Gov't criticized for 'ignoring' Anglophones

Maurice Kamto, former Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, and current Chairman of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM party, has bashed the Biya’s regime and other politicians who have refused to acknowledge that an Anglophone problem exists in the country.

Kamto was speaking recently to Disapora Afrique Television, Diaf-TV, on the sidelines of a CRM European tour.

Going by an interview posted online on Diaf-TV’s website, July 3, the CRM chairman of Francophone extraction is vindicating Anglophones whom he said have continuously complained of being marginalised by the system in place.

“I don’t understand why they are giving a deaf ear to the plight of our Anglophone brothers,” Kamto said. He said his party – the CRM has an action plan for Cameroon which should address such concerns.

Kamto noted that Cameroon’s democracy is sick and the country needs its compatriots in the diaspora as part of its cure. He’s one of the first Francophone former Member of the Biya’s Government to publicly condemn the marginalization of Anglophones.

Kamto’s declaration preceded a statement delivered last week by the executive of the South West Elites Association, SWELA who in a statement supported the position taken by their chiefs on the Anglophone problem.

In a related development, some Anglophone Parliamentarians and Senators have addressed a memorandum to President Biya, asking him to take immediate measures to address Anglophone worries.

It should be recalled that Common Law lawyers from the South West and North West regions had after an All Anglophone Lawyers Conference in Bamenda about two months ago, given the head of state a 6-month ultimatum to return the country to a federation. Also, University of Buea lecturers took the relay to decry the proposed harmonization of university curricular which would have murdered the Anglo-Saxon university system.

They were closely followed by South West chiefs under the banner of the South West Chiefs Conference, SWECC. The Chiefs observed that the bilingual system operating in Cameroon causes South Westerners and North Westerners serious hardship. They wrote to the President seeking an immediate end to the systematic annihilation of English language, Common Law system and Anglo-Saxon educational sub system in Cameroon.

Meanwhile, Kamto also used the media outing to deplore the absence of vibrant indigenous companies like the Nigerian Dangote Group in Cameroon.

He also denounced the power tussle going on between the Board Chairman and Director General of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, as well as castigated the “thieving” so called policy of regional balance.

The CRM Chairman harped on the need to legalize dual nationality in Cameroon, the putting in place of a national language, amongst others.