Issa Tchiroma to Cameroon Diaspora: "You Are Holding The Nation Hostage!"

Cameroon Information Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary reacts to the political activism of the Cameroon Diaspora: "Change will come through the ballot box not through upheaval."

 

Comments

[Nkeze. A. Felix]

Mr Issa Tchiroma Minister Of Information We want to inform our members that the official date of the Revolution is February 23, 2011 at the following locations:
YAOUNDE boulevard de 20 mai, DOUALA rond point deido, BUEA bongo square, LIMBE texaco, TIKO Mutengene Roundabout, BAMENDA commercial avenue, BERTOUA, KRIBI,KUMBA Town Green, WUM market square, NKAMBE, Mamfe Town Centre, FUNDONG, GAROUA, MAROUA,NGAOUNDERE, TOMBEL,SANGMALEMA,
BOULEVARD DE 20 MAI
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Thank's see you on the Street then we will be very welcome if you can join us.

[Facter]

Since Kontcheu, the role of the Cameroon Minister of Information is to spin; to make the government look like it is moving forward, while it is actually marking time.

What ballot box, Mr Minister? Do you have an independent electoral commission?

[Facter]

Were it not for the diaspora, Tchiroma and his people would have been disappearing citizens on a more massive scale because of the silence. Diaspora needs to get even more engaged.

[Me]

Mr Minister thank you for those kind words. But I have a question why should we the diaspora love the nation when the people who rule the nation do not develop it. Unemployment is rising,cost of living too and there is no infrastructural development. I rather stay in another mans land and live free than to stay in a country no one cares about.

[freedom people]

The contributions of cameroonians in the diaspora in terms of financial remittances are phenomenal and impact significantly in stabilising the economy of the country.Most of our mediocre ministers always love blaming someone else for their inefficiency. The Govt of Biya has failed and it has done nothing but reducing cameroonians to paupers, with no real hope for tomorrow. it is only in cameroon that, ministerial portfolios are life appointments.There is no single ministers from south west, that can tell the world that, he can drive on a motorable road from Yde to his village.PMs are appointed with no real power, power lies in biya bedroom. the wife has taken over the job of minister of welfare, health and womens affairs, her NGO is just another avenue to siphon public funds and money laundering agency.can someone tell me why there is no single tarred road for Ndian Division, despite the fact that, it lays the golden eggs...
we talk rather too much...the Arabs are in the field...fighting for their destiny...it is the second and last fight against dictators in Africa. the Arabs have conquered fear...these dictators are real cowards...and Biya is one of them...

[tita from madrid]

minister of information have this information clear.this speach you have give is the last stroll that break the camel back you should tell the master that the time is out biya and the regime most go we are determine as the eygetian and the tunisian were determine to out dear dictetors all cameroonian on this forum should inform family members and friends back home to support this revolution is for our good we should not be afriad of the bollet,as you see from the minister they are afrid they are weak is our time to sheap our destiny.thanks longlive cameroon

[Bernard Konfor]

The Time is now . No Risk no gain.Cameroonians should match forward and know that our ceator is with us.No amount of talking and conferences will stop us from fighting for our rights and freedom which have stolen from us for over a decade.

[J. S. Dinga]

It is absolutelywrong to view the role of Cameroonians in the diaspora only in negative terms! Quite apart from the substantial amounts sent in as financial remittances to family, friends and local communities, those in the diaspora are helping to educate those left back at home. Education is one of the best weapons to fight underdevelopment and any real government should appreciate efforts by any partnership to promote education.

Progressive countries measure progess by parameters like the GDP, the unemployment rate, number of kilometers of paved roads, the per5 capita kilowatt-hours of electricity consumption etc, not praise singing, motions of support, hand-shakes with Mandela or American president. Cameroon can do more than use outdated measures of progress! The citizens of Cameroon deserve better, far better than Minister Tchiroma seems to realize.

Should Cameroon's leadership wait and be overtaken by events? Why can't Minister Tchiroma consider some bold moves to place Cameroon on the road to some meaningful future? Is it too soon to start considering devolution of power to the provinces? See how much Cameroonians can do to alleviate the suffering of their people if the entire nation was not yoked to Yaounde for the purposes of control. It only fosters mediocrity - appointment of persons who have since died, paying ransom to rescue kidnapped persons, stymying touristic development and others. It is a shame that Gabon, Rwanda and lesser neighbors are making an impact on the international scene whereas Cameroon is just trailing along. We can do better.

[Felix]

Issa Tchiroma and his godfather (Paul Biya) are already living in fear.I bet my last €25,000 that Paul Biya will announce his not running for the Next Election only if he see the Planed Demostration go ahead, nothing short of that he will run.
Indeed Paul Biya is holding consultation meetings with his army Gen and some governors these days to plan how to Manage any revolt.There is rumor that Biya and some members of his party are removing their monies from the west to south Africa, Australia and China.They are aware of the call to demostration, and they know that its a matter of time before the country explode.

[ErdiSamuels]

Nice to realise that this guys are already panicking! So he realise there need to be a change?

[tita from madrid]

please cameroonian is said that this people knows that they will go but we should do some home work,on that demonstration day we should not burnt any flag be that of france,britain,america or any part flag or be against any tribe,region ,our problem is biya should go and his regime.

[jipnb]

Born by a prostitute

[jipnb]

Born out of prostitution

[Professor Dr. Alain Dipoko.]

WHERE MINISTER ISSA TCHIROMA IS RIGHT AND WRONG ON THE DIASPORA. MOST OF THE DISGRUNTLED DIASPORA IS A BUNCH OF HOODLUMS HELL BENT ON DENIGRATING OUR FATHERLAND.

Many a Cameroonian has expressed his or her feelings on this forum to the extent of painting the country negatively. We have watched you do it. It is wrong. Most of us in the Diaspora enjoy good infrastructure in the West but do not in a moment reflect how those amenities were created. Those in the West invest and pay taxes in their respective countries. It is these investments that spur development. For hardcore criminals in the Diaspora to dish out diatribes against our fatherland is a disservice to the nation.

The call for Ville mortes will not work. It has never worked. The Honorable Minister of Information, Issa Tchiroma made an honest mistake in thinking that the so called Diaspora who spill their frustrations on the monitors of computers are genuinely living it large. These are hardcore undocumented criminals whose bid to secure asylum papers has been thwarted by the good name of peace, good governance and prosperity Cameroon is associated with. Asylum documents sail through easily for persons coming from high risk countries like the DRC, Liberia, and Chad etc. Those critical of Cameroon have sold their souls to the devils. They are loose canons.

The minister should be assured that Cameroon shall move ahead with or without this group. Most of the Diaspora has literally nothing to be envied of. Some are even homeless. Apart from the feymania they practice, they are barely surviving. Those who can and shall move Cameroon forward are located inside Cameroon. When Nigerians or Chinese abroad make money, they go back home to invest. Yet Cameroon has better standing records in human rights, press freedom, and economic transparency than the above mentioned countries. The Diaspora is just not a force to be neither relied on for development nor afraid of rocking the boat. Most of them could be heard literally only on a forum like this. Some of them only come out their rat holes at night because they are afraid of the immigration and police.

[Fidelis Asah]

What a buffon called "professor"! What a shame with such a title. It speaks volumes about our so-called intellectuals. Who really offered him a Ph.D? Who supervised his dissertation? Who does he teach? And what does he really teach? Who are his graduates? Unless he answers these questions, he is tossed and chapter closed.

[Va Boy]

WFN SECURITY ALERT FOR FEBRUARY 23, 2011 SUMMARY

The Way Forwards Network to restore Southern Cameroons to its independence from the United
Nations Trust Territories, by this notice, urges citizens of the Southern Cameroons NOT to participate to any degree in the strikes or other demonstrations planned for Wednesday February 23, 2011 against the Republic of Cameroun (LRC). These are internal affiars of that country; they are not our priorities. The priorities of Cameroun (LRC) are entirely different at this time from the priorities of our country Southern Cameroons. Theirs is freedom from a dictatorship; ours is independence and withdrawal of Cameroun’s armed forces from Southern Cameroons.

The time to dialogue with our neighbours will come only later, either with the present government or with the future government that replaces it.

The intent in this urgent security alert is to protect our citizens at home and in Cameroun from predictable killings, in light of ongoing assaults in Libya on demonstrators seeking to oust their ruling regime.

The Way Forwards Network for the Emancipation of our territory urges our citizens at home to NOT give the notorious Biya regime any excuse to brutalise Southern Cameroonians at home or in Cameroun (LRC).

LESSONS

In 2009 LRC armed forces scapegoated Southern Cameroons nationals resident in Cameroun (LRC) instead of admitting its internal problems. Given those events of 2009, history is extremely likely to repeat itself on Wednesday February 23 if
Southern Cameroonians demonstrate against the government of their host country LRC.

By this alert, we urges Southern Cameroons nationals living in Cameroun NOT to demonstrate with Camerounese this Wednesday. Further, those who can leave their residential areas in border cities like Douala should do so and seek temporary refuge back home for the duration of the strikes and demonstrate by Camerounese against their government.

Communications Committee
For The Way Forwards Network

[Makoteh]

Mr Tchiroma, you are a reflection of all that is wrong with Cameroon. You seem to blame the Cameroonian diaspora for the country's problems. How can you, without any iota of shame, look into that camera and say the diaspora is responsible for the lack of foreign investment in Cameroon? Don't you know that your investment laws discourage and send away potential investors? When Cameroon occupied the most unenviable position as the most corrupt country on earth, for two years consecutively, was it the diaspora that was responsible for that? So you recognize the fact that there is suffering and misery in Cameroon? So who's responsible for that? The Cameroonian diaspora has shown itself more that willing to help move that country forward, but the unwillingness of your regime to accept alternative ideas has been unprecedented. During the years of political upheaval in Cameroon, a prominent Cameroonian in the diaspora made a significant contribution by proposing a way out of the political impass, and on making the government more functional. Nothing came of his proposal. I recall your former colleague telling Cameroonians that the government did not need ideas from abroad to solve its problems. None in the diaspora wants to destroy Cameroon. We love that country with all our being because that is HOME. On the contrary it's people like you who do not love Cameroon because you're there only to pillage the resources for your personal self, and those of your family.
Mr Minister, or whatever you call yourself, I have the conviction that you need a lot more education. How can we not love Cameroon? How can we not love our country when, as you yourself know, we have family there?

[Makoteh]

"Professor Dr", all the big titles with an empty head. Yes, you're empty upstairs, my friend. Else,how do you associate the government in Cameroon with good governance, prosperity, better human rights, and economic transparency? Permit me ask if you actually know what "good governance" means? Can you separate "good governance' from 'human rights?" I clearly see you alone, with all your Professor, Dr, can do it? How can you have good governance when a regime decides that the best way to rule, and hence survive, is to divide-and-rule? I see your understanding of "better...human rights" includes the fact that innocent and law abiding citizens should be at the mercy of the Police and the Gendarmes.
How do you measure "prosperity?", Mr Professor, Dr" or better still, how do you define it? I guess in your world Cameroon is a prosperous country, but still a "heavily indebted poor country" right. For years the Biya government has been singing in the ears of Cameroonians how the country is heavily indebted and poor, and yet he and his spouse make uncountable trips for a "sejour prive" in Europe each year. Yet, there are thousands of young Cameroonians with no jobs and no hope for the future. By the way do know the level of unemployment in Cameroon? What's the level of consumer spending in Cameroon?
And you worsen everything by talking about Press freedom and economic transparency. I guess the diaspora was responsible for the arrest and mysterious death of "Bibi" Ngota in jail, or the fact that Cameroon was ranked for two years consecutively as the most corrupt country on the planet. Honestly if you want to consider yourself as an intellectual, then try to see issues through the lenses of one. The diaspora is not condemning Cameroon. And it's not only the diaspora that is speaking out. It is ALL Cameroonians who care about the beloved country. We are condemning the regime in place because, it is a moribund regime which has run out of ideas, and consequently has nothing new to offer to Cameroonians.
"CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY"

[Lando]

Mr Minister, the government of Mr Biya help smoked cameroonians from home, ha ha ha.... Guest what we ran away not for ever but to get our smoke mask. we are coming back to take that which was stolen from us. I am very grateful that you are on our side but please be clear about this, because we don't want to hear 2MORO that a good player will never lack a team.

[Collins Metuge]

I call for protest to end the rule of the chief of Cameroon (Paul Biya). I guest he inherited Cameroon by tradition. This has to come to an end. Let prepare to protest Next thursday march 3, 2011 at all the embassies out of Cameroon. Cameroon embassy Washington (and White house to let President Obama hear our call to end the dictatorship of Biya), Cameroon Embassy London, France, Belgium, Germany, South Africa, Amsterdam, Italy......,all embassies. We need everyone out on this day for a peaceful protest.

[Mnauel]

LETTER TO MR. ISSA CHIROMA
Your message to the Diaspora is a disgrace to any schooled person.It not only shows the limitations of the leadership in Cameroon, but highlights its doom.Any Boss hearing these words would fire the employee immediately.If the ministers is of sound mind, he should resign before being fired for it is the minister's job to market Cameroon to investors and not the job of those in the diaspora.Why are you the minister of communication?What is your job description?What have you done to woo investors? Is your job limited to defending the undefendable?
It is likely that the minister has lost his bearings and is deficient of innovative ideas.

[J. S. Dinga]

At great expense to the Cameroonian tax payer the government (or was it the CPDM?) sent out Madame Francoise Fonig at the head of several delegations to come out here (US) and woo foreign investors to Cameroon. In a country with some accountability, that lady or her sponsors should have been expected to show what the tax payers got in return for those expensive trips.

Also, she should have been honest enough to tell what her delegation was told out here - that it was unnecessary to come out here just for such a mission because the US had an ambassador, cultural attache, trade represntative and other officials to monitor the investment climate and report back. That was not all. She was requested to return home and ensure that the local climate was conducive to foreign investment so that if anyone brought hard-earned money and invested out there, and it was embezzled by a national, such an investor should be able to turn to the courts and seek redress. At that time, some heavyweight was taking advantage of his party affiliation to evade his responsibilities to a certain foreign entity, I believe CITABAC. Many Cameroonian citizens too would love to return home and invest in their motherland. But their fears are no different. How can jobs be created to solve unemployment if the social and economic climate is so murky?

[John Dinga]

Hello fellow countrymen in the Diaspora. How about a challenge for Minister Issa Tchiroma? I became intrigued by his assertions and thought may be we could organize a debate right there in Cameroon and have some local brainstorming on this matter - whether those in the Diaspora are helping or hurting.
We could pick a good venue such as UB, UY< Upstation Club, anywhere, organize two teams to face each other on television - CRTV, Equinox etc
and a good selection of judges to direct the debate. Participants, including Minister Tchiroma, could come from the ranks of students, professors,journalists, business persons, the laity, any enlightened individual. Surely the Post Newspaper will be able to contribute to this?And then leave the Cameroon nation to be the ultimate judge.

How's that? To really give it some pep I suggest we deep our hands into our pockets and come up with some funds that can enable participants to pay their way to the venue, lodge themselves for a night or two and have something in their pockets to show their families upon returning home.Who will like to rise up and be counted in this venture?