Following the launch of EYUMEMA, an organization which morphed from MOHWA Inc, USA, many people of Manyu descent have been talking about the disunity which has been the hallmark of Manyu people. To gain a better understanding of the situation, we turned to Dr. Joachim Arrey, a man who is driven by a passion to see Manyu Division make giant strides towards sustainable development and who has published a lot on Manyu organizations many of which have not stood the test of time due to internecine fighting and defections. He has recently produced some thought-provoking articles on EYUMEMA and he is hopeful that where Manyu men have failed, Manyu women might make a massive difference in the lives of the people.  Our North America correspondent Alain Agbor Ebot, caught up with Dr. Joachim Arrey in his Brampton, Ontario, Canada residence and he had a lot to say about Manyu and Cameroon in this soul-searching conversation.

Cameroon Concord News: Thanks for letting me into your home and for accepting to grant this interview at a time when Manyu is going through a lot both at the political and cultural levels. What is your take on the creation of EYUMEMA which was once known as MOHWA Inc, USA?

Dr Joachim Arrey: Thank you my dear journalist for taking time off your tight schedule to let me share my thoughts on the creation and launch of EYUMEMA which I did characterize in one of my articles as a new beautiful girl in town. The occasion in Ohio was a great sight to behold and I am really a fan of this new organization which is raising money to empower the Manyu girl and to bring some life-altering projects to Manyu Division. I have been talking to some of the women who were in Ohio for the launch and they are truly driven by an infectious passion which is winning the organization many followers and supporters. They exude enthusiasm, passion and unity which are key to any organization’s success. I would like to mention that even before the organization adopted its new name, it had raised funds for the drilling of boreholes in many parts of Manyu Division and when you provide water to a community, you make the lives of the people better. Water is life and he who has guarantees of clean water also has guarantees of being healthy and staying away from water-related diseases. The creation of EYUMEMA is welcome and, as you know, the more the merrier. I stand for multiple organizations for Manyu provided Manyu is at the centre of their activities. Like many people I have talked to, I hold that previous organizations did not live up to the billing and EYUMEMA’s emergence is delivering hope to many people of Manyu descent. NOMA, MECA-USA, MOHWA, Ekpe and others did not and are not living up to the glorious expectations of the people and this is unfortunately disheartening.

Cameroon Concord News: What do you think will become of MOHWA now that we are seeing more defections and new organizations popping up and distancing themselves from MOHWA?

Dr Joachim Arrey: I don’t think MOHWA is dead and gone. It has been significantly diminished and fragilized following the creation of EYUMEMA and now NYENE MAWN in Europe. Each new organization only takes a huge bite out of MOHWA’s following, but this does not spell death to MOHWA if its leaders can reinvent themselves. I have spoken to many young women who have walked away from MOHWA and the same complaints keep coming up – the current MOHWA leadership is suffering from chronic corruption and it is high-handed. In Great Britain, Canada, continental Europe and Cameroon, the leaders seem to be conducting themselves like the lords of the universe, making it hard for their followers to express their minds and suggest ideas which could help the organization to grow to become a key development agency for Manyu Division. There have been cases of financial impropriety and misconduct in America, UK and Cameroon and those involved are the leaders who hold that they are not accountable to the people. This is one of the many issues which have driven a wedge between the MOHWA leadership and those who have opted to create their own organizations in order to take a new and different route; a route marked by transparency, accountability and humility. The world has changed and those who want to play key leadership roles in any organization or community must conduct themselves differently. They must be seen as beacons of hope and not spurns of Satan. MOHWA still has a chance to reinvent itself. Its leadership must change its ways and the organization must be driven by younger people whose vision of life is totally different. They do not want the older women to strap them to ignorance and intimidation which have clearly overstayed their welcome. I want to be upfront with MOHWA leaders. They have to think differently and they must avoid being frozen in time. They must adapt to the changing times if they must attract new members. The errors of the past could be forgiven if the leaders accept their mistakes by taking a brand-new path. The ball is in their court. They can either bury their heads in the sand and kill MOHWA or accept that mistakes have been made and give MOHWA a chance to emerge from its own ashes like the proverbial phoenix.

Cameroon Concord News: We have noticed that you have been very critical of Ekpe and you do not seem to admire the organization. Do you think you will one day join such an organization as many back home hold that every successful Manyu son should join Ekpe? 

Dr Joachim Arrey: I am a free-thinking writer who has walked away from conservatism and a past which has been anything but glorious. I have embraced modernism and development is always at the heart of my thoughts. Any organization which embraces development will win my heart and mind. As a writer, my role is also to trigger debate, especially a debate which is supposed to help the majority of the people to see beyond their noses.  Ekpe has existed for many decades, if not centuries, but for all this time, it has been a ‘food-and-drink’ organization. Food and drinks remain measures and units of value for Ekpe members and I am against such a backward mindset. As an experienced writer and someone who wants Manyu to grow by leaps and bounds, I hold that Ekpe’s role should evolve over time so that it can play a key role in Manyu’s development. Ekpe, as I knew it in my dad and grandfather’s day, was an organization which only brought people of sterling qualities into its fold but in recent times, ethics and morality have been relegated to the background and, today, even people with questionable characters get admitted into Ekpe. It is not in error that Ekpe is now seen as a status symbol by many instead of an organization which should build discipline and character into its members. Today, there are more Seseskous in Ekpe than there are ordinary members. Ekpe has become another Indian military which has more generals and fewer foot soldiers. Once members of an organization erroneously see themselves as the cream of society, know that the society is doomed to failure and that is why morals have taken a nosedive in most Manyu communities around the world. Many of those who lead Ekpe lodges today are not worth their weight in gold and they are helping to spread moral corruption in our communities. With many Ekpe members back home caught up in the throes of humiliating poverty, they are selling those titles like young street boys in Mamfe selling peanuts. Poverty hardly breathes virtue and these poor custodians of our culture are being gaslit by those who have money, especially members of the Manyu Diaspora who are looking for recognition and validation.

Cameroon Concord News: You have been very blunt on the issue of Manyu development and Manyu organizations. Will you also be forthcoming when it comes to your involvement in politics in Cameroon? We are hearing that you may be a candidate in the upcoming senatorial or parliamentary elections in Cameroon. The news is all over Mamfe and this is creating some pain and joy within political circles in Mamfe. How true is that?

Dr Joachim Arrey: Thank you for asking this question. As you know, I am a passionate analyst and observer of Cameroon’s political landscape. I am of the view that Manyu needs bold, aggressive and determined politicians who can bring sustainable development to Manyu.  As the old generation fades away, Manyu should be preparing a new generation of knowledgeable and development-oriented politicians who will help to provide much-needed leadership in the development realm. What many people do not know is that I have been involved in Cameroon’s politics for more than 34 years and writing to sensitize the population is one of the many effective ways of engaging in politics. I write a lot and sometimes my thoughts get some attention. Instead of being prescriptive, I am always descriptive, making possible suggestions on how the numerous issues facing our country can addressed. I am happy to have this information from you. You are a journalist and I know you have your ears to the ground. If Cameroonians know that I can make significant contributions to efforts at addressing major problems back home, then that is really music to my ears. However, for now, I still have some unfinished business wherever I am and when the time comes; you will know my decision, that is, if the right conditions will be in place for me to participate. I am not the type who only criticizes. I like addressing issues and if I am given an opportunity to help my country, then I will like to use that opportunity to make Manyu a better place than I met it.  If and when I make that decision, I will let you know.

Cameroon Concord News: Thanks Dr. Arrey for sharing your thoughts. Any last remark?

Dr Joachim Arrey: Thanks for granting me access to the Concord Group. It is always a pleasure to share my thoughts with you. I would like to indicate that I will continue to be active in the writing and political landscape in Cameroon and I will encourage younger Manyu sons and daughters to be involved in politics. They should start early for them to start learning the ropes. They must know that if you want to move a mountain, you must start by moving stones. Life is a journey of learning and it would be in their best interest if they opened their minds. Have a day!

There is nothing which keeps young men with high libido busy like the presence of a new beautiful girl in town. That was exactly the reaction caused by EYUMEMA (a woman’s voice), the new Manyu organization which is, indeed, a break-away faction of a scandal-tainted MOHWA which has fallen into the hands of wannabe dictators in Cameroon.

Last Thursday, all roads led to Ohio, USA, as hundreds of Manyu women and girls travelled from many other states in the United States to demonstrate their support for this new organization which will surely give MOHWA a run for its money.

The number of Manyu women from other parts of the United States caused a shortage of expert nurses and caregivers in other American States, prompting care facilities in the United States to ask their remaining staff to work overtime.

It was not only the scarcity of caregivers in other states of the United States that was an issue, there was also a huge Ekpe delegation noted for its voluptuous appetite in Ihio to attend the event and it is rumored that after having devoured the food and drunk the expensive drinks served, Ekpe delegation members simply demonstrated once more that their role on earth was to eat and drink without delivering any meaningful development ideas which could help EYUMEMA embrace a new and development-oriented path which will make it different from other Manyu organizations which have continued to play their roles as talking workshops.

EYUMEMA, which is an offshoot of MOHWA USA,Inc, seems to have leaders with good heads on their shoulders. Under its former name, MOHWA USA Inc, EYUMEMA had undertaken to dig boreholes across Manyu Division.  Although the project has been implemented in some parts of Manyu, its results have been mixed as some of the boreholes are already out of service and there is an acute shortage of certified technicians to repair the troubling boreholes- a clear sign that no reliable and effective project study had been undertaken.

Maybe with a new name, EYUMEMA will learn how to finance projects, following standard project implementation rules. Every project has a cycle and lots of things get taken into consideration during the design phase.

EYUMEMA will do itself a world of good if it employs development experts who will design the projects and help with their implementation based on standard procedures and processes.

EYUMEMA must know that for its projects to be reliable and sustainable, it must have implementation and executing agencies on the ground for quality to be guaranteed. Its executing agency should automatically be the Mamfe Council which should host permanent technical staff who will produce project documents for EYUMEMA which will be the project owner.

EYUMEMA is a registered not-for-profit development organization which should be capable of raising concessional resources for development purposes in Manyu Division and well written project documents will convince donors that their money is being used for the purpose for which they are intended.

Every well written project appraisal report or project completion report must include sections on project sustainability, capacity building and lessons learned from previous projects. And there are many of such failed projects in Manyu Division.

EYUMEMA should also not be shy to collaborate with any other Manyu organization when it comes to implementing projects in Manyu. By doing so, both organizations will avoid duplication and a waste of scarce resources. Collaboration is key in development.

Development projects must be viewed as businesses which must stand the test of time and should create jobs for those living in the project area. Projects should never be seen as gifts and they should be managed by people with innovative and futuristic minds. If this is the path EYUMEMA wants to tread, then it will be hailed and admired, and it must make the Mamfe Council its greatest ally to ensure that there is an agency which is keeping an eye on their development initiatives.

EYUMEMA should never spare any resources when it comes to the effective implementation of its projects. It must invest in capacity building as there is a huge dearth of development capacity in Manyu. There are many capacity building experts in Cameroon who are helping the World Bank and the African Development Group with their capacity building projects. Some of these experts could lend a hand and their services could also be honorary depending upon how EYUMEMA presents itself.

EYUMEMA which has already won hearts and minds across the world, including in Cameroon, must tread a different path. Its launch this weekend has already created a massive division within MOHWA groups across the globe, with many women already lining up to sign up for EYUMEMA, the new beautiful and well-built girl in town.

EYUMEMA cannot afford to fail. It must be run as a corporate body with clear development objectives. It must come up with a think tank which should develop its project pipeline. There are experts standing by to provide their technical and intellectual input to ensure that Manyu gets a facelift.

The people of Manyu are admiring this new girl in town. They hope it will not end up as others where its development objectives get replaced with eating, drinking, dancing and show-off.

By Dr Joachim Arrey in Canada

In a decree issued on July 16, Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent, the head of the Mfoundi division, where the capital Yaoundé is situated, stated that “anyone who dangerously insults the [state] institutions or the person who embodies them,” could be banned from staying in the division. Djikdent issued this decree to “preserve public order.”

Two days later, René Emmanuel Sadi, the communication minister, issued a press release stating that “it is unacceptable for compatriots […] to use irreverent language” about the president Paul Biya “who was freely and overwhelmingly elected by his fellow citizens.”

The decree has rightly worried media professionals and opposition party leaders who have criticized it as a backwards step for the right to freedom of expression. These announcements are the latest in a series of troubling government decisions that appear to be aimed at stifling opposition and dissent ahead of the presidential elections in 2025.

In March, the territorial administration minister, Paul Atanga Nji, banned two opposition coalitions describing them as “clandestine movements.” In June, gendarmes in N’Gaoundéré, Adamawa region, arbitrarily rearrested Aboubacar Siddiki, known as Babadjo, a prominent artist and member of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (Union nationale pour la démocratie et le progrès), moments after he was released from prison following a three-month sentence for insulting a governor. In July, Cameroon’s national assembly passed a law extending its members’ term in office until March 2026, and postponing parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2025; a move opposition parties argue will make it harder for them to succeed in the presidential elections, which are still scheduled to take place in 2025. The incumbent president, Paul Biya, 91, is serving his seventh term, having come to power in 1982. He was last reelected in 2018 after a contested vote that sparked a wave of political repression.

Under international human rights law, the right to free speech may be restricted only on limited grounds, such as national security or to protect the rights of others, and even then, restrictions must be necessary, proportionate, and not discriminate. The divisional decree includes provisions that don’t meet this threshold and could be used to target critics discriminately and violate rights. As elections approach, authorities should fully respect the freedom of expression of all Cameroonians and revoke this decree.

Source: Human Rights Watch

The recent incidents of taxis being burned on our streets are deeply troubling. Taxis represent not just a mode of transportation but a vital source of livelihood for many in our communities in Ambazonia. These acts of destruction do not advance the cause of liberation or justice; instead, they harm the very people we seek to uplift and support. The very people we are fighting to liberate from black-on-black colonialism, invasion, looting of our natural resources, rape, torture and crimes against humanity committed by Paul Biya, his government and the military of French Cameroun.

As stakeholders in the revolution, we must desist from, and be accountable to attitudes and actions that ignite and cause more harm and add grave pains to our already suffering masses on the ground. The unfortunate and insipid attitudes and actions towards our own taxi drivers have resulted in the burning of taxis and other forms of destructions, with negative ramifications on the core ideals that inspired us to rise up as a people and defend ourselves against an oppressive and repugnant French Cameroun regime.

Our fight for the liberation of our country must be rooted in principles of dignity, respect, and unity. Violence and the destruction of property belonging to those whom we claim are our own, only serve to divide us and undermine our collective efforts. The burning of taxis is a direct attack on the hardworking individuals who rely on these vehicles to support their families and contribute to our economy.

We condemn these heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Ambazonians, and we will not tolerate any form of violence or intimidation against our own people. These criminal gangs seek to create fear and chaos, but we stand united in our resolve to fight back and redirect our focus of the revolution against the principal enemy, French Cameroun.

We call on all members of our communities on ground zero to channel their frustrations and energies into constructive actions that build, rather than destroy. Let us engage in peaceful dialogue amongst us, especially those on the ground that are affected the most; organized advocacy, and community-driven initiatives that reflect our shared values and aspirations for a better future for us and generations to come.

Our path to liberation requires resilience, solidarity, and a commitment to non-violence against our already suffering and impoverished masses. Let us stand together, protect our sources of livelihood, and work towards meaningful change that benefits all our people. We stand with our people on ground Zero and we will continue to work hard to defend our interests and aspirations of a free and prosperous homeland. God bless Ambazonia.

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Ambazonia

Aging gracefully is not about trying to look like a 16 or a 20-something — it’s about living your best life and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it.

But when you are over ninety years and you have been in power for forty-two years and there is nothing to show for such a long stay in office. When your incompetence is legendary and when you have used intimidation and trickery to keep your people in utter silence. At 92, it is evidently clear that you are aging disgracefully. This is the story of Paul Biya, the Cameroonian dictator.

Cameroon’s per capita income is dwindling at catastrophic rapidity and President Biya’s personal clock is ticking away at lightning speed, yet no one in Yaoundé is speaking of an adequate plan for a peaceful transition of power.

Paul Biya is already 92, he is still the President of the Republic and his acolytes are pushing for him to continue beyond 2025. Biya’s seniority makes King Charles of Great Britain and the UN secretary-general António Guterres look middle-aged at 75.

Many in Yaoundé are now questioning Biya’s sanity and quips about him being compos mentis are intensifying deep within his ruling party the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM).

In his 42 years as president of the republic, Biya has been undeniably, over the hill and far away from the Cameroonian people.

Take a look at his record: Cameroon’s economy is on life support. Almost every sector has been hit hard by the corruption which has become the government’s hallmark.

Unemployment has hit its apex, leaving many young Cameroonians desperate. Many have found solace in alcohol and drugs.

The country is bereft of all forms of infrastructure. Thousands of Cameroonians die each year on what passes off as roads.

The country’s lone air career, CAMER-Co, has only one airliner and most of its staffs are hardly sure of the next paycheck.

Camrail, the railway network which once brought goods and people to nearly every town and city, is today a shadow of its former self.

The architects of Cameroon Airlines’ demise, who are still in power, displayed the same mindset and destroyed Camship-Cameroon Shipping Company, Cameroon Bank, BIAO Meridian Bank and FONADER Bank.

The price of beer and other bottled concoctions are determined by decrees issued by Mr. Biya whose cardinal objective even at 92 is to die in power.

The country’s police and military have been tribalized. Once ordered to operate in other regions of the country, the military goes crazy, killing and maiming anything with flesh and blood. Most senior officials of the country’s military are from the president’s region, making it hard for any coup d’état to be planned.

There is an inherent fear in electing young leaders in the ruling CPDM party at a time and age when leaders in this critical sphere of human life should be in a position to represent the interests of the major cohort of their citizenry.

On state radio and television, Biya loyalists have repeatedly said life begins at 70 for CPDM politicians. The one million dollar question is with more than half of Cameroon’s population under the age of 30, how can they possibly relate to this massive proportion of their citizenry?

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: “Politics is weird because it’s the only business where you give a really important position to someone with no qualifications.”

If it were not for politics, what would Biya and his gang turn to for an income in a Cameroon devoid of economic opportunities? What useful skills do Biya and his Beti-Bulu gang possess? What are they actually qualified to do, outside of politics? The answer is simple-nothing.

The fact that young Cameroonians girls have been reduced to prostitutes by hunger and poverty under his watchful eyes, we of the Concord Group have come to the conclusion that Biya is aging disgracefully.

By staff lady Besong Eunice Nchong

Not many in the international community are paying attention, but Cameroon, a once prosperous nation, is inching closer to an implosion. A storm of epic proportion is gathering in Cameroon.

With the country’s long-serving and narcissistic president, Paul Biya, quietly being elbowed out of power by members of his inner circle who are misusing power and misappropriating the country’s resources, it is becoming clear that the country’s 30-million population is being manipulated by a bunch of people with a secret agenda.

Paul Biya is over ninety years and he has been in power for forty-two years and there is very little to show for such a long stay in power.  His incompetence is legendary and during his time in power, he has used intimidation and trickery to keep the people in utter silence.

The country is bereft of all forms of infrastructure. Thousands of Cameroonians die each year on what passes off as roads in Cameroon. The railway network, which once brought goods and people to the country’s towns and cities, is today a shadow of its former self.

The country’s lone air career, Camerco, has just one airliner and most of the career’s staff are hardly sure of the next paycheck. Mismanagement and corruption had earlier put Cameroon Airlines, Camerco’s predecessor, out of business due to the government’s mismanagement and poor policies and Camerco is very likely to face the same fate. Old habits die hard and the architects of Cameroon Airlines’ demise are still in power, displaying the same mindset which killed Cameroon Airlines.

The country’s economy is on life support. Almost every sector has been hit hard by the corruption which has become the government’s hallmark. The economy is in the throes of a painful economic crisis which has emasculated the population.

It is easier to find a dog’s tears than to find a job in Cameroon. Unemployment has hit its apex, leaving many young Cameroonians desperate. Many have found solace in alcohol and drugs, and the breweries are making a fortune out of desperate and alcohol-loving Cameroonians.

The government understands the importance of alcohol in Cameroon. It knows that with alcohol, it can control Cameroonians and it is using these liquids to keep them subservient. A typical Cameroonian is permanently under influence, thereby robbing him of the power to think properly and out of the box. In Cameroon, the price of beer and other bottled concoctions are determined by decrees issued by the head(ache) of state whose cardinal objective even at 92 is to die in power.

Most of the country’s youths are looking outwards for solutions to their humbling problems and misfortunes, hoping that someday, they will find a way out of their country. Many hold that their government has disappointed them, but the government’s autocratic implementation of laws and tough crackdowns on dissenting voices are deterring any young men who might think of taking their grievances to the public square.

The country’s police and military have been tribalized. Once ordered to operate in other regions of the country, the military goes crazy, killing and maiming anything with flesh and blood. Most senior officials of the country’s military are from the president’s region, making it hard for any coup d’état to be planned.

Cameroonians have been zombified. Theirs is the kingdom of alcohol and prayers. A brand new economic sector has popped up – churches. Unfortunately, this sector is not driving funds to government coffers because the conmen running this scams are also in need of money. They hold that their need for money is greater than the government’s.

The so-called men of God are desperate for money and are not leaving any stone unturned when it comes to pressuring their followers into paying tithes. The sick and unemployed are flocking to those churches in the hope that a miracle could occur, enabling them to witness a different lifestyle.

But prayers alone are not helping them. Their desperation is growing by the day but they must pay their tithes or take their prayers and problems to somewhere else.

According to these dishonest men of God, it costs money to get in touch with God and it is even costlier to tell God to solve a problem, a great departure from what traditional churches used to preach.

Stress has triggered huge health problems in Cameroon. Heart and kidney problems are commonplace today. The poor and sick do not have the right resources to go to government hospitals which are more of consultation clinics.

The doctors are underpaid and many, if not all of them, take on second jobs  in private clinics just to make ends meet. Cameroonians are dying like flies or mosquitoes on which repellent has been sprayed. Hunger and diseases are driving young Cameroonians to an early grave, but the government is simply indifferent to their plight.

Young girls have been reduced to prostitutes by hunger and poverty. Nothing disarms a person morally like poverty and this can clearly been seen in Cameroon where young able-bodied men and women have been caged in silence due to degrading poverty.

But the real bomb will go off once Mr. Biya dies. His collaborators are already fighting. Factions have developed within the government and the fight between the FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, and the country’s Sports Minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, is just a foretaste of what will play out once Mr. Biya exits.

For now, nobody is seeking to defuse the bomb. Though almost brain dead, Mr. Biya is still in charge and he is the only person authorized by the country’s poorly designed constitution to make policies and decisions for the country.

The time bomb is still ticking and many Cameroonians are still drinking themselves into a stupor, oblivious of the disaster that is staring them in the face.

By Staffman Alain Agbor Ebot in Douala