By Aloysius AGENDIA: Originally published on Participating in Positive Change
In the months of April and May 2010, various teams from the Cameroon government were despatched to some countries in Europe and America with the hope of enticing Cameroonians in the diaspora return home and participate in the development of the nation.
Though the visit coincided and was subsequently overshadowed by the death of a Cameroonian journalist, Bibi Ngota, on April 22, a close analysis of the strategy used by government seems to indicate the latter might have missed the point. There are certain things the government needs to consider before embarking on such a mission.
Agendia,
Why express disappointment that the meetings were not better attended? Why waste my time travelling for miles to listen to what I already know? Those who are truely interested in Cameroon know where to get objective information. This is the age of new media, you can watch full length documentaries on African countries, for free or subscribe to specialised journals.
This is just one more opportunity for this bunch of state funtionaries to earn mission allowances and shop abroad. One more reason to take less of an interest in Cameroon.
Posted by: limbekid | Monday, 17 May 2010 at 03:41 PM
Why do some like Samba always pretent to be key figures in the Regime when truly they are not.
" He who Pretents to be something when he's not deceived only himself"
If they knew not the Importance of the Diasporans, they would not have came.
Who did they came to deceived, When there's a Big hand writing on the wall showing the Regime's failed Policies and Injustice, Lack of Political and Economic reform. These visits makes no sense.
Posted by: Chief Ayuk Arrey | Monday, 17 May 2010 at 04:15 PM
Southern Cameroonians would rather not be part of the charade.
Posted by: Va Boy | Monday, 17 May 2010 at 05:10 PM
Paul Martin Samba aka Alain Dipoko, welcome back on board. I see your pay masters have refilled your pocket to continue singing the mantra.
Posted by: Jesco | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 03:58 AM
Behold Samba,
Those CPDM delegates are measuring the temperature and mood of Cameroonians abroad as to how we are going to win our elections.
Meaning they know very well what we the Diasporans have been "doing and can do" I don't want to talk of how the Diaspora have been supporting the Cameroon's Economy since it collapsed, bcos you know very well our Importance.
We're the ones to rescue Cameroon from totally collapsing and decide the way forward.
For now, take note that" The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born" in Cameroon.
Those Beautiful Ones are the "Diasporans" take it or leave it.
Posted by: Chief Ayuk Arrey | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 05:51 AM
...The premise of this write-up is outright stupid and silly! Why should a native born Cameroonian be enticed to love his homeland, and do that which he ought to do for the land of his birth? Has any Fon enticed his natives to love their villages? Who entices Indians, Mexicans, Chinese, Nigerians to love and do things in their country?
If you want to live anywhere, go ahead and do that, and stay quiet.
Foreigners could be enticed to leave their home territories and come to a strange place like Cameroon,and take risks to invest, dealing with people they don't know. The same cannot be said of a grey haired that was born in Cameroon.
This is stupid. Cameroonians in Diaspora are so full of themselves...Who needs you in Cameroon, lest to be enticed. Cameroon is not a country recovering from war..where males were killed. Cameroon has a continous history, churning out en masse thousands of trained personel...albeit short of the daredevil spirit Indians have...And Cameroon diaspora too has not cultivated such risk-taking daredevil investment instincts. So?
Good riddance....
Posted by: The Entrepreneur Newsonline Inc. | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 10:13 AM
The entrepreneur,
While I agree with you that the term "enticing" comes across the wrong, I think the general tenor of Agendia's article is that the government needs to create an enabling environment which allows it to get the maximum benefit out of its Diaspora community. This is exactly what the Indian and Chinese government have been doing for the past 2 decades - creating the legal, political, and economic framework that make it possible and easy for Indian and Chinese citizens from Silicon Valley, Wall Street, MIT, and elsewhere in the West to be active partners in the development of their respective countries. Yes, Cameroon has thousands of well-qualified citizens within its borders, but as the West has shown, there is never enough talent in any country that is forward looking, which is why a country like the USA perpetually creates the conditions for talent from elsewhere to set up shop in the country - even in periods of generalized anti-immigrant feelings such as now.
The Cameroon Diaspora is not synonymous to postnewsline; there are thousands of highly qualified cameroonians in the Diaspora who are able and willing to contribute to national development, and it is up to the Cameroon government to do its best to tap into that talent pool. As Joseph Owona rightly pointed out in a recent interview, "it is in the interest of Cameroon to reconcile with its Diaspora community". See full interview here: http://camer.be/index1.php?art=10077&rub=11:1
I know postnewsline is where we come to "trowe njakri" but we can at least spice that Njakri with some real solutions to or discussions about our problems. In that respect, Aloysius Agendia is right on the money.
Posted by: Mr. Lucid | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 12:49 PM
The thieves, looking for "mission money", invited themselves to speak with the Diaspora. Who asked these primitive poseurs to entice us. Here in the Diaspora, unlike their, emasculated apoligists on American or Cameroon tax payer money, we fend for ourselves and feed and cloth our children, 24/7, working menial jobs. Let them leave us to our menial fates. Afterall, le Cameroun se porte bien!
Posted by: TAGRO | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 01:34 PM
Paul Biya is a disgrace to the human race. At his age, we truly believe he has gone insane or what we see are the early stages of Senile Dementia and or Alzheimer's disease.
This thief who calls himself head of La Republique has to be eliminated, and it is our job as tue son's of Cameroon to defend the Country in times of danger.
Despite the actions of La Republique like the illegal occupation of Southern Cameroons, we can certainly seperate CNU AND CPDM as acts of men with bad intentions towards their fellow man.
The time has come for all Cameroonians to rise up against Paul Biya, the butcher of Etoudi.
The time has come to storm the butchers hide out with molotov coktails and burning tires, and watch his goonks called guards flee to live another day and drink stolen beer.
This particular gang of thieves controlled by Pul Biya are not men of substace. he can't fight. These buffons have become fat, swollen , lazy and dumb that they will freeze at the slightest danger. They have everything to loose because they have so much to live for.
Most of us Cameroonians have nothing under the sun here in Cameroon. That is why, we must free ourselves. Listen to the recently rambling of an insane old man. Do we want to spend our life here on earth listening and watching Paul Biya tell us lies after lies or do we want to end the suffering of Cameroon with a single shot to the butchers head, or an outright war like in Congo?
We have to decide as a people. The butcher, Paul Biya is not going anywhere anytime soon. He will Problably continue to rule us
on a ventillator if we allow it.
The time is now. The opportunity is now. The world is watching.
Posted by: njimaforboy | Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 03:18 PM