Tatah Emmanuel Bantar addresses Wimbum youth

Politician and advocate for emergence in Mbumland, Tatah Emmanuel Bantar, has added his voice to the many concerns raised by individuals about the uncomfortable situations happening in Cameroon.

Below is an address given by Tatah Emmanuel Bantar to Wimbum youth to stand up for themselves and encouraged them to believe in themselves.

Dear youths of Mbum land

Fellow brothers and sisters of our Motherland

Never again shall we allow futureless people play on our bright future. Never again!

Never again shall we allow ourselves to be swindled that "we the youths of today, are the leaders of tomorrow".

It is with this statement that we have been abridged to vagrants and hand-clappers at decision-making tables. We have allowed the old generation to continuously devastate our fatherland with their politics of hatred and personal enrichment at the expense of community development.

Never again shall we allow this to happen beginning this 2016 because our tomorrow is today since our today was yesterday. We must rise up and take the challenge of reshaping our future and redefining our destiny. Never again should we sit back and watch retired and tired bullies continue to waste the resources of our beloved nation.

Never!

Never again shall we be used as “guinea pigs” on which Amateurs carry on their Administrative and Leadership training; a training that even lacks theoretical back-up. For years we have seen people who have never been class prefects, students’ leaders or even family heads, talkless of leaders of organisations or institutions, riding as Members of Parliaments, Mayors, Senators and even Presidential candidates.

While enthusiastic philosopher kings are pushed to the backyard. On these bases, they have often been elected through their platforms to these key development pivot-positions. This way we find these amateurs running council budgets, on the bases of trial and error, year in – year out. Micro-project credit management from subjective standpoints instead of objective plans. With all of these, the masses continue to suffer from lack of minimum facility like portable water. Never again should they be given post of responsibilities to use us as ‘guinea pigs’ for their experimental leadership. Never again should we allow them to come back as they have always wanted to try again.

Never again!

Never!

Never again, shall we give room to mediocre fellows to run the budgets of our municipalities when we know that they have never initiated and/or run a budget of up to a million in their entire lives. We observe, with a lot of dissatisfaction, how people who have never initiated or executed even a single community oriented project get confused when confronted with a council budget worth hundreds of millions with hundreds of projects.

These fellows enjoy a 100% execution rate on a project with budgetary line/head like fuel allowances, maintenance allowance, office furniture etc.

The keep creating dust basin here and there in the name of grading roads. Never again shall we allow this old generation to go on retarding development in our community.

Never again!

Never!

Never again shall we trade competence and productivity for party-line politics, tribal or clannish linage. Over time, we have seen competent, experienced and productive candidate drop or voted out of pivot roles in our community because of irrelevant and development unfriendly concept like party-lines politics and/or clannish linage.

Geo-political strategies shall only flow competence and productivity and not the other way round. We have also seen some for reasons of religious affiliation, friendship line, age group and even egocentric tendencies. The youths in particular and the entire population, in general, should not allow these ills to impede us from putting square pegs in square holes. We will not be trick or threaten to close our eyes on objectivity.

Therefore, any party or platform which wishes to lobby and enjoy the support of the youths should put forward young, competent, objective, capable and productive candidates. I hope and believe that this is the key step to achieving development in mbumland as resources are being decentralised. Never again shall we be made to believe others. We shall make our own decision ourselves. Never again shall investiture and/or approval of candidates make a candidate more viable than he/she originally would be.

Never Again!

Never!

Never again shall the youths sit and do nothing but complain about the government, politicians and the clergy. Some youths have been observed to be idling and continuously complain about the government or the politicians while traders come from neighbouring Kumbo, Bamenda and even Mbuda to do all the businesses in Ndu and Nkambe.

The youth should get up, not only politically but also economically. They will have to form cooperatives, farming groups and common initiative groups to create and run commercial and agri-business enterprises. They shall sit up and refrain from too much and senseless drinking of beer and related irrelevant and arrogant lifestyles.

The youth will have to change their mentality and re-oriented their mindsets. We say taxes are too high, bla bla bla, and the business environment is not conducive enough but those who pay transport to come, rent houses to stay and even pay resident permits still do business in our locality successfully. We must work hard to gain financial independence which will sanction political independence. Never again shall we be bought over because we sit complaining, doing nothing and are poor.

Never again!

Never!

Never again shall we be made to place theory over practical. In, as much as, practical goes with theory, we shall privilege practical examples illustrated by candidates who may lack theoretical knowledge to candidates with adequate theoretical knowledge without a single practical example.

In this light, a candidate for, say presidential election, proposing to solve a 4-million unemployment problem shall show prove of creating employment by personal initiative for at least 0.1%, (4000) youths of the four millions.

Never again should we be made to think that a fellow, who can not create jobs for 10 persons in mbum land or of Mbum origin, will solve the community problems of Ndu or Nkambe municipality if made municipal authority with even 100% decentralization.

Never again!

Never!

Never again shall we fold our arms and sit waiting for change to come. Youths, beginning 2016, must come home from Yaoundé, Douala, Buea, Bamenda and all of the country and of course from the Diaspora to register in the electoral list of Ndu or Nkambe constituencies. In a bit to effect change in 2018, the youths must first have their change weapons which are the voter's cards.

Never again shall we think that change shall come through social media popularity and propaganda. Effective work and realistic activities must be done on the ground. Never again shall we believe the internet development ideologists who have lived for 40yrs and above in the U.S.A, Canada, and Europe without a real project or even knowledge of the present day Mbum land.

Never Again!

Never!

Never again shall we pursue doubtful educational path, preferring to be grade one teachers if not pastors. Youths shall pursue vocational, technical and professional education and training to be job creators as well. Never again shall we learn only subjects like history at first degree and return to write minutes in shaa and palm wine oriented njangi houses.

Never again shall we choose career path which are not commensurate to our mental and material resources. Never again shall we think that we should attend very expensive secondary schools meanwhile we will not be able to continue after A/Ls due to limited finances.

Never again!

Never!

Never again shall we be made to false fully believe that separation of the country in itself is a panacea for youths’ unemployment and poverty. We must first, acknowledge the reality that, whether in the republic of Cameroon, in the united republic, a federal republic, in the West or East Cameroon, we shall only survive from our hard work. We, therefore, shall privileged peace, love and objectivity while seeking to acquire skills that will provide for our needs and community development.

We shall understand that whether in the East, west or united republic, those who are holders of say 2 papers in GCE A/L in Philosophy and Religions Studies/History and finally procure a B.A in philosophy or history can not suddenly become civil engineers, medical doctors, lawyers, petrochemical engineers, telecommunication experts or accountant because we have seceded. Never again shall we be used as sacrificial lamps.

Never again!

Dear compatriots

Ladies and gentlemen

Never again shall we allow ourselves to be swindled that we, the youths of today, are the leaders of tomorrow. Never again.

Never again shall we be used as “guinea pigs” on which Amateurs carry on their Administrative and Leadership training; a training that even lacks theoretical back-up Never again!

Never again, shall we give room to mediocre fellows to run the budgets of our municipalities when we know that they have never initiated and/or run a budget of up to a million in their entire lives. Never again!

Never again shall we trade competence and productivity for party-line polities, tribal or clannish linage. Never again!

Never again shall the youths sit and do nothing but complain about the government, politicians and the clergy. Never again!

Never again shall we fold our arms and sit waiting for change to come. Wimbum youths, beginning 2016, must come home from all of the country and of course from the Diaspora to register in the electoral list of their constituencies. Never again!

Never again shall we pursue a doubtful educational path, preferring to be grade one teachers if not pastors. Never again!

Never again shall we be made to false fully believe that separation of the country in itself is a panacea for youths’ unemployment and poverty. Never again!

While hoping for responsible resolutions amongst us the youths, I wish you and your loved ones a Joyous And Prosperous New Year 2016.

Long live Wimbum Youths

Long live the Wimbum people

Long live the Republic of Cameroon.

BY TATAH EMMANUEL BANTAR

POLITICIAN AND ADVOCATE FOR EMERGENCE IN MBUMLAND