Cry My Lebialem: Nightmare on the Road

 By Cassimanda

Pic courtesy of Nkengbaze Nicasius Marjor

The change merrymaking lackeys like to talk about how things will keep getting better. But when things happen contrary to what they said, they pull out the "S" word - sacrifice. Yet none of them is ready to sacrifice any of their privileges, positions, and power for others. As the CPDM is in the field reorganizing its basic organs, traveling in and out of Lebialem is not only a nightmare but demands fasting and prayers. I recalled what Rick Gaber said about these politicians in his book “people of the lie”. He said that the politician is a type of creature known for its tendency to lie, make a mountain out of a molehill, exaggerate, and use all kinds of frantic or pretentious attention-getting tactics o lie. There would be no exaggeration if the statement is contextualized to fit the plight of the beloved Lebialem people(home of my friend Aminateh Nkemngu).

I have often heard people say that it is forbidden to make noteworthy judgment psychiatric therapy on the neglect of the roads by the Biya regime and that making such a critical judgment is like writing satanic verses that lead to divine sentence. But let the word go forth from this time and medium to friends and enemies of progress alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation that will talk than die in silence. The cry from the wilderness is indicative that where the road reaches, humanity lives and development follows.

A friend posted a picture of the state of nature of the road to Lebialem and is pains akin. Lebialem has been cut off from the rest of the country. In fact if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it can never save the few who are rich, says the impressionist.

However, anyone who would maladroitly sit on the fence to declare that the Lebialem Road is not a necessity or a priority should be considered as being in a state of sin. Being a respecter of the institution that President Biya incarnates and the powers that he wields, I do not understand whether it is not another form of subjugation of the Anglophones. Anyone who has been on this road any of these days will agree that no pregnant woman can dare. The story of the road is not only that of pools of water; a trap to kill. It picture may look pathetic but the truth is that traveling from Dschang to Menji, Wanbane and Alou demands two sets of dresses, one for the mud  and another to wear at the destination. The state of nature of this road has made it in such a way that it is the nature of the weather that determines the transport fare.

Pic courtesy of Nkengbaze Nicasius Marjor

Even though there is a statement in the Bible which states that people should pass round for judges on others, I believe it is often quoted out of context because the Bible still tells us that people should be judged if their acts are injurious. I am aware that this critical judgment analysis is badly needed. It is imperative because the Lebialem (Banwa) people are weeping silently and the bells of anguish are being heard signaling that Lebialem Division may cease to exist in the map of this country. I am also aware that this bit will offset many people (especially those who are turning around Dschang, whereas they are supposed to be in Lebialem to reorganize the much cherished CPDM party. What about the Lebialem Vuvuzelas (Hon. Bernard Foju et al) of the regime. Even so, who is even going to twist my arm for speaking the truth? Is it not a right for the people of Lebialem to have a good access road and even enjoy more?  Besides, should they not be compensated for voting the CPDM as it is claimed by the vuvuzelas. Or it is true that the rigging was massive as decried and reported in quarters. If anybody takes this view of mine for misconduct, believe me it is a constructive rudeness. And if today some of our leaders no more command the powers they use to exercise, it is because of the copious counterfeited promises they make. I recall how a friend, Aminateh in a pathetic piece once wrote that “So the two months abandonment of the corpse, it would appear was to give way for minor improvements on the terrible road. And behold the day of burial finally came. Newspaper reports hold that the remains of Prince Jacob Lekunze were abandoned to his family members and a few colleagues from the Prime Minister’s Office. The DO Misaje ,Nkweti Simon who hails from Wabane suffered a ghastly car accident while returning from the burial and as we speak, his car is beyond repairs. Thank God for sparing his life. So where was Prince Lekunze a prophet? At home where he could not reach and nobody knew where he was coming from or in Yaounde and Bakassi where nobody knew where he was going to?”  In fact, here are some recondite things that push us to mull over the strange absence of man’s kindness towards man, or better put of man’s wickedness to man. I wish I were eloquent enough to put down on paper the picture that comes to me from the restrained of anger. I need not dwell upon the authenticated horrors of the Nazi internment camps and death chambers for Jews. That it was not only tragic but a kind of insane horror.  In reality, Lebialem’s part in this state of nature of the road is tragic. The essence of tragedy is not the doing of evil by evil men but the doing of evil by good men, out of weakness, indecision, sloth, inability to act in accordance with what they know to be right. Hence, there is nothing to be done except to live every moment without a thought to the next. The state of nature of this road has made Lebialem Division an Island on land which makes them to feel and to be powerless to influence the life of society by which their own life is governed.

Fontem-Menji

Today, thinking and feeling are more and more separated from each other, and this separation leads either to an almost schizophrenic intellectualism or to a neurotic, irrational emotionalism. Only if emotions and reason are brought together can man function in a way which makes life interesting and hence creates the possibility of a productive life. To put it briefly, what Lebialem people need is not political speeches, if need be (s), they need three MPs (one per sub Division) who can tell their story.

The question that comes to mind is whether the CPDM in Lebialem is a “dance of the vampires”. In 2011, 2013 elections, Lebialem division ended up with over 80 percent score for the CPDM, the best in the South West Region, so to say. Whether these results were manufactured in a laboratory or were the wish of the people is a question to be answered. But retributive justice has led to the division losing two key positions from the same party they so much love in less than one year. So was it a prayer of the people?

As a division that owes all its good things to Christendom, there is no gainsaying the fact that the population of Lebialem undeniably turned to God to hear their prayers and deliver them from the evils of all season bad roads, information hoarding, influence trafficking, eye for eye politics and above all sidelining of local people from the “dog eat dog” sharing of the crumbs of CPDM loyalty.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)