Biya's Cameroon and the lack of patriotism

The pervasive manner by which Cameroonian state employees, private corporate and individuals steal money using chronic fraudulent means supported and justified by “dorky” papers in a passionate, derisive, satanic and hypocritical level is a convulsed crisis that is decimating the State of Cameroon`s Treasury and embroiled in a governance scandal critical in dire need of salvation. Cameroon Concord’s Bertrand Etukeni Agbaw-Ebai paints the pathetic situation in this soul-searching article.

At the campus of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon-IRIC the intellectually acclaimed and vociferous Prof. Emmanuel Pondi at the Amphi 500 in the Theories of International Relations lectures said the next president of Cameroon after Paul Biya will have a lot of work in crafting a new Cameroon identity and international image.

When asked about the challenging problems, he said the mentality of Cameroonians toward money had negatively over-powered the spirit of patriotism. Patriotism is the love of one`s country directed by critical intelligence. Meaning it is a citizen devoted love, support and defense of one` country and national loyalty.

Cameroon Concord opined that failures by the state in its simple obligations towards the citizens, the citizens find no reason to honor its own role to the state. This is an apt description of the state of Cameroon under President Paul Biya where everything has gone wrong as the signs and symbols of the nation is directed towards a failed state. Whatever angle you look at it one is astounded by the enormity of problems confronting the state of Cameroon. If you conduct a DNA on the mental aptitude of the state of Cameroonian civil servants from ENAM, you will be shocked by the propensity of theft that had and is taking place and those in waiting.

Despite the selective process of combating corruption by Biya`s operation Sparrow Hawk, there is still no fear as new methods keep resurfacing making corruption a way of life. As a consequence of corruption and embezzlement, the resulting damaging effects is a deteriorating public service administration, poor health care facilities, educational infrastructural crisis including, economic hardships and no foreign policy objectives, Cameroon continues to retrogress signaling an imminent civil conflicting atmosphere.

What is even worrisome is the gravity of theft as it involve very huge sums to live as if there is no tomorrow. The penchant for money by Cameroonians to live an aristocratic and ostentatious life-style which is not proportional to the expected work done only to command a name for the society has driven all to steal by any available means. Money now defines a person`s personal pedigree and create a social ladder in Cameroon.

The President himself as the number one state authority and the institution he incarnates is supposed to set an exemplary conduct but instead has compromise the respect of state patriotism by his frequent lavish lifestyle which has a direct impact on all Cameroonians way of thinking, living and the future.

The President Biya’s official and private trips are too expensive bearing on the problems confronting a third world nation that has to emerge by 2035. In Cameroon immediately you are appointed to any relevant position that has a budget, the next thing is to loot from the state coffers and provide paper cover-ups.

The quest for money has caused so many multitudes of crimes. And at times it is exacerbated in connivance with outsiders. The attack on our financial establishments in Limbe for three long hours without any help from Douala or Yaoundé speaks volume as it was an internal well planned and cultivated act of banditry. The attacks on ECOBANK in Douala reveals how Cameroonians are daring to sell the state for money.

The frequent attack by made in Cameroon pirates at the coast of Bakassi against our citizens is just a pitiable situation. Correspondingly, the incursion of Boko Haram from Northern Nigeria into Northern Cameroon with Cameroonians providing safe haven for terrorist for financial kick-backs thereby threatening our national sovereignty and destabilizing our economy all for selfish and greedy ends amount to lack of state loyalty.

The new generation of Cameroonians is only thinking of getting. It is a frightening situation which needs a quick resolution as Biya is approaching the exit tunnel 2018. With almost certainty including divine providence that President Biya will quit the helm of leadership but before that happens what Cameroonians need now is a “change of mentality”. To be sure, an Anglophone President that will introduce to our nation a kind of “Thought Reform Classes”.