I `died` several times inside me whilst
reading the epistles of the Oroko voice `The sad path of the Oroko in Ndian`.
Sister, thank you for your enlightenment sessions as l must confess being one
of your fans. The problem is not the reality that, some were born , opened
their eyes and found themselves as Kikuyu in Kenya, Yoruba in Nigeria or Ngolo,
Balue, Bima, Batanga, Korup, Isangele, Barombi, Balondo in Ndian. The problem
is not the reality of life but our interpretation of these realities. The
reality is that, Ndian might have just one kilometer of poorly paved road, an
enclave with all its major roads akin to abandoned mine fields,extreme
poverty everywhere and lack of opportunities even for the bravest. That is the
reality but how are these realities interpreted by the indigenes,
administrators, so-called elites, young educated men and women, politicians,
elected reps and gov’t?
It is a truism that, human beings are identified, defined and classified more by where their ancestors come from than where they choose to reside, adopt, adapt or identified with. Reasons why, a black man no matter how long he lives in USA, Italy, France, China, India, Aussie etc shall always be classified and identified as people from the 3rd world, cos where their ancestors come from looks like a 3rd world. The irony of life is that, the more you try to run away from your identity and realities like King Oedipus in the classical Greek Drama Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the more you walk towards your roots. We have seen and watched several dead bodies of sons and daughters, who never identified, lived, associated with the Ndian Identity all their lives brought and carried in hammocks to be buried in Ndian forests. I once overhead one old woman exclaimed that, Is Ndian only good for dead bodies?
In spite of everything, l take solace in the fact that, there is hope at the end of the tunnel as there are a few strong voices like Wa Mowoh Dada Eugene, Muwere Mboka, Dr. Peter Mbile, Orume Robinson, Mispa Molukule , Nanje Jackson and the list is growing shouting in the wilderness; re-awaking the conscience and political awareness of the people. That is the active ingredient and tonic the NDIAN People lack and need in abundance to overcome. The pen has always been more powerful than the sword. Let the story of Ndian be told as the pillage, exploration, exploitation of Ndian shall remain the scar in the conscience of humanity forever. Ndian is an orphan being rapped, abused, misused and abandoned.
Stereotypes are food for the unenlightened, uneducated minds and primitive people who still believe that, every Bakundu man is short and eat nothing but pepper and plantain. Whereas, there are more short people of littoral origins and more ewondos living in mud houses and appear more primitive than any Oroko tribe. The perceptions from other tribes should never be used to define are personalities. That, corn flakes are simply glorified maize and less nutritious than Koki corn but the perception is in the packaging. That, `water fufu` Atangana bread, eba are all products of cassava. It will therefore be ludicrous for an ewondo whose meals is entirely made out of cassava to make a Ndianite feel inferior eating a delicious meal of `water fufu` and pumpkin leaf soup. That, the chicken at Mister Fries are same like the local fowls we eat in our villages daily, that the perception is just the branding. Let’s out-grow this imaginary superiority complex of others less endowed, stereotypes and began to understand that, residency is a function of locality and destiny is the end of a journey.
How can a race that planted and cultivated large cocoa, coffee, palm plantations over the years and employed farm hands from elsewhere, now be described as being lazy by their farm hands? How can a race that was first to produce University graduates and had the most educated MP in Cameroon when the Federal National Assembly was constituted be considered intellectually lazy? The ancestors and off springs from Ndian might have had a late start in education coupled with the late arrivals of roads but it is a truism that, the Dikome Balue people in the heart of the Rumpi forest have more university graduates and professionals in every human endeavour than the Bafaw located in the heart of Kumba city. The Ejaghams in Eyumojock have more University professors, Medical doctors, Engineers, Pilots, PhD holders than the sawa people in the heart of Douala. THESE ARE FACTS AND NOT FICTION.
The sad path of the Ndian people is not how they are perceived by others but most maliciously, how they are perceived, considered and treated by the CNU-CPDM regime since 1961. The political choice, voting pattern and political expressions of the Ndian people at the 1961 plebiscite has informed and dictated the perception of the Ndian people by the regime since 1961. The regime will never perceive the Ndian people to be truly citizens of that country. The Ndian people have been black-listed and considered to be `Biafrans or Nigerians` and enemies within the house. Ndian is considered more for statistical computation, a no man`s lands rich in natural resources but with no human beings. The gov’t has made deliberate efforts to downsize the census figures of Ndian to portray the region as uninhabited, unsuitable for human habitation but for oil exploration and setting up of forest reserves. Check the official census figures of Ndian especially the reverine areas. To wit, what was the subject and input of Biya`s speech during his maiden visit to Buea SW. ` I was born a Cameroonian, l will remain a Cameroonian and l shall die a Cameroonian`. THE SW INCLUDING THE NDIAN DELEGATION CLAPPED AFTER BEING LITERALLY INSULTED FOR REMINDING THEM OF THEIR LEPROSY.
The problem as l see it, is the apparent lack of political awareness and gross ignorance on the part of the Ndian people on their rights, benefits, privileges as citizens and reading of the political barometer of Cameroon. To wit, why should a Ndianite be compelled to change his ancestral name and adopt a middle name to get employment in the public service, recruitment into the Police, Army or to obtain an International passport simply because the name is not perceived Cameroonian enough or looks like an awala name? Or is there any indigenous tribe known as Cameroon or Cameroonians with defined sets of names? Yet eye brows or nationality concerns are not raised when neighbouring states bear Ondua, Obiang, Owona, Abessolo etc….
Lack of interest in the political health, affairs and future of Ndian by the so-called educated elites, arm, bench chair critics and Youth. These very influential groups have completely abandoned Ndian in the hands of a few cabals and stooges of their oppressors. Take cursory look at the quality, quantity, capacity and credentials of all the elected Representatives from the local, regional and national levels. Without prejudice to any professions or persons, the SDF mayoral candidate for the Mundemba council election was a mason. The CPDM list is not better. How do we expect these set of people to propel development and growth of the region? Politics is the business of competition of ideas with the intention to capture power. When it comes to elections, we all run away and abandon the stage for stooges, puppets, neophytes, misfits and interlopers.
UNLESS THE NDIAN PEOPLE COMPLETELY MOVE AWAY FROM THE CPDM AND CHART A NEW POLITICAL PATH, IT SHALL CONTINUE TO BE SAME GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT AND A CONTINUOUS SAD PATH TO THE ABYSS.
It is a truism that, human beings are identified, defined and classified more by where their ancestors come from than where they choose to reside, adopt, adapt or identified with. Reasons why, a black man no matter how long he lives in USA, Italy, France, China, India, Aussie etc shall always be classified and identified as people from the 3rd world, cos where their ancestors come from looks like a 3rd world. The irony of life is that, the more you try to run away from your identity and realities like King Oedipus in the classical Greek Drama Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the more you walk towards your roots. We have seen and watched several dead bodies of sons and daughters, who never identified, lived, associated with the Ndian Identity all their lives brought and carried in hammocks to be buried in Ndian forests. I once overhead one old woman exclaimed that, Is Ndian only good for dead bodies?
In spite of everything, l take solace in the fact that, there is hope at the end of the tunnel as there are a few strong voices like Wa Mowoh Dada Eugene, Muwere Mboka, Dr. Peter Mbile, Orume Robinson, Mispa Molukule , Nanje Jackson and the list is growing shouting in the wilderness; re-awaking the conscience and political awareness of the people. That is the active ingredient and tonic the NDIAN People lack and need in abundance to overcome. The pen has always been more powerful than the sword. Let the story of Ndian be told as the pillage, exploration, exploitation of Ndian shall remain the scar in the conscience of humanity forever. Ndian is an orphan being rapped, abused, misused and abandoned.
Stereotypes are food for the unenlightened, uneducated minds and primitive people who still believe that, every Bakundu man is short and eat nothing but pepper and plantain. Whereas, there are more short people of littoral origins and more ewondos living in mud houses and appear more primitive than any Oroko tribe. The perceptions from other tribes should never be used to define are personalities. That, corn flakes are simply glorified maize and less nutritious than Koki corn but the perception is in the packaging. That, `water fufu` Atangana bread, eba are all products of cassava. It will therefore be ludicrous for an ewondo whose meals is entirely made out of cassava to make a Ndianite feel inferior eating a delicious meal of `water fufu` and pumpkin leaf soup. That, the chicken at Mister Fries are same like the local fowls we eat in our villages daily, that the perception is just the branding. Let’s out-grow this imaginary superiority complex of others less endowed, stereotypes and began to understand that, residency is a function of locality and destiny is the end of a journey.
How can a race that planted and cultivated large cocoa, coffee, palm plantations over the years and employed farm hands from elsewhere, now be described as being lazy by their farm hands? How can a race that was first to produce University graduates and had the most educated MP in Cameroon when the Federal National Assembly was constituted be considered intellectually lazy? The ancestors and off springs from Ndian might have had a late start in education coupled with the late arrivals of roads but it is a truism that, the Dikome Balue people in the heart of the Rumpi forest have more university graduates and professionals in every human endeavour than the Bafaw located in the heart of Kumba city. The Ejaghams in Eyumojock have more University professors, Medical doctors, Engineers, Pilots, PhD holders than the sawa people in the heart of Douala. THESE ARE FACTS AND NOT FICTION.
The sad path of the Ndian people is not how they are perceived by others but most maliciously, how they are perceived, considered and treated by the CNU-CPDM regime since 1961. The political choice, voting pattern and political expressions of the Ndian people at the 1961 plebiscite has informed and dictated the perception of the Ndian people by the regime since 1961. The regime will never perceive the Ndian people to be truly citizens of that country. The Ndian people have been black-listed and considered to be `Biafrans or Nigerians` and enemies within the house. Ndian is considered more for statistical computation, a no man`s lands rich in natural resources but with no human beings. The gov’t has made deliberate efforts to downsize the census figures of Ndian to portray the region as uninhabited, unsuitable for human habitation but for oil exploration and setting up of forest reserves. Check the official census figures of Ndian especially the reverine areas. To wit, what was the subject and input of Biya`s speech during his maiden visit to Buea SW. ` I was born a Cameroonian, l will remain a Cameroonian and l shall die a Cameroonian`. THE SW INCLUDING THE NDIAN DELEGATION CLAPPED AFTER BEING LITERALLY INSULTED FOR REMINDING THEM OF THEIR LEPROSY.
The problem as l see it, is the apparent lack of political awareness and gross ignorance on the part of the Ndian people on their rights, benefits, privileges as citizens and reading of the political barometer of Cameroon. To wit, why should a Ndianite be compelled to change his ancestral name and adopt a middle name to get employment in the public service, recruitment into the Police, Army or to obtain an International passport simply because the name is not perceived Cameroonian enough or looks like an awala name? Or is there any indigenous tribe known as Cameroon or Cameroonians with defined sets of names? Yet eye brows or nationality concerns are not raised when neighbouring states bear Ondua, Obiang, Owona, Abessolo etc….
Lack of interest in the political health, affairs and future of Ndian by the so-called educated elites, arm, bench chair critics and Youth. These very influential groups have completely abandoned Ndian in the hands of a few cabals and stooges of their oppressors. Take cursory look at the quality, quantity, capacity and credentials of all the elected Representatives from the local, regional and national levels. Without prejudice to any professions or persons, the SDF mayoral candidate for the Mundemba council election was a mason. The CPDM list is not better. How do we expect these set of people to propel development and growth of the region? Politics is the business of competition of ideas with the intention to capture power. When it comes to elections, we all run away and abandon the stage for stooges, puppets, neophytes, misfits and interlopers.
UNLESS THE NDIAN PEOPLE COMPLETELY MOVE AWAY FROM THE CPDM AND CHART A NEW POLITICAL PATH, IT SHALL CONTINUE TO BE SAME GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT AND A CONTINUOUS SAD PATH TO THE ABYSS.
By Tata Atabong Albert Motale and title is by me, Orokovoice.
