Cameroon: The Stakes and Challenges of Governance and Development

8. Changing Times, the Media and Governance in Cameroon 1961-2005

Chapter Eight Changing Times, the Media and Governance in Cameroon 1961-2005 Flavius Mayoa Mokake Introduction With the attainment of independence in the 1960s most, if not all, Africans thought the political leaders that succeeded the colonialists would guarantee their hopes and aspirations. However in less than two decades, it was realised that there was a growing obsession with the instantaneous betrayal of the aspirations of most Africans in aspects pertaining to governance and development (Post, 1964; Were, 1983; Assefa and Wachira, 1996: 1-33; Jinadu, 2000; Greg, 2002). The manner in which the states were managed did not reflect proportionately the anxieties and aspirations raised by the clamour for independence. Were’s view exposes the hopes of Africans at the dawn of independence. As he puts it, ‘this era was to the masses the end of hard times and uncertainties, and the beginning of the golden age’. It was also seen as an era for the effective running of the administrative machineries for the good of all. Contrary to the raised imaginations, gross irresponsibility and insensitivity characterized most of the governments in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now as in the past, there is an informed history of political and socio-economic inappropriateness. This assertion of political and socio-economic perfidies reveal that public policy-making in these states lack the logic and content that characterizes such an enterprise in liberal systems such as popular participation, objectivity and the common good. Instead, these states are characterized by neo-patrimonial relationships, abuse of the rights of citizen, over centralization of authority within an omnipotent centre, rampant corruption, indecent management of public offices, election rigging and the marginalisation of the civil society. These features are supportive of the contention that there is a crisis of governance in the continent. This crisis stems partly from the fact that the civil society is yet to be fully emancipated 166 Cameroon: The Stakes and Challenges of Governance and Development from the state and because its body politic does not have an institutionalized complexion (Chabal and Daloz, 1999: 1-30). The states are often governed by klepto-septuagenarians (Were, 1983: 2; Kiogora, 1996: 29) reputed to have sterile interest for their fatherland. Properly speaking this describes the governance scenario in Cameroon and most African states. Cameroon’s poor political and socio-economic governance (Susungi, 1991; Nyamnjoh, 2002; Jua, 2003; Forje, 2003) is a byproduct of the current deficiencies and absence of a vibrant civil society (Mbuagbo and Fru, 2003: 133; Forje, 2006). The importance of civil society in ensuring good governance cannot be overemphasized yet the media in Cameroon as an arm of the civil society is unable to fully exploit its inherent potentials to achieve this. Though the concept of civil society occupies a central position in any discourse on governance, it gained currency in the political narratives of African states only in the 1990s. Naturally, its new character and organization within the modern state emerged from the drive among the people to collectively challenge the hegemonic ambitions of the state (Mbuagbo and Fru, 2003: 145-146). The drive was brought to the shores of African states in the 1990s by the uncompromising waves of democratic transition that swept across the continent. In reaction to the alleged failure of the nationstates to liberate the people Cameroonians were prompted to adopt a cynical and distrustful attitude towards politics and the state. Emerging from a monolithic and heavily policed state, the media served as a vent to express disdain and to rally popular support with interest in redressing political, economic and social abnormalities in the society (Nkwi, 2006: 95). The present global context of advancements in the information and communication technology facilitates the efficient management of limited resources to achieve development goals. The opportunities offered by this context create an invaluable role for the media in enhancing governance and initiating development in a community (Paranjape, 2002). In spite of attempts to numb the potential of the media, new discreet governance structures could be brought/ sustained and new social capital generated in Cameroon for mutual benefits (Article 19, 1999; Boh, 1999; Nyamnjoh, 2005). There is no doubt that by informing, and educating the media has a major role to play in the construction of the Cameroonian society. 167 Mokake: Changing Times, the Media and Governance in Cameroon Rationale for the Institutionalisation of the Media in Cameroon From time immemorial, humanity has come to recognize the importance of...