Cameroon - Ayah Paul Abine Mocks Musonge Commission, Says Banning 'Anglophone', 'Francophone' Is Calling For The End Of Cameroon

Par Atia T. AZOHNWI | Cameroon-Info.Net
Buea - 02-May-2019 - 11h14   5148                      
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Paul Ayah Abine archives
Barrister Ayah Paul Abine, one-time member of President Paul Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) has mocked at the National Commission on the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) following recommendations from experts that the words "Anglophone" and "Francophone" should be banned and a "Ministry for Living Together and Multiculturalism" created.

Taking to Facebook Monday,  April 29, 2019, the former presidential candidate said Cameroon will cease to exist if the words "Anglophone" and "Francophone" are banned.

"... It is inextricably entrenched in history that Camerouoon comprises two Camerou(oo)n: the one English of English expression, and the other of French expressions. They are often referred to, as ANGLOPHONES (English- speaking), and FRANCOPHONES (French-speaking) respectively. Calling for a Camerouoon without the two communities is calling for the end of Camerouoon – the parting of the two entities," Ayah wrote.

The former Supreme Court judge and ex-Member of Parliament said if the Members of the NCPBM were ever to present such a proposal to President Biya,  the Head of State would be displeased.

Though Ayah imagines that the proposals to ban the words 'Anglophone' and 'Francophone' came from Peter Mafany Musonge, President of the NCPBM,  one of the commission's members, George Ngwane has since said the proposals were made by experts and resource persons and not a resolve by the commission.

"That recommendation is really from the Resource Persons (RPs) who were invited to the colloquium.  This and the other 61 recommendations proposed by the RPs don't necessarily reflect the views of he Commission. So, it is not yet a posted letter," Ngwane reacted to a post on the subject.

Recommendations at the end of an NCPBM-organised colloquium on April 24 & 25, 2019 at the Yaoundé Mont Fébé Hotel were to the effect that the words Anglophone and Francophone be banished from Cameroon's territorial space and vocabulary.

"The Government of Cameroon must ban the words 'Anglophone' and 'Francophone' from state vocabulary and from use within the national territory," one of the recommendations set to be sent for the appraisal of President Paul Biya read.

The brains at the colloquium argued that the words Anglophone and Francophone are foreign but is the source of division today. They said citizens should first be identified as Cameroonians, not by foreign words that aim to split them.

"Cameroonians are not native speakers of English and French, as such we should rather promote our national languages by teaching them in schools and speaking them in other public places," they argued.

The crisis in the North West and South West regions that led to the creation of the National Commission on the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism seems to be getting little attention, if one were to look at the suffering of the indolent masses.

Auteur:
Atia T. AZOHNWI
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