Editorial: Virtues, Vigilance, Victory

In a year during which there was much to regret as concerns insecurity, inertia, imprudence and unpatriotic tendencies despite sustained efforts to alter the trends, the Head of State President Paul Biya’s message to the nation could not have been otherwise.

Virtues that make life worth living, vigilance without which it is difficult to pre-empt the worse, and victory that comes when these ingredients of survival are embraced and well managed, were the core of the President’s message to the nation on the eve of the new year.

But what are these virtues, vigilance and the demands of victory by those committed to a genuine fight against Boko Haram, poverty, corruption and underdevelopment? In his speech President Paul Biya regretted frankly that in a year during which there should have been a greater focus and achievement in the economic domain considering that there were no elections, not much was done owing to failure to execute the budget as expected.

This should not repeat itself in a new year if we must forge ahead with the demands of the year 2035 in our minds. Faced with the challenge of patriotic execution of our budgets, Cameroonians and vote holders in particular should note the financial and material constraints imposed on us by the Boko Haram sadistic sect is such that the attainment of development goals demands rigorous transparent, efficient and effective management of the resources made available for use.

For, without this, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to attain the goals envisaged. Besides, it would be irrational to believe that we can move from transformation of our raw materials to industrialisation. Yet this is the challenge, Cameroon like most African countries, face in this third millennium. In pursuit of this industrialisation policy which the President in his speech said is important in development; it should be noted that adequate production of raw materials, energy, availability of competent human resources and security constitute a launch pad.

If there is no peace and security development can be retarded and even stalled. If resources like energy and communication infrastructure are not available to attract national and foreign investors the pace of industrialisation and development in general will be slow if not stalled. Worse, all could be relegated to wishful thinking if there is no security. The perpetration of Boko Haram destruction in Cameroon is indeed disturbing.

If calls for vigilance and patriotic commitment to an end of the atrocities which could spread from the north to other parts of this country.

At this stage of the so-called jihadists incursions, it is difficult to reason out why a sect which emerges from a neighbouring country should find fertile ground for operation and destruction in Cameroon. The Head of State called on all Cameroonians to mobilize and rally behind the Defence Forces because he is aware that his compatriots are not part of the sadistic moves to destroy and destabilize.

Instead our focus should be effective cooperation at home and abroad with friendly countries like the United States of America, Germany, China and Russia that have already demonstrated some concern to stall the incursions. Such support will yield positive results timely enough to reduce the loss of property and above all lives both dear to Cameroon and Nigeria.

At a time when peace is threatened by natural forces like tsunamis and plane crashes, man ought to be cautious enough to reduce, if not completely put an end to man-made “disasters” that rob us of peace and stability to forge ahead.

The launch pad for sustained efforts to face the challenges of the new year 2015 are the virtues that instill patriotic vigilance which we need for victory against retrograde forces like Boko Haram and societal ills like inertia, corruption and budgetary misappropriations.