Editorial: Recognising Cameroon's nation builders.

The conflict in the North West and South West Regions remains lingering, especially with its "ghost Mondays," when educational and economic activities are grounded.

For a while now, people of the "Grand North" have been grumbling about underdevelopment and being treated as "electoral cattle", to borrow a quote from Jeune Afrique. 

Some are even campaigning that the presidency should be returned to them!

Those are ominous signs that threaten the building of a prosperous nation with equal opportunities for all citizens, a judicious judiciary, parliament that is independent and generates private member bills, freedom of assembly, expression and the press.

Even in that dark cloud, eminent personalities like Batonnier Akere Muna, International Anti-corruption advocate and an opposition politician, joined the paramount ruler of the Bafaw in Kumba, Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, an appointed Senator of the ruling CPDM fraternity, came together with Esther Omam, renowned peace crusader and social society leader, to sit on a jury to sort out Cameroonians in all spheres of human endeavour contributing to nation building.

The promoters were the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers' Association, CENPA, whose current president is The Guardian Post Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Ngha Christian. 

The laureates who got their certificates and trophies at an impressive ceremony at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel on Thursday, according to Barrister Akere Muna, were scrupulously nominated by their peers as nation builders in the private and public sectors.

"What do those awards mean, especially when they come without cash?", many have been asking some of the distinguished laureates.

Everything should not be about money. Richard Devos, an American business tycoon, once said: "Money cannot buy peace of mind. It cannot heal ruptured relationships, or build meaning into a life that has none”.

The laureates didn't need money. They were recognised as nation builders with The Guardian Post, the trend setter in publishing seven times a week, operating in its own complex with a printing press, scooping four of the awards. Congratulations to the team.

Such awards recognise excellence, patriotism and unity, which was illustrated in the composition of the jury that though Cameroonians should disagree when it comes to making their political choices, they remain united in peace and loving each other, despite their divergent political beliefs.

With the present state of the nation facing uncertainty as the presidential elections are slated for next year, the country has been embroiled in hate speeches, Machiavellian divide and rule tactics and xenophobic attacks.

CENPA's award to the laureates offer an imperative for a critical mass of citizens to emulate their examples and take the initiative to build a developed country into a nation in their own corner of activity, profession, politics or trade. 

We all need to be nation-builders. We can't sit back and expect the government and councils alone to build a developed Cameroon.

John F. Kennedy, who needs no introduction, in his historic quote, challenged his United States compatriots to: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

The laureates recognised in Yaounde last Thursday have illustrated what they have done for Cameroon in their own little way, which together make great strides to nation-building.

At The Guardian Post, while we congratulate them for their selfless services, we urge them not to rest on their laurels but to take the awards as challenges for more creativity, innovation and vision to remain role models in whatever field they were rewarded.

They need to cultivate a development mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Fixed mindset citizens pejoratively say: "Impossibility is not Cameroonian", "This corrupt country will not change in our lifetime", "Winners of elections are known before the voting".

Nation builders with a development mindset say: "The country is corrupt, lawless but we can and will make it better", "We can turn it around in our youthful generation", or "We can change it through the ballot box next year".

Thanks to CENPA, they have proven that Cameroonians in the ruling party, opposition and civil society can build a strong and prosperous nation from the challenges of separation and vitriolic criticism by the opposition and civil society, which is what democracy is all about. 

But the government must provide a judicious environment of trust for every Cameroonian to freely participate in nation building to the best of their ability and be one of the laureates of nation building when such ceremonies are organised.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3183 of Monday July 29, 2024