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Cameroon-Nigeria United In One Fate Now And In The Future By Elie Smith
To those manning power in Abuja and in Yaoundé, ignore the above, and you are good material for mutual destruction. Cameroon and Nigeria are tied to each other like the tongue and the teeth. Occasionally though, the tongue may bite the teeth and bickering will ensue.
Nevertheless, they will always find ways and means to settle their differences and carry on with their divinely created and ordained friendship. Nigeria’s rapport with Cameroon is also synonymous to that which exists between the big toe and the heart.
They once fell out for reasons best known only to them and they vowed not to speak to each other till God’s kingdom comes. However, the foot onto which the big toe is attached was walking and had to hit an object. Guess who felt the pains first and the most? It was not the big toe but the heart.
Hence between people, who are bound to each other by love or ancestral affinities, it is advisable not to take sides in their problems. Even if an aggrieved and loquacious member brings public their problems, the adjudicator should be careful in the way he/she dispenses his/her judgment. This is a warning to the United Nations and its subsidiaries.
Cameroon and Nigeria are like those examples mentioned above. But it seems as if political authorities and business elites in both countries are not fully aware of the potentials of mutual cooperation. Nonetheless, there are hopes that with time they are going to acknowledge the bond that ties both countries and exploit the advantages inherent to such ties for their mutual gains.
On the other hand, if they keep on ignoring what they share in common and that they could exploit in order to forge ahead with a more solid and beneficial ties, then they shall both be liken to meleagris gallapavos, the scientific names of turkeys.
Meleagris gallapavos seems to be the dullest birds on earth. Turkeys are so dull that, when it is raining, they turn their heads to heaven and open their mouths and eventually drown. But it is too early to definitively rule that authorities in both countries are turkeys. This is because; they still have ample time to improve on their relationship. In this regard, there are three areas in which both countries need to work together and thus forge ahead with a solid relationship. These areas are: Conflict management, Economic integration and diplomacy.
Conflict management
It will be foolhardy for authorities in Yaoundé to ignore the Nigerian crisis in the Niger Delta or its organised gangs called Area boys/OPC or even the intermittent religious conflicts and the sharia palaver in the 19 states of Northern Nigeria.
While on the part of Nigeria, it will be suicidal to ignore the agitations of English-speaking Cameroonian nationalists who want a separate homeland in what was formerly known as British Southern Cameroon’s. Albeit administered as part of Eastern Nigeria during colonialism.
This is because there is also discontent in Eastern Nigeria with similar ambitions and thus an alliance of disgruntled groups in both countries could unite and pose problems to both governments. In case Abuja is/becomes interested in what is going on Cameroon, especially within its English-speaking provinces, it must in such circumstances attempt to be balance and objective in its approaches.
Hence, they should steer-clear or ignore Machiavellian conducts of authorities in Yaoundé and also the mercantile attitudes of some English-speaking Cameroonians who may want to present the Anglophone / Francophone Cameroonian dichotomy solely as an isolated matter.
Those who hold the minimalist school of thoughts on the Anglo/Francophone problem are two sets of Cameroonians. The first ones are officials in Yaoundé who have supremacist tendencies and tend to ignore the genuine demands of the minority English-speaking population.
While the second are some groups of English-speaking Cameroonians who are in deed circumstantial supporters of the present dispensation, with their objectives being purely for individual progress in the system. These two groups though having different purposes are united in a propaganda aimed at making the world think that, the English-speaking nationalism is an affair solely managed by people of the northern part of the concerned region known administratively as North West province.
The reality is that, there is a profound malaise in Cameroon, and its present unity decided by the UN is frizzling out faster than many may be thinking. As for the Niger Delta, if Cameroonians think that they could be of any help, let them offer their services.
The necessity for cooperation amongst both countries is primordial because; the Niger Delta crisis might be creating some secret admirers in Cameroon. Especially in areas such as Rio Del Rey and Rio Muni, Oil producing zones located administratively in the Ndian division (local government). These areas have analogous topographies and social/development problems with the Niger Delta which strangely is alleged to have transformed pressure groups of the likes of MEND to become professional hostage takers.
Whatever the current stalemate in the Niger Delta, there are indications, that, it may finally get a long lasting solution, but where will the guns of MEND go to? In July this year, depending on the out come of the power struggle going on presently in Abuja, Nigerian authorities have pledged to hand over the large remaining swath of Bakassi, that is under their control to Cameroon (1).
Some officials in Yaoundé are already high ‘fiving’ or salivating and celebrating at the prospect of turning Cameroon from its current diminishing Oil deposits/productions into a revitalised exporter of crude Oil. But have the authorities in Yaoundé thought of eventual conflicts similar to those rocking the Bight of Biafra or the Nigerian Niger Delta in general? Are they prepared to handle or control such conflicts in order for it not to spill over on to the mainland restive English-speaking regions and beyond?
Cameroonians must keep in mind that, the new citizens that they might inherit if Nigeria sticks to its promise will be of a different stock from those of the greater South west province that they would be attached to administratively. This is in term of mentality. Hence the necessity for both governments to have closer ties in Conflict management. Closer ties will facilitate sharing of data and the know how in the management of popular up risings.
There are doubts on Cameroon’s unity to withstand similar conflicts rocking the impoverished Niger Delta. It seems that, any organised armed group in Cameroon may not only throw the country in a Zairian style conflict, but it could mark the end of its artificial unity. No matter how pessimistic one may be on the future of the unity of Cameroon, nevertheless both countries are confronting similar perils even though at varying degrees.
Nigeria has its intriguing and seemingly intractable webs of organisations such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, (MEND), and Movement for the Actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra (MOSOB), Odua People’s Congress (OPC) Northern Nigeria Consultative Forum (Arewa) and Islamic agitators or fundamentalists.
Cameroon has its general future at stake and its English-speaking regions are increasingly becoming restive and also more assertive in their demands for autonomy. These are being demonstrated by the agitations of the octopus like nationalist organisations representing the English-speaking populations known as the Southern Cameroon’s National Council (SCNC).
Economic integration
Enhanced ties in conflict management between both countries would remain a wishful thinking if there are no strong economic bonds. In absence of strong economic ties, all the joint commissions held by both countries shall remain mere talk shops, while smuggling bands will be those dictating the tune with the negative consequences that it orchestrates (2).
That is why, it is imperative for business men and women in both countries to try to forge greater ties. These ties should not be pushed or supervised by government officials only. Professional bodies and civil society organisations could play a great role to achieve the goal of Economic integration between both countries. Another way could be through cross border company mergers and mutual reciprocal investments. The examples of Eko Bank and Insurance Re, both Nigerian companies that have chosen to invest in Cameroon are worth encouraging. Nevertheless for industrialists in both countries to properly ascertain their respective potentials, there is need for their professional bodies to meet regularly in order to know each other better and also exchange vital information.
Already because of the lack of contact or mutual snubbing, during preparations to open the Douala Stock Exchange, Cameroonian authorities went or sorted expert advice from Tunisia, a thing that would have been done by experts of the Nigerian Stock Exchange that is more so, more capitalised and are also more experienced than Tunis. Furthermore, if it was supervised by experts from the Nigerian Stock Exchange based in Lagos, cultural similarity between both countries would have made it easier for the Douala Stock Exchange to start financial trading. Presently the Douala Stock Exchange has not yet registered any initial public offer because the public and business world has little or no confidence in it.
Notwithstanding, there are still many areas in which both countries could explore and exploit for their mutual gains. The privatisation currently going on in both counties could be an opportunity for cross border investments. While free trade zones could be opened along the borders of both countries and manufactured goods in both countries could be sold freely without taxations. For a start the Calabar export processing zone could be extended eastward to Cameroonian towns of Ekok and Mamfe or to cover Manyu and Ndian divisions (local governments).
What will further increase trades between both countries will be the development of macadamised road networks which at present are absent. The Development of basic infrastructure along the border region could even make Nigerian importers use Cameroonian Sea ports of Tiko and Victoria (Limbe) or the river ports of Ekodo-titi and Lobe, an act that will help decongest the main Nigerian ports.
It will also be an opportunity to develop road infrastructures in Manyu, Meme and Ndian divisions (local governments) in particular and the South west province (State) in general. Ndian division is also similar to the Niger Delta because it is where 80% of Cameroon’s Oil deposits are found and pipelined to Victoria where it is refined. But this Oil producing area is the least developed and its people are the poorest in Cameroon.
Diplomacy
There is no doubt that Nigeria in regard to its economic potentials and population has more influence in Africa and the world than Cameroon. But both countries could work together in the area of diplomacy. Cameroon could play some limited roles in diplomacy, but it is presently practising a dormant one. The diplomacy of Cameroon is not active like those of countries such as Senegal or Mali that are more so, economically weaker.
Nonetheless, both countries can be complimentary at World, African and sub-regional levels. Cameroon being a bilingual country with English and French as its official languages is an advantage that could be used by Nigeria. Precisely, Nigeria could partner with Cameroon in order to facilitate Nigeria’s penetration in French-speaking African states.
While Cameroon could use or partner with Nigeria to reach English-speaking African countries and other International organisations that, presently Cameroon needs the support of countries such as France to accede to with consequences that its causes. A united front in diplomacy between Nigeria and Cameroon would help Cameroon to silence the rebellion that it is currently facing from smaller but assertive countries such as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea that are member of a mini regional body called CEMAC (3).
This explains why, come what may, Cameroon and Nigeria are united in one fate now and in the future. Some relationships are beyond explanations because they are designed by God and that is how that of both countries seems.
Note:-
1- read Bakassi: why joint administration offers the best solution, published in the May/June 2005 edition of the journal African Renaissance 2- Read intra and extra African trade by logging http://eliesmith.blogspot.com/2006/03/intra-and-extra-african-regional-trade.html 3- CEMAC is the French language acronym of Economic and monetary community of Central African states. These states are: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Chad, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. For more log on to www.eliesmith.blogspot.com
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