Prof. Ghogomu chairman of the adhoc committee |
Thomas Sowell once said that "some
of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have
trouble remembering that they are not God.” But I will contextualize what
Sowell said by adding that Cameroon has a plethora of people who have spent time
thinking over nothing yet have assumed too much self importance to the point
that they turn to abuse the term “intellectual".
Maybe it is their ignorance and prejudices that is allowing false ideas and bad
values to work in this country. However, when an intellectual is given the responsibility to do work, many have created the impression that society
should not rely on Professors to get things right. I am wondering whether in
Cameroon we can rely on some intellectual elite because theirs is to get things
wrong.
Nevertheless, what
very disturbing is the meaning of what it is to be an intellectual and to do
intellectual work. The idea of having some thinkers in Cameroon today, or
intellectuals has been proclaimed dead and done away with. So, the beginning of
the end of the intellectual as someone puts it is already inhabited in the
manner and time Professor Ghogomu
Paul, the chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee to look into the grievances of
Anglophone teachers,is taking to look into the problems of teachers. At its last meeting that ended in a deadlock, he presented the phenomenal and historic 11 points carved
out after leaders of teachers trade unions stormed out of the meeting in
Bamenda. He defeated the notion of scientific surveys when he talked about
having met students and parents on the prevailing situation. Seemingly, Ad-hoc
Committees are now places where opinions go to die.
Leadership without conformity is very
dodgy. After the first
meeting in Bamenda, he (Paul Ghogomu) went on the state media to declare that
if teachers don’t go back to teach, no meaningful dialogue will take place. Yet few weeks later he and his committee members including Prof. Fame Ndongo hurried to Bamenda without the teachers being in school. As bells ring for the start of second term after an epileptic first term, the need to know how far Prof. Ghogomu, and his adhoc committee have gone with the "frank dialogue" as reiterated by President Biya in his end of year continue to beg for answers. Where is Prof. Ghogomu?
His crash is all the more incomparable,
not just because of its atrociousness, but also for the fact that his two
meetings flopped woefully. The most pathetic thing is that having achieved
fame as Director of Cabinet (Rank of Minister), Paul Ghogomu should
not be the one to ask questions about the Anglophone problem in Cameroon. And whether
he did it with purpose and panache or not is not our problem for now.
I once read a book titled "Think Big And Kick Ass in which the author outlined that “If you believe you can
do something, other people will believe it too. Give off the attitude that you
are important and worth listening to. If you value yourself, others will
respect and value you.”
I am sure the author certainly lived by his own script. But
the hard work now begins for Ghogomu to deliver to government the needed results to find lasting solutions to the Anglophone problem that has resulted to the problems of the Anglophones in order to reverse several policies
of the Government of Cameroon. As the deadlock persists, Prof. Ghogomu and the adhoc are faced with a multifaceted challenge. The questions
many have been asking is whether he has the gargantuan kindheartedness and an
enviable tenet to give a listening ear to the fact that teachers want, such as the point that all those arrested
and transferred to Yaounde be freed. One point has been met, that is the inclusion of trade union leaders of
the South West on the list of Committee members. Anglophones
now look at Ghogomu with diversified views. Some see him as one who could serve
as speed break to the Southern Cameroons Cause and to others; he is moving as a snail pace. But one thing is abundantly clear: That he may likely miss the golden
opportunity that would have created influence, all his life. Even the most
retarded imbecile cannot deny this fact. His failure is incredible in the light
of the fact that he might have fallen prey to political manipulations. Teachers’
trade unions leaders recently rejected an invitation from Jacque Fame Ndongo to
attend a meeting in Yaounde on December 30, 2016 on grounds that the invitation
came late. Could this be emitting end signals for the Ghogomu led Committee?
The Bible teaches us that Prophets were
just ordinary and imperfect men that God chose to use and eventually elevated
them above the ordinary run of men. The Prophets of old were all involved in
the statecraft of Israel; courageously speaking truth to power. A Prophet is a cheerful
and powerful giver and God said he is unwillingly to do without such people.
Amassing wealth is not part of the Kingdom principle. In Luke 12:33, Jesus said
to his disciples: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen
gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make
yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” This is among the hard sayings of Jesus. It is easier
for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to hear a pastor preach on
this. In another passage of the bible Jesus also told a rich young man, “If you
want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." He never told him to
bring the money to His ministry. When the Apostles recognized the grace that
had been given to Paul, James and Cephas and John only advised him to always
remember the poor. And Paul said this is the very thing that he was eager to
do. In Ephesians 4:28,Paul admonished Christians that anyone who had been
stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their
own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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