't complain. I think we should look at who the GM has appointed and what are his capabilities to make cameroon a better place. Some of our anglophone brothers are not better in any way than the other counterpart so why should we always complain. Lets be pro-active for once and give the GM a hand to prove himself.

[Rhoda Akondeng]

Hey Guys,being concious of what is going on in Cameroon,I think its right time we resolve these problems on an international basis.I kind of see that you all have great ideas and answers to some questions.But the constraint is that with these dispersed ideas, we'll have to come to a compromise by handling these problems from their roots.
I think the best thing to do is to build up an international organisation with it's headquaters in Yaounde whose main aim is to scrutinize over the main problems faced by cameroon which kind of retards both the functioning of it's political system and that of it's economy.Note should be made that we don't go in for contradiction to the governance of Cameroon but amelioration of the system.Also,this is the only way we could play our own role in affecting the country's situation.
So coming together as one and go in as one won't bite.