Ethics has finally come to be viewed in Biya’s Cameroon with a certain scornful derision. This is what actually led to the creation of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. Deep within President Biya’s ruling CPDM party, ethics is seen as counterproductive. Men like Fame Ndongo, Yang Philemon, Mafany Musonge, Atanga Nji and Laurent Esso feel that ethics is a threat to their political existence since it raises a finger against manipulation and debasement of the Cameroonian person.

Ethics according to the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium helps a government to institute fairness, balance and a more humane social order. Consequently, under the Late President Ahidjo to apply for a job opportunity or to vie for any public office, the state of Cameroon required you to make available your certificate of non-conviction before you were even considered an applicant. That was part of the Cameroonian ethics as laid down by the founding fathers.

The Late President Ahmadou Ahidjo never changed his government because of the aftermath of a counterfeit parliamentary and municipal election. So in Fako, we had our Dorothy Njeuma as Vice Minister of Education. She was only replaced in 1975 by Eko Ngomba Catherine. In Grand Meme Division, we had Elangwe Henry Namata and Albert Ngome Kome who was later on replaced by Itoe Benjamin as Minister of Transport. Ndian Division never had until Chief Dr. Ndion Ngute emerged. In Manyu and present day Lebialem it was E.T.Egbe.

In the North West Province, the story and ethics were the same!! We had Simon Achidi Achu as Minister for Justice, Christian Bongwa who was Minister in charge of Relations with the Assembly, Chongwain Joseph Awunti who even died as a Minister and Solomon Fogwei. In all of these political engineering ethics setting, we still had men like Mwalipenja, the Atias, the Fon Angwafors, Nzo Nguti, Ebongalamen, Tamfus, Effioms, the S.A.Arrey and the Mbilles greatly involved in the Cameroon political story.

Deep within the administration, we knew Enow Tanjong and Yakuo-ntaw were governors. John Ebong Ngolle, Ivo Ngolle Ndelle, Akoto Ndang and Bambot Sikod were SDOs. And Arampe, Oben Ashu and Ogork were DOs. At the level of Provincial Delegates, we had Sona Elonge and P.C. Fonso. Ethics flowed even at the Ministry of Equipment. There too, names like Jerome Obi Eta, Peter Mafany Musonge, the Late Takor, Navti and Omer Sendze were prominent. You could feel the judiciary far away from home with names like Justices Deba, Ekema,Endeley, Mbu Agbaw, Loh Solomon.

With our Certificate of Non-Conviction ethics, the guilty were sent to jail. Today, ex-convicts are cabinet ministers and members of parliament!! The disorder is complete and total. You are dismissed from the National Produce Marketing Board for corruption and three days later, the same fraud is appointed Minister for Trade and Industry. You are sent to Kondengui prison for trading football tickets in the international black market meant for Cameroon supporters and four weeks after, you are a CPDM parliamentarian! Where is our Certificate of Non-Conviction?

As we prepare to celebrate Southern Cameroons independence, we of the Cameroon Intelligence Report are calling on the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium to immediately bring back our Certificate of Non-Conviction and the ethics that were in place in British Southern Cameroons.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai