A Journey To Yaounde(1): Cameroon O' Bosso Na Mbussa:

Louis Egbe Mbua

On a second visit to Cameroon this year, it won’t have been appropriate, I thought, to leave without making a sortie to Yaoundé, the Capital City of Cameroon. One had read; and heard of the accident-prone highway that links Douala, the commercial hub in the Gulf of Guinea, to the city embedded in the middle of Cameroon. Where does one board a coach to Yaoundé, I inquired. In Akwa, I was informed by old hands of the Douala gentry. There is a company located in Akwa; it is very efficient and provides express service; but you have to arrive early to catch the express service, they opined. What is the name of the Company? Guarantee was the name. How apt: I will be guaranteed a good and safe journey, I said to myself. So, early on the 25th of July 2009, I dressed up after the London business suit fashion, and found myself in the coach station in Akwa.

A nearby kiosk was playing a Cameroonian number in this manner: Pompez, les pompiers; la maison c’est brule . Who wrote and played this song? I asked the man next to me in the seat at the hall way in the station. Hugo Nyame: C’est Padonne Madame, he replied in a knowing and sure disposition. My niece had arrived earlier, arranged for the tickets, secured the seats; and then we sat down in the station to wait for the bus to begin this strange journey. The driver of the Coach signalled that he has to leave in time; at 8:30 am. We climbed into the high-staged design coach; and took our seats. The man who sat next to me asked: Tu es Anglophone?
Oui, je suis Anglophone, I replied. I didn’t have to respond with a similar investigation since only a Francophone Cameroonian would pose such a question in French. Mais, est-que tu viens de Buea ou bien de Bamenda? J' habite ici a Douala, was the answer coming from me.

Non, Tu ne me responds bien. C’est bien que nous sommes tous a Douala. Mais ca ne signifie que nous sommes de Douala. Moi-meme j’habite a Douala mais je ne viens de Littoral. Que j’habite a Douala ne signifie pas que mon village c’est ici a Douala. Mon village, s’Il vous plait, c'est situe a Bandjoun.

This was not the kind of discussion one wished in the beginning of a long journey. However, I decided to answer his philosophical point as he seemed an insightful man; and a man of intelligence. If that is what you mean, then I am travelling from Buea, I responded. Oh! You are an Anglophone Whiteman then, the man exclaimed. Well, you can see that I am not a White person, I said. The man looked bemused on this reply.

I agree with you that your village is within Bandjoun, but this is the 21st century, I continued. It is important that you identify yourself with where you grew up; and where you earn your living as well as your village of origin in Cameroon. The point here is that you have settled in Douala where, you are supposedly, are earning a nice living; well, judging from your wonderful pair of shoes and clothes. The point is not whether I am an Anglophone or you a Francophone but that we are of the same country; and that we all should enjoy the benefits of this land. Consequently, it is of utmost importance that you consider your village as well as where you are presently residing in Cameroon. This is because you have the advantage of a two-pronged opportunity which may make you rich; and as a consequence, the entire Cameroon.

What do you mean by “a two-pronged opportunity”? The man asked. Well, you have the opportunity of having to live in two lands. There is the idea of The Two Lands since ancient times.

How? Asked Le Camerounais. In ancient Africa, I replied, there was a King called Menes, the ruler of Egypt about 4500 years ago, who brought about this idea of unity into the world. We do not know how he came about this idea. However, we know for certain that he united the two lands of Egypt: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. These lands were of completely different geography, ethnic and possibly linguistic make up. After this act of genius, people from both parts of the united lands had a two-pronged opportunity since they could carve a career in any of the two regions; at the same time could return to their area of origin where they could again advance themselves because they were known there. Due to the uniting of the two lands, the Egyptians were able to harness their people into a critical mass of talent. The result is still there, in the two lands, for the entire world to see today. Remember that connections are as important as an institution. It seems the early Cameroon leaders had this idea or might have read of them from ancient books or might have some kind of links with ancient Egypt – it is Africa after all. The important point is that, I continued, the Egyptian priests and rulers were wiser than us.

Now, my brother, you are trying to compare 2500 BC to the 21st century, he composed. Your comparison does not add up; and invalid. The Egyptians lived in their time. We are living in the 21st century where there are computers and Aeroplanes. So, this ancient “two-pronged” approach can neither fit in this era nor is it feasible. Besides, why do you believe (if we may consider your opinion a belief in the first place) the Egyptians wiser than us? Surely, they never created the computer nor did they go to space, did they? What you are saying is illogical unless you provide a further explanation to buttress your reasoning. As far as I can see you will have great difficulties in crafting an acceptably justified defence in this instance. The Cameroon situation is different because we are one and indivisible from the beginning. As a result, the unification that happened in 1961 cannot be likened to that of the ancient Egyptians despite their considerable success in art, technology, agriculture, architecture, religion and culture. If we examine the matter very closely, we may realise that we might have achieved a similar feat in Cameroon. The Edea Dam, SONARA in Limbe [Victoria]; Douala City and where we are going; Yaoundé. The point of the matter is that we do what we can at this time; and then leave the rest to the future generation. It is true that unity is good but we may not be able to achieve everything dans cinquante ans de L’independance. Cela c’est impossible! Cameroun O’ Bosso*!

You have spoken well mon frère, I emphasised. It is true that Cameroon, and in fact Africa, has made considerable stride in civilisation. However, I won’t agree with you that the stated advancement is of the same stature of achievement as the ancient United Lands of the North and South. The Egyptians appeared to be more enlightened than we are in the 21st century. I agree that they never invented any computers or went into space but they seemed to have understood the psychology of man. I say this because they, apparently, were fair and just to the very best of their abilities in antiquity. For, instance, they knew about women’s rights and the rights of the minority in their Kingdom. The same cannot be given to the present Cameroon. In the present climate, it seems those who purport to be leaders lack this fundamental understanding. For instance, it is not important for you to judge me as an Anglophone or for me to judge you as a Francophone, but that you are a human being who can think and act in a positive way; to affect all Cameroonians and indeed the world. Now, if we have rulers who believe that they must first satisfy their villages before they think of the entire Cameroon and the world, then we cannot actually meet up with Egyptian standards. The Egyptians never did such a thing. While I will not venture to vociferate that the Egyptians were perfect, one is hard pressed to find a leader, in Cameroon, who is wise as was as Hephaestus, the Egyptian queen who built the classic temple at Thebes. Our leaders have failed to emulate these great leaders: they have been involved in discrimination and grandiloquence. Even if the Re-unification was a good idea, they failed to institute social justice in the entire territory as the Egyptians did. As a result, we have a breakdown of morality; and the marginalisation of Anglophones, who form part of the two lands, in a clearly illegal act which must be redressed before we may compare and contrast with the ancients. What we have, therefore, is Cameroon O’ Bosso na Mbussa*; and not actually Cameroun O’Bosso!

The man was shocked at this reply. A woman at his side – presumably his wife – seemed to crave attention; and the discussion was further interrupted when the bus began to move on. Noticing this state of fluxing affairs, I thought it wise not to usher any further commentaries on this matter. I had borrowed a book from my uncle. I opened the page where I had ended my musing of Mbella Sonne Dipoko’s Because of Women and began to read: Ngosso had paddled his canoe......or something of that sort.

*O' Bosso: Getting ahead

* O' Mbussa: Getting behind