THIS MY CRITICAL PEN

By Sylvanus Ezieh Acha’ana

Imagine a Cameroon without Fru Ndi!  

From which ever angle one looks at it, Fru Ndi is, was and will remain an asset to Cameroon. He may not be infallible like any other ordinary human creature, but the impact of his political adventure in the Cameroonian politics remains a cenotaph.

International bodies today grade the maturity of nations on the level of their democracy, respect of human rights and the existence of a vibrant press. Democracy in this case will entail alternation of power, the multiplicity of independent and uncompromising political parties and freedom of expression.

Imagine therefore, a Cameroon without Fru Ndi! Dictatorship should have reigned supreme; violation of human rights here and there, random suppression of dissenting voices, saturated lawlessness society, deficiency of a critical press, incessant post elections violence et al.

Thank God, the 1990 Christ was hither. Like Christ of Nazareth, Fru Ndi, who today takes all the credit for the limping democracy Cameroon enjoys sprang from God alone knows where to say enough is enough. He alighted from his quiet abode, rose beyond imagination and ruptured the unquestionable excesses of the then marauding regime. Absolutism gradually began to give way to democracy.

The Guardian Post columnists; Asong Ndifor and Peterkins Manyong may not agree with me, but the indisputable truth is that Fru Ndi remains the trailblazer of Cameroon’s rubberstamp democracy. I understand Asong’s and PK’s worry, they claim the SDF strongman handles the party with iron fists, but to be so fair with them, political parties are oligarchies. They are not geographical entities and their organisation and management differ from the way a nation is run.

Nations have the police and the judiciary to bring recalcitrant citizens to order. Political parties do not. They have the constitution to apply on rebellious militants. Constitutions like that of the SDF which in its article 8.2 prescribes self exclusion from the party is a reference. The CPDM which for long was hesitant to learn the example from SDF has finally stepped into the SDF shoe.

The CPDM has always learnt the good examples from the SDF, the SDF will therefore continue to demonstrate more democratic principles and Paul Biya’s party will continue to grasp the fruits.

CPDM bootlickers, including Mr. Biya himself have consistently created brouhaha, grinding their milk-teeth that the latter should be credited for introducing democracy (if at all there is) in Cameroon. A faithful Cameroonian will describe this claim as misinformation and distortion of historical facts. Fru Ndi merely forced ‘democracy’ down the throat of Mr. Biya and he was left with only two choices; embrace it or quit power.

If CPDM lackeys believe that their party chair is at the stewardship of the reigning peace in Cameroon, this columnist thinks that Fru Ndi has successfully maintained peace in Cameroon. He is not like other opposition leaders in African countries. Unlike Railer Odinga in Kenya and Zimbabwe’s Morgan Tsvangirai who orchestrated hell to break loose after they were purportedly robbed of victory, Fru Ndi who has on several occasions been rubbed of victory exceptionally called his militants to guard against violence, what patriotism?

Footnote: Let Mr. Fru Ndi recognise the indispensability of a critical and independent press in any democracy-thriving society. The SDF chieftain should embrace the press, dine with journalists, see them as reformers and not enemies; in that way, his position as the only democratic patriot in Cameroon would not be usurped as it is almost the case.