Looking Glass: MPs Threaten Strike Over Disappearance of Car Repair Allowance, Hon. Cavaye on Hot Seat

Fai Cassian Ndi

House Speaker: Hon. Cavaye

There is a persistent worry as to whether recent happenings at the Cameroon National Assembly need to be rewritten, especially those related to money. Yesterday April 8, 2016 Hon. Cavaye Yeguie chaired the closing session of the March session amidst threats of boycott. Classified sources at the National Assembly say that after the closing session, there was tension at the Glass House as the MPs threatened to stage a protest march over the disappearance of car repair allowances. According to what we gathered for fear of of being flushed with "Mami Wata water" the MPs held a crisis meeting to decry that . It is alleged the meeting was chaired by former Minister, (Hon. Sally) leader of the "rebellion". For these reasons, it remains much too clear for Cameroonians to stop worrying about the influence of MPs over burning issues and gives everyone the opportunity to see in a looking glass their concern for money that goes directly into their pockets. Each MP was expected to pocketed about FCFA 5 million each. But allegedly Hon. Cavaye and the other 23 Bureau Members chopped the money long ago. History tells us that money has had a curious ability to define creative new and often unseen ways to determine political outcomes of this nation. 

It is no more news that the Cameroon National Assembly is made a breed of politicians who see nothing good in anything except in the form of bread. This is the third time MPs have threaten and even held "rebellious" meetings over allowances. When President Biya extended their mandate by six months on December 7, 2012; they did applauded and when the allowances to maintain their cars during that period disappeared, they staged an in-house protest.  

What is however very interesting is that even the so-called opposition and or "foolish majority" was silent over the issue of the extension of mandate. Along the corridors, they were all seen with smiles on their faces because they have been given another opportunity to chop state money. Public opinion holds that being a Member of Parliament in Cameroon is about bread and butter. It is only when bread and butter is being seen as chopped by someone else that the famous party discipline collapses. A similar scenario happened yesterday when Hon. Cavaye sat in a meeting being chaired by a back-bencher. Sources say that Hon. Cavaye portrayed symptoms of frustration and panic when he was told that the MPs were holding a meeting to stage a protest against non-payment of car repair allowances.  

There is a common saying that when you try to deny people something, you activate a very bad part of human nature.  What was all the more curious was that Mr. Speaker went out of all civility; out of all civilized manner; and out of all parliamentary solemnity to attend such a meeting chaired by a hand-clapper. Every normal human being with the barest minimum tenet who has been in parliament for over 40 years like Hon Cavaye would be expected to practice minimum etiquette consistent with parliamentary tradition. And it should make no difference that it is Hon Cavaye whose highest diploma is having been in parliament for forty years that should gang up with a few Bureau members to chop car repair allowances estimated at about FCFA 500 million. The exception compelling accommodation, though, is that a domesticated beast does some day give in to its bestial instincts and bites a person. 

Is there any better truth than that if at forty one is still a fool, and then one is a certificated fool till doomsday? Many have also looked at the decision by Cavaye as a corrupt practice that should be taken to the Special Tribunal Court. Some MPs even quoted the case of young Northener who led to "rebellion" against the payment of car loans who even though a thorn in the side of the CPDM was given a technical knockout back at the base. But the young MP had written his name that he could champion a cause. 

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