Academic Achievements: Passport to Success in Life?

Louis Egbe Mbua

A controversial discussion is brewing in Cameroon’s most popular yahoo group, camnetwork, as to whether it is right of a child to walk straight into a vocation at 16 or to follow the conventional path to Further and Higher education ;attaining University degrees. In one corner of the argument are the extremists on both sides who take an antipodal stand against their respective foes: believing that one or the other is a complete idiot for not attaining a degree while the vocationally inclined claim those with degrees in “worthless” subjects such as History and possibly literature are the total fools. And there are those, on the other corner, who stand in the middle believing that both parties are right in one way or the other (how they arrive at their conclusions nobody knows.) The writer believes that this kind of arguments are misleading and of little relevance. However, to allow some light into the darkness of “who is who” in the world, it is of consequence that one puts forward an opinion as to clarify points of interest on this particular.

There is the fundamental birthright at play here because every human being is born free. While one’s ancestors, parents, relatives and siblings have a say as to how we turn out to be in the future; and possibly what one may become in life, this fundamental law of choice remains. It is a child’s right to go on to Further and Higher Education if they feel this will enhance their chances of the future success (career) in life. The trouble here is that as a teenager, future achievements are not a priority in life: the most important aspect being to live and let’s live.

While some are sensible enough as to work hard (or apply their talent wisely) and excel with flying colours in either the academics or sports or music, it would still be early to apply the full laws of choice in this instance. The following is that a significant majority of young people follow the advice or foot steps of their family: chances are that one goes into higher education when an uncle or a parent or sibling or close relative has been to University. Furthermore, the teenagers usually, wittingly or unwittingly, follow the professions of one of their university educated parents. Consequently, if there is a medical doctor in the family, there would be at least three more in the next generation. This means that although we are free to exercise the power of choice, we are also influenced by those closest to us. Given, what about children who have no such advantage?

There lies the crux of the argument: as the disadvantaged child has no role model, they would have to start exercising their power of choice very early in life to get ahead. Although the child may have excellent upbringing and sound home guidance, the child is already disadvantaged by their inaccessibility to knowledge relating to the vocations and professions in life. On the other hand, this disadvantage may serve to bring out the strength of the child who may decide to act on the power of choice to enter into an occupation that fully fits their talents hoping to work their way to the top. This scenario is commonly seen in the areas of music, the art, and sport.

Generally, they usually reach the top of their respective professions at a young age. The problem with this socially-induced arrangement is that one’s lifetime achievement is totally dependent upon one’s unending performance; and that one has to be of youth, almost certainly be of good looks; and always physically fit. This is also a disadvantage as using one’s mind as in the academia to earn a living is not as dependent on youth and physical prowess as the early developer who choose the vocation rather than obtaining a degree.

Furthermore, a Higher Education beneficiary will continue utilising their knowledge gained at University until the end of their lives while the vocation can be short-lived, generally-speaking due to an unforeseen misfortune. In addition, there is no reason why a child may not attain Higher education while following his dreams in sport. To add to the disadvantage is the factor of luck. While one would never obtain a university degree by pure luck, the vocation post-16 years old is riddled with danger. Consequently one’s achievements would hang on the unpredictability of chance and luck.

While the University graduate has these advantages, it is true to say that there are certain areas in life and profession where a university degree may be a redundant qualification as a passport to greatness. Such areas include: leadership including Presidents, parenthood, and entrepreneurial fleur, show business, music composition, Poetry, languages, artistic design and Astro-physics. This requires but extremely high intelligence: which can never be taught in a University. Nobody teaches naturally High Intelligence because it cannot be taught although Artificial Intelligence can be taught.

President-Elect Obama and Africa

Louis Egbe Mbua

So far, President–Elect Barack Obama has been tight-lipped about his African Policy he is to follow nor has he attempted even to define them through an aide. Whether this is a wise strategy or not is open to debate. But when one watches helplessly, from the sidelines, the head-strong octogenarian Robert “Bob” Mugabe, a man who used to command international respect as an African statesman, being ridiculed in the Western press and himself refusing to go quietly for the sake of his country, the lack of policy statement by Obama seems unappealing.

One should not in any circumstance expect Obama to treat Africa differently from the rest of the world; at the same time one expects fairness as he represents the superpower of the world. Consequently, it was right for Obama to come out directly against the brutally savage attacks on civilians by deranged religious terrorists in Mumbai, India last month; and his arguments put forward to support his proposed continuance of the “war on terror” against those who “come against America”. While it would be interesting to “wait and see” how his policies unfold, it is a matter of concern and urgency that one can carry out an analysis of the situation on the ground which may serve as a guide on what problems need fixing in Africa.

The problem in Africa are two folds: Mass incompetence that has wrecked havoc on the economic, political and social front dragging the entire continent several decades back and eroding some of the gains made after independence; and economic paralysis the latter dependent or independent of the former, further depending on the school of thought. This surreptitiously malevolent incompetence has permeated the entire civil life of the continent; and as a result this malaise must be the first vice that has to be eradicated in the continent since an incompetent continent cannot compete in the international scene or even against itself. The cause of this mediocrity is not quite clear. However, there are many fingers that are pointing to the top of governments in both the civil and the political arm. Stories about wholesale looting of the continent’s treasury with a total disregard of responsibility to the people; and the shamelessly and obscene blatant overlook of the rule of law by men in “suits” need not be repeated. On a sounder note of reason, this seems to have degenerated into a clichéd art for writers; but this writer believes there is deeper cause to Africa’s problems: unqualified leaders – not necessarily corrupt for the latter vice emanates from the former.

Africans tend to qualify, rather mistakenly, their leaders wholly by academic qualifications. While the academia may be important, most prominent is the personal quality to serve the people rather than oneself – personal qualities take precedence over technocratic crammers for it is better to have a leader who can differentiate between good and evil as applied to his people and himself than to have a fool who went to university but believes he was born to rule by divination from the celestial realm. Consequently, a highly qualified individual in the academic sense, but who does not understand the passion of the people is totally worthless as a leader: the result being that he will neglect his duty with incompetence to follow. This mediocrity and lack of leadership qualities will evidently and eventually lead to inappropriate acts such as constitutional fraud, wholesale mortgage of a country’s resources, naked theft of money, laziness, neglect, oppression, assassinations of his people, subterfuge, nepotism; murders and other acts of entrenched turpitude, insanity and power madness.

Any seasoned diplomat will surely give an honest advice that this incompetence is slowly killing the continent: with diseases threatening to wipe out the entire youth population in some nations while wars, political oppression and poverty are driving millions to Europe and America. On this count, therefore, President-Elect Obama, after receiving his oath of Office in January 2009, should move swiftly and decisively, to seize the moral high ground by denouncing such acts of corruption in African countries that have instituted oppressive and incompetent regimes that are causing great suffering, terror and depravation to the people while the politically and professionally incompetents ride rough and shod over those who are more capable. He should refuse to talk to such corrupt regimes or have anything to do with the protagonists of such untold mismanagement while at the same time supporting institutions that are geared towards democratic reforms, rule of law and social justice. He should refuse to invite them for a visit; and he should frain from accepting invitations from African tyrants and thieves with blood in their hands.

Once the political front has been cleaned, the economics must take precedence. Africa needs massive injection of international finance. This writer is of the opinion that international finance was misdirected to the wrong region in the last ywenty years; thus causing the present global financial melt-down. For want of bluntness, one can say without reservation that Africa needs her own “Marshall Plan”. The African economy may be growing at an average of 4% per year but this is commodity-led growth; whose prices are always open to variations in industrial out put in Europe and of recentl the Bric countries. Thus, African states have moved very little from the colonial economy they inherited – rubber, cocoa, coffee, gold et.

To move from this dependence, the African economy needs capital – a joint international venture between the United States government, African entrepreneurs, all African governments in a united front, and the African Union as an overseer. Industrial giant marches in Iron and Steel that are the mainstays and fundamentals to industrialisation should be one of the main areas and so too with Green energy. Obama’s promise of confronting climate change and the immensely important energy transition from the dependence on oil and other fossils is a bold and sensible policy; and it is evident that Africa has almost all the raw materials and adequate land for the manufacture of bio fuels; the many rivers and rugged terrain bathed in 12 hour sunlight make the continent the potential front runner for Green energy: harnessed from wind, sunlight, geothermal. Since African entrepreneurs have no access to capital at a large scale, an Obama policy of a joint American-African venture will benefit both continents; and as a result, improve living standards in Africa, and may serve as part of a catalyst and stimulus for his economic recovery plan for his own country – the United States of America.

A Defining Economic Moment for Africa

Louis Egbe Mbua

It seems a hard-pressed exercise, in the current climate of international instability, to present an authoritative report on the consequences of the present global turmoil. The reasons being that they are sporadic, widespread, global and point to a problem nobody appears to have a solution – mindless violence, disorder, religious fanatics based on towering folly, economic and financial meltdown and African Presidents who plan to rule for ever (or live forever dependent upon one’s view on this great misfortune). On the other hand, however these troubles are seen; only a global solution will suffice. There is something fundamentally wrong in this present system of things; and the problem has a cascading effect that originates from the marginalisation of Africa at a great cost to the world.

At this time when the American Superpower status is being boldly challenged on the economic front, it is time to take a closer look on how Africa may emerge from this crisis as a power to be reckoned with.

There has been a number of analysis that mark out a power shift from West to East; to replace the vacuum created by America’s misrule of the world; and that America is on the decline and on her way to an eventual and ignominious collapse. While this may be a possibility -- if we consider the speed of the financial mayhem and destruction of the best and oldest of their financial empires -- it would be disingenuous to posit that power must suddenly pass to China, India, Thailand and South Korea on grounds that these nations have huge monetary reserves.

Recent events have shown that paper reserves can disappear overnight without trace; and that only those who can actually produce quality goods and raw materials and simultaneously pull their resources together as one will survive as a global power.

One of the endemic problems in Africa is leadership; and that the best minds are not applied to the most tasking problems. Leadership in this context is not narrowed to politics. It encompasses entrepreneurs in business, education, industry, commerce, banking, sports, engineering, the Art, Culture and manufacturing.

This has been a problem because Africa has failed to form a united front to fight the ills and adverse consequences of mediocrity: by a lack of a Union Central Bank of Africa. It interesting to note that almost all continents are locked into a monetary and financial institution where they draw all their resources: or have a unionised financial institution from the European Central Bank to the Bank of China; and disputably the American Federal Reserve and the International Monetary fund. As a result, when Africa catches or inherits an economic crisis, there are no unionised indigenous institutions to bail her out since every nation must fend for themselves – everyone for themselves.

In this case, therefore, Africa’s huge economic potential is monumentally diminished because each individual state go cap in hand to their former colonial rulers for loans with dreadful and adverse conditions attached complete with prohibitive interest rates and catastrophic political implications. So, we have a vicious cycle where a potentially powerful continent is economically crippled; thus negating global financial power as a whole by summation.

The result has been that the industrialised nations then drew much of their finance from one source: from the East. Knowing full well that resources are scarce and limited, this financial dependence on the “rich” East and the disregard of the potentially powerful financial giant of Africa causes an asymmetrically bloated economic model and bubble that is always bound to burst with incalculable repercussions.

Thus, it can be surmised quite safely, that the boom and burst global cycles that has tormented international economies were as a result of western economic capitalist models not factoring the African economic variable: this is fundamental to the world as Africa is the mainstay of raw materials for the entire system – communist and capitalist (now potentially dead).

The time for African nation states to merge their economies so that they can draw on their full potential has come. This is a defining moment for the continent to move quickly so as to fill the vacuum left as a result of the sudden and perhaps a permanent deflation of the economic bubble that will go with the collapse of the former powers.

Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama

President Elect Barack Obama

Dear President Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President Elect Joe Biden,

It is with great joy that I write to congratulate you for this stunning and historic victory at the United States Presidential elections that took place Tuesday 4 November 2008.

I believe this victory belongs to you, the citizens of the United States of America and all the people of the world.

There comes a time in the history of the world when the people see the light and choose what is right; so that social justice, peace and prosperity will reign: this is the moment.

It was your hard work, moral standing, unprecedented talent, energy, concern for the world and your enormous connection with humanity that made this possible. Not since the ancient times of our human ancestors has a victory been so celebrated by the entire world; and by all peoples of the world. It is with this note that we can surely say that your message was well received and I pray to God to guide you in delivering your promise in equity and justice for all.

I therefore join the American people to extend my sincere congratulations to you for this epoch-making event that has clearly ushered a new era of change for America and the entire world.

God bless you and your families.

Louis Egbe Mbua Ph.D.

Roger Milla: The African of the Decade into the 21st Century -- Part 2

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Poor Julius Nyerere! He chose the Socialist path and instituted a kind of system of "Villagisation" which nobody understood or had heard of. Poetically, his country languished in poverty and want: although the Chinese managed to help him build the excellent Tanzaam Railway Line. However, he prospered politically and we all respected the Late Leader's intellect.

And Nkrumah? He did not actually take sides in the end. Having spent extravagantly for eight years, one morning the Governor of the Central Bank of Ghana asked for an audience with the great man. Nkrumah was quickly informed that his country was bankrupt. Needless to say that he at first refused to accept this grim news; and now it was time for the West to move for the kill. Western financial Institutions pulled the rug from under him. Being a fighter, he turned to the socialist Camp for financial help. It was while he was visiting China, begging, that he was overthrown in 1966. He died in Bucharest in 1972, surely a broken man.

Nkrumah's legacy to Africa is incalculable. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia eulogised that "he was a significant leader of both the movement against White Domination and of Pan African Feeling. He was the moving spirit behind the Charter of African States (1961)." This document gave rise to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. It is a mark of respect for Nkrumah that W.E.B. Dubois chose Ghana as the African country of his choice to return more than 400 years after slavery. I do not believe Dubois could have chosen any other African country were he could safely consider himself as a free African man.

Nkrumah's only flaw which most certainly disqualified him as African of the century was his practice of personality cult and his institution of a one-party state that eroded the democratic gains of the 1950s and1960s. Since Nkrumah was the living spirit in Africa at the time, whatever he did was quickly emulated everywhere in the Continent. His undemocratic and autocratic propensities gave rise to one-party States all over Africa: Ahidjo's Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Guinea, Zambia etc. His personality cult obsession was re-incarnated in ruffians, butchers, cannibals, megalomaniacs and kleptomaniacs such as Idi Amin, Macias Nguema, Joseph-Desire Mobutu (of the Sese Seko), Afrifa, Acheampong, "Emperor" Jean-Bedel Bokassa, General Abacha, and Master Sergeant Doe. These were the mad men who nearly took Africa back to the Stone Age; causing untold suffering, death, poverty, ignorance, and want to millions of Africans.

The brain drain as a result of the actions of these men is so drastic that, the West Africa magazine stated that there are 24,000 (Twenty-four-Thousand) Igbo Medical Doctors in America alone. Where does that leave us in the twenty-first century? Bryan Appleyard of The Sunday Times in London effectively captured the global mood at the end of the twentieth century. In a prophetic headline article titled "The Party to end all Parties", he wrote: "The 20th century, the bloodiest in human history, has gone, not with a bang but with a whimper. With one last ironic master-stroke, the age of Mao and Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, of My Lai and Auschwitz, bowed its head and said an amazingly peaceful good night. The global party passed almost without incident." After reading his extract, one wondered why he did not include some African tyrants and why he said "almost without incident” when it to the author that he was writing from a global perspective while excluding Africa. Why? How can that be? Surely, this is unfair, I mused. Then I quickly cast my mind on the Coup in Ivory Coast on Christmas Eve. So the twentieth century did not end in Africa with a "whimper” but Bang! Bang! You are dead! God help Africa!

The general impression, therefore, is there are no plausible reasons to choose any African politician as The African of the twentieth Century. One is so disappointed with their performance; and the catalogue of failures, and woes that it is inconceivable to vote them to the coveted title. One would have been inclined to vote for Nelson Mandela, but he did little to change black people's poverty in South Africa while President. Mohammad Ali? Well, it depends on whether he can be nominated as a full African. Cheikh Anta Diop? An intellectual giant; and a pure Pan-Africanist: but intellect alone cannot save us. Moreover, he did most of his archaeological research in Europe: which leaves us with one choice: Roger Milla! A true African with the humblest of spirits; and a dedicated professional who played for his country at the age of 42: becoming the oldest man to score in a World Cup Final. What Milla did to African Pride in Italia'90, is equivalent to all the work of all African politicians put together. Because of Milla, Africa became recognisable again in the world stage. Africa had been forgotten by the World. Nobody gave a thought about the people. We were seen as pariahs, beggars and weakling, a useless continent. Certain Westerners were even proposing re-colonisation. Milla's four goals changed all that. I was watching the Cameroon-Columbia match, together with some Cameroonians and an English friend in my small one-bed flat in Muswell Hill, North London. One can hardly forget the joy and pride that filled our hearts as Africans when Milla beat Rene Aguitato score the second and winning goal. Few people used to respect Africans. But since that incident, wherever, we go we are respected, being offered free drinks to this day. I recently met a Rwandan Doctor who also said the same thing happened to him in Romania.

There are things money cannot buy - self-worth. Cameroon's performance in that tournament caused the Independent in London to feature an African Nation in their headline for the first time for something good. Cameroonian Mr. Tah Ndifornyen of the Tandy fame, owner of the Victoria pub in London, was in the front page News dancing in his pub. When Roger Milla and his Lions marginally lost to England, the England Manager, Bobby Robson, said "We pulled it out of the fire", and that it was "the hand of God" that helped England. If all our African leaders do their jobs as effectively, humbly, patriotically and selflessly as Milla, then "the hand of God" will save us and our poverty will disappear for good. Roger Milla! The African of the 20th Century.

Roger Milla: The African of the 21st Century Decade - Part 1

By Louis Egbe Mbua

This article first appeared in camnetwork on 7 January 2000, at the very dawn of the 21st century. It was written as a response to the debate as to who would covet the title of The African of the 20th century. At the time of writing, we were thinking of the future by retrospecting the past; and believing that we would now face a brighter future in Africa. Today, with the conduct of political African leaders in a manner that leaves the world gasping for breath, the writing is as true in 2000 as it is today. The same problems that plagued Africa in the 2oth century remain -- if not getting worse. Tyranny, poverty, disease, constitutional and electoral fraud; and political fiat continue with all the ferocity of a whirlwind and a storm combination. In 2000 Roger Milla won the day in the debates; and it still holds today.

Who is the African of the 20th Century?

There were some aspects of Nkrumah's achievements, which the author believes should warrant his nomination as “An African of the Century”: although I do not believe he will win the coveted title. If I could go by historical accounts, Kwame Nkrumah was only thirty-six years old (born in 1909) when he attended the Pan-Africanist Conference in 1945 in Manchester.Before then, he had already taught at Lincoln University in America;and being voted the best lecturer of the year. Although W.E.B Dubois wasvery instrumental in that particular conference, it was Nkrumah who read the signs of the times. On his return to Ghana in 1947, he quickly capitalised upon the injustices of World War II, and African domination by the Allied powers to demand "self-government now". Realising that the party which he was affiliated was dragging its feet, hequickly resigned his position as Secretary General. He then went on to form his ownparty, the Convention People's Party in 1949 that quickly captured the people's imagination. He worked closely with trade union leaders toorganise civil disobedience reminiscent of Gandhi in India. In fact, he is called in some well-informed quarters as "The Gandhi ofAfrica." A tireless and dynamic worker with a flair for showmanship; andunparalleled intellect, he was imprisoned several times. It is said thathe continued to smuggle messages written in bathroom tissues while inprison!

Only ten years after returning to Ghana from the UK, Nkrumah was PrimeMinister of Ghana with his country becoming the first Black Africanstate to achieve independence having completely out-manoeuvred theBritish on intellectual grounds. This achievement alone totallychanged the African political landscape since this provided otherAfrican leaders with the inspiration to challenge colonialism head-on – genuinely or pretentiously. As a result, some African Nationalists lost their lives - Um Nyobe was killed in 1958 and Patrice Lumumba who was brutally murdered in 1964 duringthe Congo crises – allegedly with connivances by the CIA: for these are the very sad episodes what resulted from Nkrumah’s historic political achievement. However, Cameroon and Congo Kinshasa both managed to gain independence in the early 1960's. Others followed in quick succession- Algeria under Ben Bella, Kenya under Jomo Kenyata, Nigeria etc. all in the early 1960s.

It may also be recalled that it was perhaps as a consequence of Nkrumah's achievement --in this respect -- that the great man, Nelson Mandela, decided tochallenge the then racist bastion or clique in Pretoria by force ofarms in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Well, we all know whathappened to him. Spending Twenty-seven years in jail under atrocious conditionsis not something pleasurable at all. With all due respect for Mandela, what Nkrumah achieved in ten years, Mandela took Thirty-one years toachieve in 1994 when he became the first black President in a democraticSouth-Africa. So, we can say, without any foe to utter a contrary position, that what Nkrumah achieved in 1957, in the twentieth century, caused the total liberation of the entire continent. What he gained in the late 1950s is still felt in Africa in the Twenty-firstcentury in the person of Nelson Mandela who has since honourably stooddown for the younger generation living in retirement in SouthAfrica.Nkrumah did not stop there. It is a known fact – or open secret dependent on what side you belong -- the British left Ghana a very rich country indeed.

Living up to its former name, the GoldCoast, the government coffers were panelled with gold; and Nkrumah went aboutbuilding a nation. He built excellent schools, Universities (CapeCoast, Kumasi Institute of Technology) which attracted first class minds from all over the world. With education being free at the time; It is not acoincidence that the first sub-Saharan African Secretary-General ofthe United Nations, Koffi Annan, is partly a product of Ghanaianeducational system. In fact, one of my Economics Lecturer, anEnglishman, in my Undergraduate days commented that Ghanaian farmersspoke very good English - better than Welch farmers (people fromWales). How amazing!Nkrumah also promoted cultural activities by wearing his "nationaldress when attending Commonwealth Heads of Government conferences (CHGM). A friend of the author working for an NGO; and who visits severalAfrican countries, once commented that Ghanaians are the most culturally conscious; and that their civil service, the most efficient.

Nkrumah also built roads, Airports, improved the country'stelecommunication system and embarked on the Volta Project that led tothe gigantic Akosombo Dam for the smelting of Aluminium from Bauxiteand for electricity. Millions of Ghanaians found employment in theseprojects. He promoted hard work, confidence and self-reliance. It is afact that Ghanaians in Diaspora are one of the most hard-working ofall Africans.His foreign policy was very aggressive towards the westbecause he foresaw neo-colonialism. In this respect, Nkrumah tried hisold tactics of direct confrontation, brinksmanship, flamboyance andNationalism. Surely, this was a mistake that was to become his undoing.He tried to play a double game by his non-aligned stance: at one pointhe was a Socialist aligned to the Soviet Union; In another momenthe needed Loans from the West for his grandiose projects. He could notwin because the Cold War was raging meaning he had to choose which side he belonged. Nobody was allowed to have his cake and eat it: for Ideology was thegame. You had to be a sheep in wolf's clothing.

Fidel Castro cleverly, on the other hand, chose and exploited the Soviet Union and prospered politically and economically. Our own very Ahidjo, cunningly sided with the West: healso prospered politically and economically. Cameroonians then went onto party, drinking, eating, dancing and enjoying unimaginable salaryhikes until they woke up one morning to find out that there is nomoney in the bank – It had been stolen by kleptocratic politicians while they were busy dancing: the party was over. Sekou Toure mistakenly sided with the Socialists. Well, the French came in and uprooted their lamp posts in Conakry as the entire country was plunged into darkness ofhardship and poverty. One-Party state became fashionable to put downdissent with the pretext of encouraging unity. Whatever the case, he remained in power until his death.

Rocketing Food and Oil Prices: What should be done - Part Three

By Louis Egbe Mbua

With food and oil prices soaring to new heights every day, many have their own theories as to the reasons for this economic misfortune for the majority consumers and in fact an economic and financial bonanza for the suppliers. Large wads of funds shift from West to East and to the South. Countries that were barely called nations fifty years ago or "Third World" are now rich beyond their wildest dreams or the imagination of generations barely 20 years ago: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and others have so much reserve that they know not what to do with it. If this trends were to perpetuate themslves for more than four years, then the roles of the world will surely be reversed witht he first becoming the last and the last, the first. At the same time, it would be impossible to extract fuel if we have not food: no food, no oil. So what caused this problem? And what suggestions are there relating to fixing it?

Oppressive and tyrannical regimes installed in countries world wide are one of the causes of food shortages. Food emanates as a result of Agriculture; Agriculture is dependent on roads, bridges implements and vehicles to plough the land and transport the harvested crops to various centres. Without these tools, Agriculture will be impossible. The most recent shenanigans of the Burmese junta refusing to distribute grain to the Burmese people or corporate with the UN after the devastating typhoon that engulfed that country is a classic case of oppression that results in food shortages and hence food price rises.

In Cameroon, the present regime has neglected roads in the Southern Cameroons region, the bread basket of Central and West Africa. There are no roads linking Buea to Kumba, Kumba to Mamfe-Bamenda- Wum. The consequence is that food produced cannot be easily transported. The effect is poverty of farmers who may have no money to purchase equipment. These oppressive conditions exist the world over; and the multiplier effects are that world food shortages ensue together with soaring prices. The international community has the responsibility of either discouraging tyranny; and actively and financially promote good governance and democracy; or join forces to ensure that oppressive regimes are removed. These regimes affect the world adversely; as good regimes affect the world positively.

Furthermore, a dictatorial and corrupt regime is usually associated with theft of the countries resources and the raiding of the treasury. If this drags for years, the people become impoverished with no money for food and fuel. This has been the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Mobutu years. It is alleged that Mobutu stole up to £4 billion from his people. In Cameroon, high ranking government members of the cabinet, politicians and MPs, civil servants and CEO of State Corporations stole so much that by 1990, a country that was classed as middle-income in 1982, became bankrupt overnight. In a nation where the rule of law exists, the present administration would have been taken to court for theft and mismanagement. Yet they continue to be rule almost twenty years after with the theft and looting continuing unabated.

It is understood that they actually hide their illicit and criminal activities and funds in European banks. The author's opinion is that banks that collect poor people’s money in Europe from dictators abraod are also as corrupt as these corrupt leaders. They should return the money to a special international account for each country to be held until such a time the thieving regime has be removed or is gone. If they refuse to comply, then the international community should black list such financial houses. It is interesting to note the Transparency International carries out a corruption index on corrupt countries but do not research the corrupt banks of Europe and the USA hoarding poor people’s money from tyrants like Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea.

Violence, unwanted and unnecessary wars have contributed to world food and fuel scarcity as demand grows. War in Iraq; the seemingly irresolvable and unending Arab-Israeli conflict over the Palestinian question; the West’s long quarrel with Iran, a major oil producer; militant action in Nigeria and Cameroon by freedom fighters and rebel groups; Venezuela’s quarrels with the USA, all combine to destabilise these regions where petroleum is most prevalent, disrupting much needed supplies; followed by scarcity causing fuel prices to rise faster than before. While there may not be ready solutions to this crisis, it is worth noting that the international community and national governments fail to act to prevent conflicts only to act when it is too late. Conflicts should be resolved before they escalate to disrupt supplies.

The viciousness and greed that drive man to hunt and kill game animal to within limits of extinction; and the share monstrosity of over-fishing have depleted the protein chain. There are reports of stock shortages in parts of the North Sea and the coast of West Africa due to over fishing that creates scarcity. The recent riots in several countries as a result of rocketing food prices are evidence of this phenomenon. Although there are international and national laws against over fishing, it is often violated because it is difficult to police the high seas or those who fish in the night. Checks and policing of these fishermen and hunters may prove invaluable to maintain a respectable balance of fishing and replenishing.

House of Commons Debates on Democracy and Elections in Africa: Cameroon and Zimbabwe: Part IV

By Louis Egbe Mbua

House of Commons Debates: 22 April 2008

When these debates were held in London on 22 April 2008, few could predict the scale of erosion of human rights in Cameroon and Zimbabwe as we have today. In Cameroon, Mr. Paul Biya performed a constitutionally criminal fraud by changing the constitution so that he may stay in power forever while vowing to kill any person who opposes his malevolent and disgraceful political diktat. Unfortunately, the world has turned the other way. In Zimbabwe, on the other hand, Robert Mugabe’s own grotesque political and economic folly is now out of control; attacking and oppressing his own African people: whom he claims to have liberated. Whether the opposition MDC is supported by the West or not is a matter of profound irrelevance as Mugabe crosses the line from the tight but manageable democratic encampment into a dangerous and insecure political zone of miscalculation by intimidation, violence; other undemocratic and totally unacceptable method of mob rule. These callous actions, due possibly to some kind of power-lotion, of clear megalomania of these two men have not the remotest connections with African independence or liberation; and are therefore have to be condemned as possibly crimes against humanity. So, the entire world must stand up; drive them out of their power-mad bubbles for the sake of international peace and security by means of sustained and measured international sanctions.

I will add nothing to the upcoming speech -- his own contribution to the debate -- by Cameroonian, Mr. Albert Moutoudou, Leader of the legendary Union des Populations Camerounais (UPC) branch in France:

Moutoudou’s Speech began slowly; having apologised for his lack of full command of the English language: on the other hand his was that of outstanding eloquence, depth and insight. He began by expressing grave concern on the possibilities of political instability in Cameroon due to flagrant abuse of human rights by the French-backed puppet regime installed in Yaoundé. He then moved quickly to narrate a short history of Cameroon: that Cameroon became independent in 1960 with Ahidjo as a hand-picked President serving France. Ahidjo moved gradually from multi-party politics to a one party state in 1961 – 1966. Consequently Cameroonians were under a reign of dictatorial terror of a one party state in 1966 – 1991: first by Ahidjo from 1966 – 82; and then Paul Biya from 1982 – 1991.

Moutoudou stated that although there was a semblance of democracy after 1991 – after pressure from the people – the entire process to this day is a monumental scam because the inept and corrupt government of Cameroon actually chose which party can actually exist. This gives rise to mushroom and fake political parties with the result that the opposition is a non-existence. Although there is the well-known SDF opposition party, they also have fallen in the trap of depending, for their daily bread, on the discredited junta in Yaoundé and their equally hated CPDM ruling party apparatchiks. His observation also wandered on the credibility of the electoral list; and that it is on perpetual abuse by the ruling party because inscription of the lists in the stronghold of the opposition is always prevented by the ruling CPDM with the help of violence and threats by the forces.

In another case of open fraud, the regime issues multiple voting cards for individual supporters so that they may multi-vote for the CPDM. Motoudou then concluded that there is a National network of elaborate electoral fraud in Cameroon: the constituents being the Prefects, District Officers and the military; that Provincial Governors of the ten provinces of Cameroon receive orders from Yaoundé, almost certainly from Paul Biya, advising them on quotas required from them in an electoral process in this shameful and corrupt process; and that those who fail to deliver their quotas usually pay with their jobs. Moutoudou, from eyewitness accounts, said the puppet regime use all kinds of methods to maintain itself in power in the fraudulent elections and constitutionally criminal manoeuvres: this they maintain by violence by the Cameroon military against the people so that Mr. Paul Biya continues to “win” rigged elections without shame. These disgraceful and unfavourably adverse and violent political climate means that Cameroon is in danger of a political explosion; and that “the fire is under the ashes” waiting to be ignited in volcanic magnitude, he added.

According to Mr. Moutoudou, the poor have abandoned the remotest of hopes of a better life or future; and therefore are in a position of no gain no losing. Consequently they will be prepared to risk drive out the clique in Yaoundé as a matter of their own survival. In addition the problem becomes more acute as the world becomes more of a global village with economies reaching convergence whereby prices of goods and services become similar in developing and developed world. The result has been desperation for the poor and the death of the weak. This scenario and impending collapse of the political system of Cameroon must be stopped because we cannot continue while there in this madness and insanity. This condition, Moutodou said, was manifested in 24 April 2000 when young people, unemployed and made homeless by decades of the corrupt rule of the present regime and its people in power looted and stole the nation’s wealth for themselves while University graduates are living like paupers. Worse, they have no means of fighting back in peaceful protests because where conventional methods are used by civilised countries to break a strike or riot, in Cameroon the army is brought in to shoot to kill peaceful strikers. The violent regime has a shoot to kill policy for those who protest against years of theft, violence, abuse of human rights by the Biya regime.

According to Motoudou, Biya has actualised the certainty of violence between those who oppose his foolish and short-sighted policies and those who wish to perpetuate and eternalise their corrupt and fraudulent stay in power: Paul Biya changed the constitution for a third term. This act is a criminal act because the fact that he violated the constitution means that he has committed treason and therefore a criminal who must face trial together with the MPs who collaborated in this act of fraud, shame and foolishness. Motoudou further informed the audience that he had just met and briefed the French MPs about the imminent instability in Cameroon.


Author’s Comments:

An emboldened murderer and criminal does as he pleases to the human race on several counts: that he has a delusional state of mind that may be due to his evil activities getting hold of his senses so as to twist it in reverse for him to believe that he is not human; surrounded by other men of unsteady and crippled thoughts; deception of the occult that preaches false eternity; and finally outright folly.

In this grave matter, therefore, there appears to be only one solution; and that lies with the populace. A population that allows a thief and a criminal to continue to lead them into ruin will surely become thieves and criminals as well; for if the blind leads the blind they will both descend into the bottomless pit in a chattering gnashing of the teeth: that is as sure as night follows day. Now some may ask why the author advocates this kind of hypothesis; surely he is also part of the people. Or is he?

This fact which is evident; that the author is part of the non-action crowd. On the other hand, if the author were in the desired position, he will merely match up to the system and remove it. Alas! One cannot be in two places at the same time; but time chance and opportunity may serve to alter, mobilise or immobilise a tenuous circumstance. Thus, no people should sign any contract with an evil system: for if a people have been deceived into such a contract, the normal process and the right action to take are to repudiate, utterly and with force, such a signatory in their name; and declare the contract null and void: meaning that that particularly leadership and her system has already been irrevocably condemned as in the books of law of Medes and Persia in antiquity. A condemned man has no place to go since wherever he goes he will be recognised. Like biblical Caine who murdered his brother Abel out of vanity; and was given a mark, so too are condemned leaders in an evil system marked. Consequently, any person who finds him has a right to demand an explanation for such a mark.

That people sit quiet or silent while a thief runs riot with their loot; and engages in despicable barbaric cruelty does not remotely indicates that he has won: for winning means being on the right and triumph; and not being on the wrong to vanquish: since those who win the wrong victory will live to be destroyed instantaneously without warning: for the people are just waiting for an opportunity, time and place to redress the wrongs wrought on them by a bad leadership and system so that they may institute what is right and just; for that is the natural state of man. Others may point out to the opposite – that man is naturally evil. This, I believe is an erroneous concept: for the right premise is that man has the knowledge of good and evil. It follows that when a person commits an evil or right act, he knows exactly what he is doing; and that the entire enraged world, if the act was evil, knows that what he has done is evil. The natural tendency, therefore, is first to punish the evil doer; and then, in case of nations, throw out his evil system; to be replaced by what is good until such a time when good again is usurped by evil. That is the case with tyrannical and genocide leaders such as Hitler, Caligula, Idi Amin, Mobutu, Herod and others in antiquity who were destroyed as a result of their crimes and murders to be replaced by justice.

The Cameroon people should rise up and throw out this regime: for in the regime is no credibility at all. In them we see the rise of AIDS, death of the youths, depletion of fish stocks and protein starvation by corrupt deals with foreign powers; blatant land grabbing in violation of African Commission of Human rights judgements and indictments; open academic fraud by Professors; loose morals; mediocrity has replaced excellence, nepotism and tribalism that surpasses understanding; genocide announcements by extreme right wing Neo-Nazi-tribalists; senseless violence; insecurity; terror, mass looting of country’s finances by men in power, discrimination against the Anglophones; parochial development (imagine the political and economic stupidity/jealousy against the Port of Victoria in favour of the less suitable Kribi Port) brain drain, murders of children and protesting students, mass unemployment; insatiable and naked greed, the rise of the occult, constitutional criminality and other backward and primitive aspects that were long gone in the 1970s – today they are heralded by the Biya regime. This must come to an end.

To correct Mr. Moutoudou, Cameroon of today has no single independence date. La Republique du Cameroun (Francophone Cameroon) which he referred to, attained her Independence in 1960. Southern Cameroons (Anglophone Cameroon) attained their own independence in 1961 after a fraudulent, illegal, arrogant and disgraceful plebiscite organised by the UN in a conspiracy deal with the world powers; and in violation of the UN Trusteeship Agreement and international law. Whatever the case, we now find ourselves in this situation; and the same region of the Biya tyranny and insanity: we must work together, agree to disagree, to first drive him and his system out; and then we will have the opportunity to redress these social, economic and political injustices so that accountability and the rule of law will be the golden rule; and not violence, fraud and a government driven by unquenchable greed, arrogance, undemocratic ideals, and illegality: unaccountable to no one but themselves. In the present system of things, the people are irrelevant as long as those in power are in power— their aim is power, greed and self-interest; not people, brain and progress.

Urgent Letter for Action Against Illegal Depletion of Fish Stocks in Victoria by Chinese Fishermen Working With Corrupt Cameroon Politicians

Republic of Cameroon Republique du Cameroun
Peace – Work – Fatherland

Paix – Travail - Patrie
Paramount Chieftaincy of Chefferie Superieure de
Limbe Limbe


Royal Traditional Council
Of the Paramount Chief
Appointed by His Late Majesty
Ferguson Bille Manga Williams
Officer of the Order of Valor
Conseil des Notables

Chief’s Palace,
Market Lane, Down Beach
Limbe

Saturday,14th June 2008


To All Elites and Chiefs of Fako,
Chief S.M.L.Endeley,
Chief Ephraim Inoni,
Mr Mafany Musonge
Mr Njoh Litumbe
Mr GBL Mofoke
Chief David Molinge
Chief Etina Monono,
Chief Samuel Ekum,
Mme Dorothy Njeuma,
Prof. Ndiva Kofele Kale,
Justice Eyole Monono
Mme Rachel Lyonga
Mme Lifaka,
Mr Goddy Membwange,
Mr Meoto Njie,
Mr Henry Njalla Quan,
Mr Samuel Lifanda etc
Mr Humphrey Monono
Mr. Daniel Matute,
Mr Mbella Moki Charles etc.

Sirs/Madames,

Open Letter in Fakonet to Fako Elites.
Protein Starvation of 100,000 people in Limbe, The Result Of Chinese Non Sustainable Fishing Practices Which Have Left Us Without Fish


1. How can we live by the sea and we have no fish? From time immemorial Fako has benefited from fresh and smoked fish bonga, barracuda and mololo which we used to eat our plantains and kwakoko. Is this going to end because of Chinese fishing trawlers and Mr Dima Gabriel of FINI Industries?


2. Following the death of Chief Ferguson Bille Manga Williams, the Paramount Chief, the Traditional Council which has been managing the traditional affairs of Limbe, pending the appointment of a new chief wishes to appeal to all persons of goodwill to save Limbe from the effects of Chinese fishing trawlers which have imposed protein starvation on this famous and important Cameroonian town. A calamity has befallen the people of Limbe and we, the members of the Council of the late Paramount Chief, are crying out to the Fako Elites to take action to save the population from this untenable situation.


3. A few months ago, Chinese fishing trawlers begun fishing in Limbe coastal waters and since then the 100,000 people of the sub-division who depend on fish as a major source of protein have been suffering completely from near total protein starvation.
4. Complaints from the population were taken to the Government and the Minster of Fisheries and Animal Industries banned twin trawling and compelled the FINI enterprises whose license is being exploited by the Chinese to move away from Limbe. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary situation as the Chinese are back and seem to have disregarded the ministerial order. Do Cameroonian ministers have no power? Why are the Chinese still hovering around when they have been asked to leave.?


5. The local fishermen of mixed Cameroonian and foreign background now catch little or no fish for the following reasons:


6. The twin trawling techniques used by the Chinese by which they attach a net to two trawlers and sweep the entire ocean, empties and catches all fish from the coastal waters is banned by international conventions.


7. The Chinese net mesh width is very small and violates Cameroonian- fishing regulations and also catches everything in its path destroying fish of all sizes and ages in a non-sustainable manner.


8. The Chinese in violation of fishing regulations for trawlers come too close to coastal waters and carry away the nets of local fishermen in their more powerful nets.


9. The Chinese also fish in mangrove swamps and creeks the nursery beds of fish and in a few years time our fishing beds shall be destroyed by these non sustainable techniques by which they catch a lot of fish now only to destroy the fishing beds for the future by their non sustainable methods.


10. Only a small quantity of fish caught by the Chinese is sold to Limbe canoes the rest is exported out of Cameroon by the trawlers at a profitable rate to themselves.
11. As a result of the practices above we are now suffering or shall suffer from the following consequences:


12. Total protein starvation for the lower and middle income classes in Limbe and environs a population of 100,000 people.


13. Cameroonians shall abandon the now profitless fishing trade particularly as nets purchased after a struggle by poor fishermen are being destroyed by trawlers fishing to close to costal waters in violation of fishing regulations and without compensation for such destroyed nets being paid.


14. Foreign fishermen of Benin , Togolese, Nigerian and Ghanaian origin who sometimes invest 20million to equip a single large boat or “awashaa” shall migrate to other countries by driving away with their canoes, further diminishing our local fish supply. The migration has already begun.


15. The indigenous communities of Wovia, Botaland, Bakingili, Batoke and Bimbia, all staunch supporters of the CPDM, who have always depended on fishing, shall be ruined and are now ruined almost completely.


16. Disempowerment of 1000 women in Limbe and environs who are involved in fish smoking.


17. The halt of the supply of smoked fish, strongkanda and other varieties which are carried to the western province, the center and south, the north and Chad from Limbe (Just as well as from other fishing ports)


18. Destruction of endangered species like Dolphins and Marine Turtles by the banned method of twin trawling.


19. Acceleration of the destruction of our fishing beds by the non-sustainable methods the Chinese have introduced into Cameroonian fishing. After each catch the Chinese throw away very small fishes they have caught.


20. The authorities put in place by government in Limbe for the control of fishing have been powerless to exercise their administrative duties because mobile phone calls from their administrative hierarchy have terrified them into inactivity and silence as powerful political, administrative and financial barons are behind the illegalities practiced by the Chinese. These persons are involved in leasing fishing licenses to the Chinese or are friends of the leasers. Chinese diplomatic pressure has apparently been brought to play in this matter and Cameroonian officials eager not to annoy the Chinese whose aid program is effective have engaged in a conspiracy of silence as mass protein starvation was imposed on their own people.


21. Acts of violence between the Chinese and local fishermen have increased as fights attacks and beatings have been recorded. We fear this could affect Cameroonian and Chinese relations if this source of conflict is not resolved.


22. . What do we now request of the government and the state? What do we want? We humbly request that the following measures should be considered by government:
23. The authorities should control the mesh width of Chinese nets.


24. Violators of regulations be dealt with in accordance with the laws in force by Fisheries and “Marine Marchand” who should not be disturbed by mobile phone calls from the corrupt hierarchy.


25. The Chinese practice of twin trawling should be banned.


26. The Chinese should maintain the distance from coastal waters and the continental shelf required by Cameroonian regulations.


27. They should pay for all nets they destroy.


28. They should sell their fish in Limbe and other Cameroonian towns so as to arrest protein starvation we are now experiencing rather than export this fish.


29. A ban on fish exports should be made to alleviate hunger until proper controls have been instituted to assure that Cameroonians have no shortage of fish.


30. Chinese trawlers have shown that they are not respecters of Cameroonian law and need to be handled with iron hands.


31. Corrupt officials whom they have compromised, and who have blocked the regulation of Chinese fishing should be dealt with in accordance with administrative practice.


32. The Council wishes to thank all persons and NGO’s who have so far made an effort to sensitise the authorities about this very serious problem. We hope that the Chinese who have shown they are good friends of Cameroon shall co-operate and respect our laws.


33. How can we live by the sea and we have no fish?

We remain, Faithfully Yours,
Members of the Council
Mr. Moki Monono: Secretary. 94430211,
Chief Emmanuel Matute Mbene: Quarter Head 99955819.
Chief Lisuke George Nganje: Quarter Head 77494691
Chief Shalman Mokumu: Quarter Head 74950063
Mr. George Burnley. Quarter Head 77494691
Mr. Duse Anthony: Quarter Head 77072838
Mr. Sammy Rhoom: Notable 99947726

The Internet

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Books in the Internet:
Many words to a pixel;
Numbers in excel,
And all in excess.

US with Aparnet began,
UK the 'net proclaimed;
Others the Ethernet;
Became the intranet.

Internet the network
System that does work:
An international,
And also national.

This starts as a LAN
Develops into WAN:
Possible by a Bridge,
As connect a ridge.

A Superhighway
To best communicate,
By the 'net Gateway
To people connect.

A Quarter of Wheat for a Penny: Sky-Rocketing Food and Oil Price Rises - Part Two

By Louis Egbe Mbua

This week in Rome, Italy, where world leaders have gathered to debate and find solutions to the world food shortage and the near oil total scarcity, it would seem from a trained eye that they are actually convening the totally wrong summit. The reasons for these apparently misplaced priorities are grounded on evidence that unless fundamental social and political problems are fully addressed internationally, their efforts would turn out to be little more than an early exercise in pure pointlessness. While one would agree that some kind of immediate action has to be taken, now, to stem the clearly unwitting -- and possibly blind -- march to the steep edge of the sliding cliff; and the inevitable descent into the time warp of the pre-historic stone age of want, hunger and hand-to-hand dog fights for scraps or crumbs of foraged nuts: the bare truth is that these solutions reached in Rome may be short term. The reason for this bold claim are multi-faceted and complex. Food and oil shortages have very little(although there is a minimal effect) to do with increased biofuels production in Brazil, America or any other countries for that matter: Brazil has been producing ethanol from sugar cane since the 1970s at a large industrial scale with no effect on food prices such as sugar.

The underlying factors threatening this mayhem; economic, international imbroglio and social chaos lie first in increased human population and the mal-distribution of resources. As world population passed the 6 billion mark, it became clear that a new kind of economic model should be developed for a proportionate and equitable distribution of resources: especially food and fuel.It has been proven time and again that certain areas of the world such as Europe and America consume at least 70 percent of food and fuel while the rest of world population are barely surviving on left overs. Surely it would be easier for the world if those who have surplus should release their surplus to Africa, Asia to even out the imbalance; and hence stabilise food and energy prices.

The international community are still wondering as to what direction they would have to move; and what role would be in store for them with the emergence of Brazil, India, Russia, China and possibly South Africa and Nigeria as new industrial powers who would evidently require increased energy and oil consumption as well as modify their tastes for food; technological and computer gadgets; cars and other fuel dependent transport; entertainment such as film production and other energy dependent past times and luxuries as the population becomes richer. Increased wealth in emerging new economies may mean that their populations have to move from bare grain staples of one meal per day to three meals a day that would include increased meat and fish diets. It follows that the demand for grain, meat, vegetables and fish will rise and thus followed by prices. As food and energy prices soar, the poor are caught in the cycle since they will not be able to afford high priced fuel, energy and food leading to protests and riots. In London, today, it was the fishermen who were protesting against high fuel prices. In other areas of the world, it was the common citizen who was protesting against high food prices including depleting fish stocks. In London, for example, the number of restaurants has almost quadrupled in less than five years. The solution out of this social and economic miasma would be for individual countries to invest heavily on sustainable agriculture and renewable fuels to plug that resource gap that comes with the divide between the very wealthy and the very poor: the latter almost always outstrips the former in many developing countries which leads us to the third kind of unsolved problem: Third World debts.

For Developing countries to purchase commodities in the international markets, they need hard currency. The IMF-led recommendation of all size-fit economic and financial solution to recover international debts for all developing countries has left several counties strangulated with little to do but to leave on a hand to mouth basis. Consequently, these nations have little capital to spend on grain -- and petroleum in case of a non producer like Burkina Farso -- in times of need as we have today:

Can't buy,

Won't buy.

Give us,

Food free.

Then we

Will be

At ease.

may now serve as fashionable begging catch verse (if begging can be seen as fashionable) as envisioned by Cuba's Castro in his "can't pay, won't pay" prophetic proclamation more than a decade ago on the coming dangers of poverty, hunger, want and debts. This resulting scarcity of grain and crude oil at home in turn causes food and fuel prices to spiral out of control leading to explosive riots and protests. Although a sizable number of these debts have been "cancelled"; the long periods of interest payments caused these countries to become poor with little or no foreign reserves on display: which comfortably brings us to the next cause --massive corruption, shameless back-handers, and widespread theft of obscenely gigantic amounts of money from the people by autocratic and brutal dictators and their cohorts. This would be discussed fully in the next series.

The Woman With The Golden Gown

By Louis Egbe Mbua

In Bona was she well born and lived.
In Tana had she worked hard to thrive;
In peace with no game of note beguiled,
To play but treasures and love provide,
The brilliant, lonely and only child;
And her only begotten joy and pride,
Who is sure: eager to take her side.

The first day of Easter was she born,
To a town of treasures was she gone,
For happiness and to make her mark:
And find where she can be a neat clerk
So may she have a living nice and good,
And to work hard into the golden goose;
To deliver the well-earned batch of goods.

In the beginning the work wasn't easy,
As was she surprised to be so busy.
The first day was she told to do her job,
But the scene so tense made her sob,
So decided her to try the next day
In paradox: did she toil everyday;
In boldness: she always had her say.

In work she was a first; and won,
In countless: many ways than one;
On the flowery and sunny day of May,
Whilst standing on the clear coastal quay
So receive her shining golden crown;
Putting on the precious golden gown
For all a woman to see and sing.

And all a man to heave a sly sigh,
By the endless beauty: sky blue sea;
Seen on the round and revolving earth;
From Space; no obstructing hill or heath:
All places in the world high and low
To cloud the priceless bright golden glow;
From the woman with the golden gown.

House of Commons Debates on Democracy in Africa: Cameroon and Zimbabwe

A youthful President Robert Mugabe in 1991

www.wikimedia.org

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Hon. Corbyn finished his speech at the House of Commons on the Debate on Democracy and Elections in Africa that held on 22 April 2008. As the focus was on Zimbabwe and Cameroon, it was time for the Zimbabweans to take to the floor. One of the Speakers on the main platform was a woman: she spoke first. I made discrete enquires, from a reliable Zimbabwe source also ensconced in Committee Room 15 as to her name; and was told that her name was Ms Mastara.


Ms Mastara began with a vivid and eloquent lamentation on the sufferings of her people. According to her narrative, one-eighth (1/8) or more practically one in every eight of Zimbabweans are extremely rich while seven out of 8 of the population are poor to the point of destitution; and are almost reduced to perpetual beggars to eke out an almost certainly inexistent marginal living.

She then turned to Gender issues: that there is persistent abuse of women in Zimbabwe although she did not actually say in clarity what these abuses entailed. However, one's intuition points to the lack of opportunities because Ms Mastara appeared to have laid down her solution to this "abuse" on the foundation that women should be provided a platform so that they may have a voice in public life. The conclusion one can draw from this inductive reasoning is that women may have been discriminated in public life in Zimbabwe; or that their labour rights had been ignored while their human rights to freedom of decent living had been trampled on.

Ms Mastara then returned to the important and debatable farm land question that has been politically explosive, racially charged and a tremendous socially vexation in the country; and possibly the cause of Zimbabwe's economic maelstrom; and the poltical nightmare of Mr. Mugabe: and the rise of national opposition to his rule that has been exacerbated by international economic and political sanction of the Mugabe regime. Mastara compounded the debate by embellishing Agricultural skills to the former White farmers while stating categorically that Black people had no Agricultural skills that could match those of the Whites: reason, according to her analysis, being that Black Zimbabweans were never taught advanced Agricultural skills leaving them as unskilled labourers. However, in another scenario and a succinct counterattack to her claims, the Pro-Mugabe or the ZANU-PF group that were also present at the debate challenged what they called a "gross distortion of history"; and that Ms Mastara had to reconsider her statements because before the Europeans arrived Zimbabwe and Southern Africa at about 1652, Black people practised well-organised governance and advanced traditional Agriculture. Consequently, they have traditional farming experience which they could develop before the lands were expropriated from the natives without compensation to be allocated to Europeans.

Mastara further added more volcanic fire to the debate by advocating that the Mugabe government-led brutal seizure of farmlands by Zimbabwe freedom fighter war veterans ought to be returned to the skilled White farmers. Additionally, she stated that in this case White farmers must be held as accountable for their actions as any corrupt African politician. She buttressed her proclamation and proposed solution by pointing out the unaccountability of White farmers in relation to abuse of the land and the people with impunity since the dawn of independence and the rise of President Mugabe in 1980.

Ms Mastara's arguments were too explosive for the pro-Mugabe or the Zimbabwean Nationalist camp to sit without making a stand to "correct" what they vehemently denounced as a "shamelessly-conceived colonial manifesto" to hand back Zimbabwe to the dark past of White racial tyranny against the majority black Zimbabweans by the White Zimbabwean minority and; the culture of unfounded supremacist doctrine whose main objectives was ethnic deprivation and exclusion. The Pro-Mugabe camp then pointed out that only 2% of the population of the country is White. But stressed that they believe all Zimbabweans regardless of racial or tribal origin have equal rights to live and prosper in the country but that it would be the saddest of days if the nation were to return to the dark days of racial privilege.

Ms Mastara went further by stating with uncanny confidence that Zimbabwe was efficiently run by White Zimbabweans even after independence until the land "seizure" fiasco that began in the late 1990s; and that when they left as a result or reaction or both of Mugabe's arbitrary and brutal land take over, without compensation to the White farmers, the country was left to the devices of incompetent and unskilled Black Zimbabweans. As a result, the economy collapsed. Her solution is that Africans should learn to run their own affairs rather than sit on their laurels while other people take control of their destiny.

To that; the debate on Zimbabwe closed. The audience then waited for the next Speaker.



Author's Comments:

It is unfortunate that Zimbabwe has endured and continues to endure such economic hardship and socio-political trauma. Zimbabweans, from the author's encounters and experience, are one of the best educated and well-behaved Africans. They are well trained in their African language; and also fluent in good English. Today, they are unwanted refugees even in South Africa: poignantly many South Africans were refugees in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria etc. in the 1980s when Apartheid was at its height. The following is that the disgraceful xenophobia that is being exhibited by South Africans against Zimbabweans and other Africans is a perfect pointer to the great misfortune for Zimbabwe.

Not only have they lost their best minds to other countries, but are now subjected to torture in their own country and the country they helped to achieve freedom from a dreadful racial supremacist policy that threatened to wipe out South Africans. The South African hate campaign against other Africans in general and Zimbabweans in particular must be halted by South African leaders. South Africans must leave the ideology of hate that bedevilled their nation for almost 300 years and return to the world of civilised norms where human beings are not burned alive in broad day light.

While it is understandable that the wicked system of hatred in the apartheid era cannot be wiped out in less than a generation, we must all condemn this wanton act of barbarism, looting, and the incineration of innocent peoples for reasons based on racism, tribalism, xenophobia or economic jealousy: South Africans must learn to work hard to compete in the global economy. Further, South African ANC leaders appear to have been trapped in their new found wealth without noticing the degeneration in social order, soaring unemployment of their own youth and the abysmal record of crime prevention. South African leaders must wake up; fight social deprivation; crime; xenophobia; hate and finally create an economy where the youth will be employed; and can compete globally rather than sit back for the youths to drift into the maddening cycle of gangsterism followed by stints at marauding criminality.

Mr. Mugabe's problems are that he has outstayed his welcome. While the author agrees that he is a brave fighter of freedom, there is a time to fight; and a time for peace. Those who continue to fight while they should be negotiating a peaceful settlement for the sake of the well-being of the people may not be remembered with glowing memory in posterity. There are periods where rhetoric counts: other times when wisdom prevails. Mr. Mugabe should make way for the new generation of accountable democrats. They may have other brilliant democratic ideas that can stop the politically-motivated street beatings in Harare and the shameful terrorism directed towards unsuspecting political opponents; and negotiates with the British for the compensation promised in the Lancaster House Agreements but which were never fulfilled by the British. If, on the other hand, Mr. Mugabe insists on staying on, undemocratically, the little sympathy he may command from other Africans will evaporate within the shortest conceivable time; and this, clearly, will totally wipe out his previous heroic exploits as a freedom fighter and a nation builder from 1980 - 1996. He, together with his political and military henchmen, will then be called upon by Zimbabweans and the democratic world to account for their time as President and Generals respectively.

A Quarter of Wheat for One Penny and Three-quarters of Barley for a Penny: The Sky-Rocketing Food and Oil Price Rises Part One

Barley Fields in Canada's Prairies: Alberta

http://www.world66.com/
http://www.creativecommons.org/

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Part of what we have today in food and oil problems appears to have been envisioned about 2000 years ago. Biblical narratives estimated that to pay one penny for a quarter litre of wheat was an almost impossibility for the people to afford at that ancient of times. Whether they experienced such a dramatic price rise is not known. However, there have been recorded through out human civilisation and existence, periods of unsurpassed famine; and the subsequent mass starvation and expiration of hungry souls that followed.

On the other hand, these tragedies were not caused by man in practice; but by natural intervention: if the rains fail, there is almost certainly nothing man can do to water the the entire earth. Now, in this day and age, man has reached a stage of civilisation whereby, it would seem human problems such as search for sufficient food and energy that suffices the entire world, has become an extremely challenging task: because this time around natural calamities alone are not at play; but a combination of man's actions or inaction and the raging voice of nature.

Many have put forth reasons as to the cause of the massive increases in food and crude oil prices -- to the tune of at least 40 percent in combined average within last two years; and the subsequent cause of fuel and food riots around the world. In the UK, for instance, this is leading to stagflation and the threat of economic recession with house prices collapsing as people are financially immobilised by the credit crunch: partly due to unaffordable mortgages. Added to this high fuel and food prices, the bell of danger begins to toll.

Some have blamed, high crude oil prices for, well, high food prices; while others are settling scores with the ethanol industry for using corn and other food crops to create fuel thus driving up the price of staple food, especially grain and oil seeds, the world over. There may as well be good reasons to advance theories to explain apparently inexplicable phenomena; another matter to make a well thought out exposition to extract information from our own world. The first three parts of this four part writing will examine the human side of events that are thought to have caused the shortage and scarcity of food and oil for energy; and their consequent sky-rocketing prices; while the the third and fourth parts will examine the interventionist entities of the roaring nature that act either independently or as a reaction to the hostile or peaceful activities of man onto nature and earth.

Human beings, by nature, are hardly satisfied with what Providence has ushered for the day. In many countries of the world today, especially, the developed countries, there are reports of the rise in obesity. One has thought about this condition carefully; and safely arrived at the unfortunate hypothesis that its origins may lie in either overfeeding the children when they are young or when adults themselves, they decide to indulge in too much food; not as a result of hunger but on the simple reason that they have been conditioned to eat as long as they see food. Therefore, food that could be released into the world market to obviate scarcity of grain and other food crops is wastefully consumed causing grain and food prices to rise.

Furthermore, food that cannot be consumed are thrown away in their tons: bread, sausage, potato, pizza and cheese etc. This irresponsible action, if practised for long periods, is enough to add at least a penny on the price of food as a result of scarcity. The solution is not rationing; as people have the choice to do what they wish with their money. On the other hand, children should be educated at a young age to eat responsibly not only for reasons relating to subsequent food prices; but for the health of the population.

The vicious cycle is that the bigger one becomes the more food one has to consume to maintain that size. In addition, the inexplicable notion of "shop till you drop" or shopaholic may deceptively sound as good fun or even fashionable in the areas of fashion -- clothes, shoes, perfumes --but one believes it disingenuous to do the same for food. Why buy so much that one throws about one third away? Or eat so much so that one jeopardises their health while others have nothing to buy?

Chantier Naval: The Truth Behind the Downfall of Zacchaeus Forjindam

Mr. Zacchaeus Forjindam and the Chantier Naval company he built from scratch. (Courtesy of CNIC)

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Mr. Zacchaeus Forjindam, the man who single-handedly built the Chantier Naval et Industriel du Cameroun (CNIC) from a scrap yard for disused marine equipment and vessels into an internationally reputed and fledgling potential industrial multi-national giant was unceremoniously dismissed from his position as General Manager of the State-owned company amidst confusion, accusations, counter-accusations of embezzlement, mishandled and unprofessional auditing procedures by his enemies; and allegedly bitter rivalry within the company insiders and outsiders. To this day, it is not quite clear as to the present veracity of opinions as it appears views are divided between his supporters: who see him as a Cameroonian champion of nation building and a Southern Cameroonian who has again taught French-speaking Cameroonian elite the art of nation-building, astute management and advanced technical and visionary thought.

On the other side of the argument are his enemies: those who saw his unnecessary and unwarranted stab at politics to deliver the much hated CPDM ruling party a victory in his home town of Santa, Southern Cameroons; and his disappointing support for Monsieur Biya, Le President de La Republique, for unconstitutionally staging a constitutional take over by fraudulently voting himself into power for life in the rubber stamp parliament. Others have claimed that his downfall was plotted by tribal demagogues of the Beti strain who disliked and envied Forjindam's successes they had never matched or cannot rival; and that they wanted him removed so that they may take over the company for themselves, their tribesmen and their families.

Whoever is right or wrong is not the question at this instant: the fact of the matter being that Forjindam was arrested soon after his dismissal by the Board of Directors of the company, 7 May 2008. He is presently locked up in La Prison Centrale de Douala au quartier New-Bell. The downfall of Forjindam is not only a great national tragedy for a man with such a supreme talent in management and engineering; but also a tremendous blow to Anglophone Cameroon's participation in Cameroon's developmental plans. Consequently, one has to meticulously examine the truth behind his alleged embezzlement of company's funds.

According to Cameroon French language daily, Quotidienmutations, the fall of the GM began when he secured almost £200 million from an international consortium of financial houses, including the African Development Bank, to expand CNIC into Victoria, Southern Cameroons, by building a world class Shipyard and a deep seaport in that city, http://www.cnicyard.com/. That Forjindam and his closest associates within the company "weaved a vast "network"of extortion of funds from the CNIC"; and that this was confirmed by Forjindam's brief hearing in front of the chief prosecutor.

The total amount "stolen" by Forjindam has not been fully brought to light nor his actual crime. Again, if we refer to Quotidienmutations, 09 May 2008, it is alleged that cheque payments of almost £600,000 were noted to have been made without proper documents to back the funds. The paper did not say who banked these cheques; and on whose account were the cheques deposited; and also where exactly the money came from. Secondly, there were also cheques deposited to the bank to the tune of almost £180, 000, but which were not recorded in the bank's accounts. Again, whose account were these cheques deposited and who, exactly, deposited these cheques is not clear. Thirdly, another situation of withdrawal of almost £220, 000 from the bank "without sufficient verifiable or justifiable documents". In addition, it was discovered that there were fictitious names on the CNIC's payroll -- workers who didn't exist. If this is found to be true, then this, clearly, is corruption. The total amount in question, therefore, amounts to about £1,000, 000 (one million GBP). Which begs the question as to who owned this money; and from whose account was the theatrical financial drama acted. Was it from the CNIC account or was it from Forjindam's? And what, exactly, do they mean by "insufficient justifiable documents" as related to the deposit or withdrawal of money? These are the crucial questions that must be answered.

Forjindam's fall is a classic example of the kind of unaccountable and undemocratic politics that prevails in Africa. Born in 1949, Forjindam attended CPC Bali, from where he won an American scholarship to the famed Cameroon College of Arts, Science and Technology, Bambili. Having obtained his degree in Engineering from Fourah Bay University College in Sierra Leone, he worked in a maritime company in France before returning to Cameroon to work for the Cameroon Shipyard; at that time an unknown and penniless company. Installed in 1988 as GM of CNIC, he took the company to profitability and unprecedented expansion; delivering a profit of £8 million for a turnover of £40 million of business in 2007; took the workforce from 32 employees to 2500 people who earn their living at the Cameroon Shipyard and Engineering Company (CINC).

It must be noted that this achievement appears to be one of the first in Cameroon; and possibly Africa; and that many of Cameroon's state owned companies have either been looted of funds by corrupt party apparatchik managers or are on the verge of being bankrupted by the same incompetent party men. It is also interesting to note that the French-Speaking elite have always cast an envious eye on prosperous Southern Cameroons built institutions. One only hopes that his is not a repeat of a vicious cycle of Anglophone Cameroon hard work that may also end up in smoke as a result of the appointment of incompetent people to manage an organisation on the basis of "regional balance". When the Francophone elite took over the Anglophone-built Produce Marketing Board (PMO), one of the richest companies in the country at the time, it was not long before they looted and destroyed the company. The same goes to Cameroon Bank that was allegedly bankrupted by thieves pretending to be managers.

Forjidam's fall may also be of his own making. There was absolutely no reason for him to jump into politics in full with people who are corrupt, mad and bad. If at all, it turned out he committed a crime, it would be due to his own folly. There are reports that CPDM bosses of state companies raid state company accounts to sponsor elections which are heavily rigged on the promise of positions after the win of Paul Biya's party; CPDM. Forjindam, with such a huge talent, did not have to join the ranks of the mediocre and talentless technocrats to do the same. For his folly, his enemies found a web to weave around his mien; and then swallow him alive. On the other hand, if it is found that the auditing procedure was flawed and that Forjindam did no wrong, then he will be entitled to an unheard of financial compensation and a possible re-reinstatement to his old position or to that of another company of similar class. It is interesting to note that Forjindam returned profits and clean financial and managerial records for almost twenty years. For almost 2 decades, there is no evidence of embezzlement. Why then would he steal £1 million in the last 2 years? Mystery upon mystery.