Editorial

Order to march with Head of State’s effigy: National Day, not Biya’s Day!.

Traditionally, a National Day, especially in African countries, commemorates independence, sovereignty and nationalism, which should be congruent with the State. In Cameroon, where it is also known as Unity Day, it usually evokes bitter and even vicious controversy. It should be recalled that the Day was enacted into law since 1972.

It often musters intense momentum, enflamed by the lingering conflict in the North West and South West Regions, that has in some seven years pitted the defence and security forces against separatist fighters.

It is perhaps against that background of insecurity, not only in the North West and South West Regions, but also in the Far North Region, where Boko Haram sporadically wreaks havoc, that this year's theme for the National Day is aptly crafted as: “Army and Nation: Together for a United, Peaceful and Prosperous Cameroon”.

Last year, the theme also focused on: “Defence Forces and Cameroonian People in Harmony to Safeguard Peace and National Unity, Bedrock of a Strong and Prosperous Cameroon”.

The country has been enmeshed in a climate of insecurity for years and there is still no sign of peace and security at the end of a dark tunnel, in the North West, South West and Far North Regions.

Historically, the 52^nd commemoration of National Day next Monday, reminds Cameroonians of May 20, 1972, when pioneer President, the late Ahmadou Ahidjo, convened the "Federated State of West Cameroon and the Federated State of East Cameroon," in a controversial referendum to change the form of State from federal to unitary, under the pretext that it was too expensive to govern.

Some Anglophone political pundits argue that for that referendum to have been legal, it would have been restricted only to the people of South West and North West Regions, who took part in the Plebiscite that "joined" the two States. That has been one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict in the two English-speaking Regions.

President Biya understands the challenges of insecurity and discord in the country. That should explain why for the past two years of National Day celebrations, the themes have been on security, blended by carousels from the National Gendarmerie Band with march past by detachments of all the units that make up the defence and security, political parties, students and pupils.

At the 20th May Boulevard in Yaounde, they traditionally march past majestically while greeting President Biya, Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, to express their honour and loyalty and even in the democratic tradition, drawing his attention with messages on banners to certain challenges facing the country.

A National Day is not to extol, eulogise or pour adulation on the Head of State. It is not his birthday. It is not a celebration of his ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM party, which he founded in Bamenda on March 24, 1985. It is neither a campaign rally, given that elections are slated for next year.

It is unthinkable that for a nation entangled in challenges of insecurity, sky-rocketing cost of living, epileptic electricity supply, a sick health delivery system, bad roads, scarcity of water and youth unemployment being likened to a time bomb, government would still gather the courage to order political parties taking part in this year’s 20th march past to carry the effigy of President Biya.

After a preparatory meeting in Mvila Division of the South Region, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of the administrative unit, Tam Likeng Richard Marcel, had, through Release No. 2024/CR/LO7/SAAJP of April 23, 2024, informed political parties participating in this year’s 20^th May march past, to display the effigy of President Biya.

Expectedly, the uncanny decision sparked fury within one of the major opposition parties in the Region.

The South Regional Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, Felix Guildas Mbida, in a statement said: “The SDF, which is a political party that respects State institutions, sees this as a maneuver to exclude it from May 20, 2024 activities”.

He said the order is “something which seems to us to be an incongruity, given the fact that...he is the president of a political party to which we are totally in opposition with...we are ready for May 20, but without Biya’s effigy”.

Given the security challenges, and bubbling tension in the country, ahead of 2025 elections, The Guardian Post holds that the fiat of the SDO of Mvila Division, will just exacerbate the uneasiness in a celebration that is not about a personality, but nationalism.

At The Guardian Post, we hold the strong opinion that the Mvila Division SDO should rescind his order and rather let all the political parties that want to take part at this year’s National Day march past, to do so with messages that drum justice, national unity and peace, to tie with the theme of the fiesta.