Cameroonians Gear-up For May 20th Celebration

Cameroonians of all walks of life throughout the week have been preparing for the celebration of the 42nd edition of the National Day.

In the “Walk of unity and national integration" which was chaired by the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, who sat in for the Head of State Paul Biya who was in Paris for a summit on Boko Haram. There was a walk on all the seven districts of Yaoundé, with all of them arriving at the National Boulevard.

Participating were: Students, workers, the disabled among others, members of the government, members of diplomatic corps accredited to Cameroon, the ladies of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon ( CERAC ), the Chantal Biya Foundation alongside the Prime Minister.

The march past was coordinated by the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Bidoung Mkpatt. Cameroonians of all the ten regions of the country were represented at the swinging the national colour and also carrying banners that read: "Cameroon is united and indivisible ," “Together for a united and prosperous " Cameroon, " Let us remain united and committed to working to accelerate the inexorable march towards the emergence of Cameroon "," We, Cameroonians are bound by the same aspirations and the same destiny” among others.

This same ceremony took place in other parts of the country as part of activities in relation to the National Day celebrations.

Although the French Speaking Cameroonians celebrate this day with pomp and pageantry, the English speaking Cameroonians have in recent times preferred to commemorate October 1, the day the British flag was finally lowered in the Southern Cameroon, as a more appropriate date for the event. Also, some school of thoughts holds that there is no need in celebrating this day as they believed the English speaking Cameroonians are been marginalized.

In another development, some 102 Nigerian soldiers, led by Lt. Col. Rafael Nnebuife will be joining Cameroon to celebrate this year’s event for the first time.

The 42nd edition of the National Day will be celebrated under the theme: “The army and the nation, working together towards meeting security challenges for an emerging Cameroon.”

On May 20, 1072, the constitution of the United Republic of Cameroon was adopted by the Union Nationale Camerounaise headed by President Ahmadou Ahidjo. Ahidjo abolished the federal system of government in creation of a unitary state.