The Sad Path of the Oroko

I have decided not to listen to Cameroon’s national radio be it the “mother station” or its so called fm and regional stations. This includes the infamous so-called radio and its “post-5pm radio tit-bits” which doesn’t even reach the Oroko of Ndian Division apart from a few houses in Dion Ngute’s Bongongo 1 and the people residing on the Rumpi Hills. Longtime ago, I stopped watching the so-called “canal mendoze”.  Each time I did, it brought me nothing but sadness, tears and regrets (bowaki, misodi na mbereke) because, am an Oroko from Ndian. The everlasting bad roads, lightening styled-electricity, no portable water, neck breaking high living costs, poor healthcare facilities, a gangrenous corrupt judiciary, an abominable local administration and an unrepentant political class.

Looking at the contemporary history of Cameroon, where one comes from is fast becoming a reflection of one’s identity replacing names, local languages spoken and similarities in physical appearance. Our origin embodies our culture, beliefs and in some cases, a presupposition of our social status. Wherever, we find ourselves in this country, the national knowledge of our origin (background) always precedes us.

From this perspective, I have asked myself several times and now I ask you, what does it mean to be an Oroko in Cameroon? Have you ever bothered to find out how the other tribes see, what their opinions are about us or what rating score is attributed us? What paths of our original Oroko beliefs, traditions and culture do we bring to the national table? Do we have any accepted cultural beliefs, traditions, people, places, artefacts and ground breaking innovations that is identified with the Oroko? Or is our Oroko identity simply associated with everlasting bad roads, gangrenous witch craft, endemic laziness, generalized poverty, eternal handclapping and forever reliance on being spoon-fed. I ask questions that are obviously mind boggling and irritating but whose answers are disheartening and obnoxious. You are free to take a different stance but I do what am good at, that’s talking.

This is what happens when a growing number of Oroko have chosen to substitute their original true identity with that of another. This is what happens when the Oroko believe their local culture is barbaric and want no connection with it. Who are our Oroko heroes? What do we have? Nothing! All the forests and lands of the Mbonge,Ekombe, Bai and lower Bakundu area in Mbonge subdivision are gone to oil palm, rubber and coconut save for some lands and forests of upper Bakundu area in Konye subdivision, the Oroko of Meme Division have lost their heritage. The hand-clapping chiefs, parliamentarians and so called-elites are watching, as usual, doing nothing. What legacy will you leave for your future generation?

The situation is becoming catastrophic and calamitous for the Oroko of Ndian Division, from Mbonge Junction to Mbongo via Illoani, Boa Balondo, up to Ekondo Titi, Mundemba back towards Bekora Barombi through Ekwe Balue down to Kumbe Balue and back to Dora Barombi and Njima Barombi via Iribanyange and Mokono Barombi. The lands and forests are gone! Thank the Almighty creator for the Rumpi Hills which are inaccessible, else, the story would have been different. An individual owns 200hectares of oil palm in Ngolo Metoko and yet, we have a so-called senior Oroko magistrate from that village, who also doubles as the second vice SG of Cameroon’s National Assembly. What a paradox! Imagine if that were to happen in Late Dr Timti Isidore Nse’s Boyo Division. They pulled-out the toll-gate in Matazem-Santa rebelling against the ruling government of Cameroon for bad roads; Mr Ngeule Ngeule Felix, former SDO for Mezam now Governor of South Region(Ebolowa, Land of the rotten chimpanzee) was there, standing next to SDF Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi, watching. But is that possible within Oroko land?No!no!

Yet a couple of years ago, when our Oroko son Mr Nasako Besingi stood up against this Timti for his Herakles farms project, the very Oroko people called him a traitor. Imagine 55000 hectares (55 kilometers squared, which is equal to the distance from Ekondo Titi to Kumba squared) of forested lands going down the drain, promoted and supported by people who claim to have the Oroko at heart including Hon Chief Mbile Nobert Nangia, a seasoned Oroko intellectual (former principal of CCAS Kumba, former Parliamentarian and present chief of Lipenja 1 Batanga, Toko subdivision, Ndian Division) and his cohort, a seasoned Oroko intellectual Dr Okole Blessed Ndokpe (Present Chief of Big Bekondo in Mbonge Subdivision, Meme Division), I rest my case and i'll be back!

Why should a man defending the Oroko in his very backyard, be manhandled, threatened, beaten, assaulted and jailed? What has our Oroko become? Is it because of money? If not for money or a corrupt judiciary plus stomach politics, how come such a person is even detained when the senior state counsel (state prosecutor) of Mundemba, is an Oroko elite from Dikome Balue? What is happening to my Oroko? Is it not true that, we have decided to walk the sad path? Else, why would an Oroko magistrate from Bisoro Balue halt the Herakles project through an injunction order, just for another judge to reinstate it and send environmental campaigners to jail? Where are the Oroko? Where are the Oroko puppet elite class? From these recent happenings, it is my belief that, development in Oroko isn’t hindered by a lack of opportunities, potential or intelligence but by a loss of cultural and social identity. 

We must stop running-away from our roots, responsibility and become dynamic for the emancipation of the Oroko man.

I will be back!