Snapshots: An X-ray of Cameroon�s Democracy, Governance and Unification

Contents

iii Table of Contents Preface………………………..……………..……….....................vii Introduction............................................................................................. xi 1. Suggestions for an Ambazonia Caucus............................................1 2. What future for Cameroon integration?..........................................5 3. Parliament’s Queer Sense of Patriotism.......................................... 9 4. Western Conspiracy against Cameroon’s Democratic Transition..................................................................................................13 5. The Falling Standard of English: A Political Perspective................................................................................................17 6. End of the oil monopolies?............................................................... 21 7. Epitaph for Papa John........................................................................25 8. The Falsehood of the Northwest-Southwest Divide: Mola Musonge disappoints admirers..............................................................29 9. Resignation of Titus Edzoa: The Demystification of a Mystic........................................................................................................ 33 10. Presidential Election: A Most Uneventful Event.........................37 11. SDF’s Dilemma: To dine or not to dine....................................... 41 12. From ‘stolen victory’ to ‘moral victory’: Euphemisms for emasculation or capitulation?.................................................................45 13. Bakassi Blues: Random Notes.........................................................47 14. Fun of Fons: A Cautionary Word about Fondoms.....................51 15. Give Peter Acham a Chance........................................................... 53 16. Biya at Non-Aligned Summit: A Regurgitation of Pious Platitudes...................................................................................................57 17. Epitaph for Ebssiy............................................................................61 18. The Epitaph: A Milestone on the Hard Road to Democracy................................................................................................65 iv 19. ‘Pa Foncha was a Freedom Fighter’...............................................69 20. Journalism, Watchdogism and Alarmism......................................73 21. Memory Lane: Tribute to Reverend Gordon...............................75 22. Liberalisation of audio-visual media: A grudging step towards plural democracy......................................................................................79 23. BBC/CRTV and the Anglophone Problem.................................85 24. Restating the Southern Cameroons Question..............................89 25. From Unitary State to Annexation.................................................95 26. The Anatomy of Terrorism.............................................................99 27. Terrorism and War: The Ugly Equation........................................103 28. Drumbeats..........................................................................................107 29. CDC and the Privatization Palaver (I)...........................................109 30. CDC and the Privatisation Palaver (II)........................................ 113 31. The Invalidity of Unitary State………….……………………117 32. Pros and Cons of Coalition Government……………….……123 33. Of Deprivation and Primitive Accumulation…..……………..127 34. The Omenology of St. Cloud……………….……….……….129 35. Mamfe This Time Yesterday…………………………………131 36. Will Fru Ndi short-circuit political career?....................................137 37. April Cabinet Shake-up: Biya’s Royal Nod or Jolt from Slumber?....................................................................................................141 38. G.W. Bush Jnr’s Betrayal of Democracy………..…………… 145 39. 2004 Presidential Campaign: Time for people’s verdict is now!........................................................................................................... 149 40. Coalition Split Revisited……………..……………………….155 41. 45th Anniversary of Southern Cameroons Independence: Southern Cameroons Struggle at Crossroads….…………………159 42. Economic Sabotage………………………………………….165 43. Morning Safari Takes Us for a Ride............................................................................................................169 44. Bridge over troubled waters………………………………….171 45. Dan Kisob goes marching in…………….…...………..............177 46. Looking Beyond July 22………………...……………………183 47. Violence Begets Violence………………….…………………189 v 48. Lion Man, Lion’s Share…………………..…………………..195 49. Stop The Pretence! Boycott Parliament!!.......................................199 50. To Go or Not To Go……………………………..………… 203 51. Where Is the Oil Money?.................................................................207 52. What Good is University?................................................................211 53. Motions of Commotion…………….....………….....………..215 54. How far is 2011?………...……………….............................. 217 55. When Silver begins to Rust..................................................... 223 56. Street Power versus State Terrorism........................................ 227 57. Red Carpet for Monkeys………...……….…..............................233 58. S.O.S Santa Isabelle..........................………..……………… 237 59. The Soft Underbelly of the African Union…………………...241 60. The Travails of Southern Cameroons………………………. 245 61. El-Bashir’s Problematic Intransigence………………………. 249 62. 1st October Frenzy…………………………………………. 253 63. Soft-Selling Biya’s Ambition……………………………….. 257 64. Bilingualism: A Badge of Honour or Shame?.......................... 261 65. Pharaoh, Let My People Go!.................................................. 265 66. Technocracy, Technology and Technopoly…………………..269 67. No Peace without Justice…………………………………… 273 68. Too Little, Too Late…………………………………………277 69. When Dialogue Is Meaningless………………………………281 70. China's Verbal Acrobatics on Sports and Politics…….………285 71. The Bolloré Mafia and French Imperialism…………..………291 72. Bakassi and the Principle of Derivation……………………... 295 73. Had Barack Obama Been Born a Cameroonian…………….. 299 74. Reinforcing Transparency and Accountability………………. 303 75. Agenda for Pope and Paul………………………………….. 307 76. The Audacity of Obama…………………………………….. 313 77. 26 Years of Agony………………………………………….. 317 78. Memories of Miriam…………………………………………321 79. Bali Boundary Disputes: Lessons From Bakassi……………. 325 80. Bawocks- The Unruly Friends of Bali-Nyonga……………… 333 vi 81. Stop These Agents of Confusion: The Farce about British Northern Cameroons……………………………………………339 82. A Crisis of Ethics and Credibility in Cameroon’s EnglishSpeaking News Media: An urgent need for critical self-examination…………………………………………………343 ...