::: Re-Centralized Decentraliation :::

In the continuous attempts to find a lasting solution to the crisis in Cameroon, most Francophones and a few La Republique du Cameroun Anglophone stooges are pointing toward the effective implementation of the decentralization law of 1996 as the panacea to the Anglophone problem and the socio-political malaise in the whole country by extension. Some who have chosen to ignore the historical context of this problem have even gone as far as to suggest that the impasse in the English speaking parts of the country is a direct consequence of the slow implementation of the decentralization law.

I have always wondered what are the prescriptions of the 1996 decentralization law and suspicious of why it has not been implemented after 21 years of its promulgation. And I am sure most Cameroonians have the same doubts and suspicions. That is why I diligently followed the press conference last week by the minister of propaganda, Issa Tchiroma and an expert from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization. The purpose of the press conference was to educate Cameroonians on the nitty-gritty of the decentralization law and to brief on the implementation process thus far. 

My understanding of decentralization is the devolution of power and competencies to the local people. That means elected governors as well as local and state councils to run affairs from the grass root, a bottom-up approach in which the people are empowered through strong institutions. However, after going through the press conference, I was left convinced more than ever that the concept of decentralization in Cameroon is a scam. The ruling junta has no political will to abandon their trickle down approach to governance in which power is bestowed on persons rather than the people and institutions. In la Republique´s decentralization, Biya will still have to handpick and appoint members from his gang of bandits to the positions of governors, SDOs, Dos and government delegates to lord it over the elected mayors. The only difference (if you can see it as such) between the centralized Jacobine system that obtains and the decentralized system inscribed in the constitution is the election of local councils, which will still be overseen by a government delegate appointed by and accountable to the President.

Centralized system (left) vs. Decentralized system as prescribed by the 1996 law (right)

The most telling revelation of the press conference though was when Tchiroma announced with great feeling of accomplishment that since 31^st December 2015, 60 out of 63 competences have successfully been devolved from the central government to the local councils. If my maths and logic is right, that translates to 95 % implementation of the decentralization process accomplished so far. This La Republique government is clearly making a mockery of people who are still hoping that the full implementation of the decentralization process is what the country needs. 

Biya and his bunch of gangsters are taking Cameroonians for a ride. Their version of decentralization is a wool cloth designed to blindfold gullible and unsuspecting Cameroonians while they take us all to the cleaners. Cameroonians need to open their eyes. This re-centralized decentralization will only turn out to be a time-honoured volcano which will not necessarily find its fault line along the proverbial Francophone / Anglophone divide.

The apathy of the majority Francophone Cameroonians towards the mere mention of the word federalism is shocking. Is it because King Biya has decreed the country to be “Etat Unitaire Décentralisé”? Is it because of the contempt for anything favoured by “l´enemi dans la maison”? Or, is it because of their affinity for anything “francaise”, given that unitary decentralization is the system practiced by their French masters in Paris? That, I can’t tell. But what I can tell you is this – federalism is the only state structure that can work for Cameroun, given its socio-cultural diversity. And that is with or without the former British Southern Cameroons. Federalism is the only true bottom-top system that will strengthen state and local institutions and genuinely give power and accountability back to the people. 

Federal structure empowers the institutions and brings power back to the people

I hope that our good neighbours, the citizens of La Republique du Cameroun will open their eyes and take their “père de la nation” to task. As for us, the people of the former British Southern Cameroons, we have a bigger fish to fry. We past the federalism station at the end of 2016. Since the turn of the year, our train left the station on a one way ticket to Ambazonia, our veritable Land of Promise, Land of Glory 

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Emile Tabu Ojong