There is an art to surviving disappointment, but you wouldn’t know it from consuming the arts and culture of the Twenties.

We seem to be hostages of an era of corrosive optimism which is allergic to complexity and intellect, and disappointment too.

The prophet Orwell warned us about this type of society and its dangerous simplicities.

In the political sphere, thoughtful critique and debate were once valued as markers of a healthy society. Now we are left with thin-skinned governments and a tendency towards sociopathic leadership all over the world.

Capitalist media owners have contributed by dropping standards for news, stranding us all in a weird space where any mention of real problems on the part of citizens is seen as an attack on government.

In the worst cases, criticism is framed by the powers that be as a form of treachery.

And yet, people still practise journalism in such an environment. What’s going on here?

I remember my first impression of real-life journalists; it was not very good. They’re nothing like the heroes in the movies, I thought, observing their sharp gazes and reticent tongues.

Why aren’t they out there saving the world with their flaming prose of social justice! What a grim bunch of cynics, I thought. I will never become like that, I thought.

I had no idea of what it takes to persevere in a profession that is utterly idealistic at its core. It turns out that journalists are a case study in how to cope with disappointment not only in one’s individual life— it’s a tough gig— but also in society as a whole.

Well. Journalists and Socialists, actually, and here I am aspiring to be one or possibly both when I grow up.

This past week I have been relying on what I have learned over time from the wisdom of journalists and the interminable motivation of modern-day socialists.

Comments made by my Head of State in response to the killing of the Chadema politician Ali Kibao during a celebration of the police were unexpected, bracing.

It was giving ‘Je suis l’etat.’ It was an unapologetic reminder that the state has the monopoly on the means of violence, and it will justify using it… against civilians.

It is now time to sit back, exhale and begin the process of embracing the massive disappointment of having invested support and belief in the current iteration of the government of Tanzania, only to discover that it was old ghosts in newly tailored Ujamaa kitenges. Old threats in new speeches. I know I am not alone at this crossroads.

The sharp gazes and reticent tongues of journalists now look like resilience to me. After all they are still doing this largely thankless job.

Veterans and old socialists have a stoic patience and deliciously dark sense of humour that quietly teaches.

This is what it looks like to survive the death of your hopes and dreams for your country. I don’t know why knowing this is therapeutic, but it is, so I am sharing it here.

There is an art to surviving disappointment. It consists of indomitable— even defiant — optimism and comes with a sharp gaze and reticent tongue.

Tomorrow — maybe next week or next year, it needs time— this too shall pass and hope will come again.

Culled from The East African

It was a balmy summer night in 2020, shortly after the lifting of Germany’s first COVID-19 lockdown, and Omar Diallo and two friends from his home country of Guinea wanted to celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice.

“We were enjoying life, playing music, walking through the city at night — we just wanted to be together again and have a good time,” Diallo, 22, told The Associated Press in Erfurt, in the eastern state of Thuringia.

He was not prepared for how the day would end. Suddenly Diallo and his friends were confronted by three black-clad white men.

“They were shouting: ‘What do you want here, f-——- foreigners, get out’!” Diallo remembered.

“First there were three, then five, seven — they were surrounding us from all sides. We couldn’t run away, and then they started chasing us,” he said.

At some point Diallo managed to call the police, and when the officers finally arrived, the attackers ran away. One of his friends was beaten up so badly that he had to be hospitalized.

“I simply tried to survive,” Diallo said. “I hadn’t done anything wrong. It all happened only because of my skin color.”

Being Black in Germany has always meant exposure to racism, from everyday humiliations to deadly attacks. In eastern Germany, the risk can be even greater.

After World War II, West Germany became a democratic, diverse society but in East Germany, which was run by a communist dictatorship until the end of 1989, residents barely had any contact with people of different ethnicities and were not allowed to travel freely abroad.

Experts say that specifically in Thuringia, radical far-right forces have created an environment that’s hostile toward minorities, including Black people.

Now, with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, Black Germans and African migrants like Diallo are growing increasingly concerned.

Thuringia, which has a population of 2.1 million,holds state elections on Sept. 1, and the fiercely anti-immigration AfD is leading the polls, on 30%.

In 2023, the NGO Ezra, which helps victims of far-right, racist and antisemitic violence, documented 85 racist attacks in Thuringia, down only slightly from 88 attacks in 2022, which Ezra described as “an all-time high of right-wing and racist violence” in the state.

“In recent years, an extreme right-wing movement has formed in Thuringia, which has contributed to a noticeable ideological radicalization of its followers. Politically, the Alternative for Germany party is the main beneficiary,” Ezra and a consortium of organizations tracking racism wrote in their annual report.

AfD’s Thuringia branch is particularly radical and was put under official surveillance by the domestic intelligence service four years ago as a “proven right-wing extremist” group.

“Authoritarian and populist forces, which are becoming very strong here now, harbor a great danger in Thuringia,” says Doreen Denstaedt, Thuringia’s minister for migration, justice and consumer protection.

Denstaedt, the daughter of a Black father from Tanzania and a white German mother, was born and grew up in Thuringia.

The 46-year-old member of the Green party said that growing up in Communist East Germany, she was “always the only Black child.” As a teenager, she was never allowed to go home on her own because of the risk of racist attacks, and she sometimes suffered racist slurs in her school.

“I actually experienced myself that people called me a foreigner, which really confused me at first, because I was born in Saalfeld” in Thuringia, Denstaedt said.

She fears that in the current political climate, racist narratives will become acceptable in the middle of society.

“My biggest concern is that people do not question (these prejudices), especially if they are not affected themselves,” she said.

It’s not exactly clear how many Black people live in Germany nowadays, as different ethnicities are not documented in official statistics, but estimates put the number of people of African descent at 1.27 million. More than 70% were born in Germany, according to Mediendienst Integration, which tracks migration issues in the country.

Germany’s history of racial discrimination begins long before the Nazis began excluding, deporting and ultimately murdering Black people in the 1930s and 1940s.

The German Empire held numerous colonies in Africa from 1884 until the end of World War I. These included territories in present-day Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Namibia, Cameroon, Togo and Ghana.

The German government has only recently started dealing with the injustices committed during that period. In 2021, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Germans to face the country’s cruel colonial past, and in 2023, he apologized for colonial-era killings in Tanzania over a century ago.

Daniel Egbe, a 58-year-old chemist from Cameroon who moved to Thuringia in 1994 to study, says he’s shocked how little Germans know about their colonial history. He says this ignorance may also factor into the unequal treatment of Black people.

“I’ve been teaching classes in school,” Egbe told the AP. “I tell them a bit about myself and especially the fact that Cameroon was a German colony. Many students don’t know anything about Africa or about the German past and it must be put on the map.”

Egbe, who took German citizenship in 2003, founded AMAH, an organization that helps university students and migrants from Africa when they experience discrimination in the city of Jena, in eastern Thuringia.

He’s worried about the rise of the AfD but has no intention of leaving.

“We won’t leave, we will do our part to change this society,” he said. “People are mostly afraid of what and who they don’t know. We have to change things through education.”

As for Diallo, the Guinean who was attacked in Erfurt four years ago, he also vowed to help improve the situation for Black people in Germany.

Even though the attack traumatized him, it also empowered him to fight for justice, he said. A year ago, he enrolled in university in Munich to study law, but he still visits Erfurt frequently, where he supports Youth without Borders, a network of young migrants.

“I don’t exactly know yet how I’m going to change Germany, but I know I will,” he said.

Culled from AP

Dear Assibong,

I have gone through your conglomeration of bunkum and from every indication, you are one of the few students my late father taught and whose sound English language skills did not have an impact on. I would suggest you go back to the English language lessons my father, a man noted for his great language skills, delivered to you. My dad should be unhappy today in Heaven after having read the mess you published.

Cameroon Concord News Group wishes it could say “rest in peace MOWAH”. But we of the Concord Group can only say, “may there be more peace for all Manyu women all over the world, now that thousands of them have retired the name MOWAH permanently”. EYUMEMA and NYENE MAWN have come to stay.

As Chairman and Editor-In-Chief of the Concord Group, I am, indeed, doing my family and me a huge disservice by glorifying your stupidity and madness by sending a reply to this new version of your old nonsense.

Your disjointed ideas and lack of lucidity in the narration of a story you know nothing about only makes you look like a true buffoon which should be used as a circus animal.

If anyone has been deceiving you that you are impressing anybody with this your piece of writing which belongs to a garbage bin, know that such a person does not love you.

You seem to be extolling the virtues of poverty, but to the best of my knowledge, poverty is only romantic in books. Your dad might have been popular in the land of the blind in those days, but today, ignorance and poverty cannot be condoned. Stop extolling poverty.

Let me lecture you on something. As the president of MOHWA, your sister Comfort Beyang jumped into the spotlight and when you embrace the spotlight, you open yourself up for criticism when you err on the side of manipulation and dictatorship. It was her stewardship as the MOHWA president that was called into question and not the poverty that has been stalking your family for decades.

If you were born into poverty, that is not your problem, but if you die in it, then you deserve a lot of blame. But this does not imply that you must rob others of their wealth just to become wealthy or engage in unorthodox sexual behavior to escape, even for a day, from the grip of poverty. You should know what I am talking about.

The last time I checked, the Catholic Church had not launched a complaint against my kid brother and the Catholic Church is a well established body with effective and efficient institutions designed to find out the truth.

I cannot remember anytime I was in the Mfoundi court and I never saw my mother crying on the streets of Yaoundé, a city she does not even know as you claim. When you listen to those stories, make sure you understand what you are being told. Don’t be selective in your understanding of events.

I have one piece of advice for you. Please go back to school and stop giving my late dad a bad name. Anybody who was my dad’s student knows how to write sound English. This your piece of nonsense speaks to how preposterous you were in school. Never tell anyone that my dad of blessed memory was your teacher. You have spoiled my dad’s day in Heaven with this piece of nonsense. I also hope Germans will also understand your own version of English as it is not of this world.

Yours truly

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

In my next write up on Assibong, I will examine seriously the stories of him being a gay man who came back from Brazil and was trafficking in fake gold and made some money which he used to build a house at Rond Point in Douala. He couldn’t maintain the house and had to transform it into an auberge for evil men to come and have quickies.

As Manyu Division faces leadership issues, it is emerging that without a selfless and responsible leader, Manyu, a division struggling with development issues, will never make any giant strides forward if a young, dynamic and experienced leader does not emerge from the crowd of people waiting in the wings to lead the  most difficult political constituency in Cameroon.

While Manyu Division is endowed with many academically bright personalities, it is becoming obvious that academic brilliance alone will not take Manyus to the land of promise. Leadership is key and support for leaders is essential.

Senior political commentators both in Yaoundé and in the diaspora have opined that Manyu needs youthful leadership that is capable of pointing the Division in the right direction. Such leadership should be selfless, determined and audacious if the Division has to head in a different development direction.

Over the last several years, Manyu has not really had its fair share of appointments in government and this has adversely impacted the Division when it comes to development.

Manyu development issues have been compounded over the years by the devastating war of liberation of Southern Cameroons which has ruined many lives, leaving many children in rural Manyu without the education they need to face an uncertain future.

In that crowd of Manyu son and daughters ready to take a top government position to give Manyu a new lease on life is Victor Mengot, currently in charge of special duties at the presidency. As the fighting played out, Mengot did not fold his hands waiting for the government to address all the concerns. Though a victim of the fighting, following the razing of his home in his native Mbijong, Mengot sought peaceful solutions to the problem.

In his own way and in synergy with other Manyu elites, the Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency expressed his opinion on how to address the crisis, sometimes leading peaceful efforts at addressing the problems which has made Southern Cameroons ungovernable, especially in his native Manyu Division.  He maintains that solutions to the crisis have to be sought from home – community after community.

“Systematically, we want to tackle the problem from the roots… each community should identify theirs who are taking part in the crisis and find a way to bring them back on the rails,” he said on state media.

He pointed out that a community-centered strategic plan of action had to include monitoring the activities of outlaws and secessionists as well as push through the virtues of dialogue and harmonious co-existence.

Mengot stressed that the government plan is geared towards bringing peace to our villages and communities. He furthered that Manyus know that the people who have been disturbing the peace are our children. “They have been kidnapping, burning houses and structures. Our communities are suffering; the economy of our region has deteriorated to the level where we don’t know how many years we will take to bring back the level it was in 2016.”

But Minister Victor Mengot’s demonstration of leadership did not only end with words. When the Mamfe District hospital was razed, Victor Mengot immediately mobilized the Manyu community in Cameroon and much money was raised to alleviate the pain of the suffering masses. He understood the importance of that hospital to the people of Manyu and behind the scenes; he called on other Manyu elites to join his fundraising efforts. 

That was a demonstration of leadership. Though imperfect, Mengot continues to do his best and his leadership needs help from the people of Manyu. Manyus should stand behind Mengot for him to continue displaying such leadership skills which can help give Manyu a shot in the arm.

Perfect people do not exist on earth and only seeing a man’s weaknesses does not bode well for a Division like Manyu whose politicians are already declining in strength and are gradually leaving the political arena due to age.

While other people may be jockeying in Yaoundé to jump into the spotlight, Manyus must understand that those who have the experience of working in government and providing leadership are usually the most appropriate to point the people in the right direction.

Manyu needs development. Its infrastructure is falling apart. The people are looking at their political elite to point them in the right direction. For now, Minister Victor Mengot has to play that role and the people of Manyu should stand by him in the interest of the Division. Seeking to contest his leadership only weakens the Division’s chances of having someone in a key position in government.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with editorial input from Dr. Joachim Arrey

Over the last few weeks, Manyu and its development issues have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and many people of Manyu descent have been asking if Manyu will ever know better days, especially as its divisional groupings such as MOHWA which are supposed to be development agencies have been collapsing. MOHWA had given the people of Manyu a lot of hope but in recent times, the organization has been caught up in scandals which have caused the organization to explode into multiple pieces with new organizations such as EYUMEMA and NYENE MAWN popping up. The Cameroon Concord News has been a committed spectator of the MOHWA drama and its Group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai, has focused on MOHWA’s unfortunate downward spiral. To let the readers of Cameroon Concord News gain a better understanding of the issue, our staff man, Alain Agbor Ebot, reached out to Mr. Agbaw-Ebai who shed more light on those issues which have put MOHWA in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and he had this to say.

Cameroon Concord News: Mr. Chairman, you are always passionate about Manyu development and you hold that only the people of Manyu can engineer their own development. How do you think such development could be brought about?

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: Thank you for granting me the opportunity to share my thoughts with our readers. I am used to asking questions but this time around, I am bound to answer questions from another journalist. As you may know, Manyu Division is blessed with fine intellectual and academic minds but despite the availability of these resources, the Division is not making giant strides forward in terms of development. In many parts of the world, educated human resources represent a huge development of assets but in Manyu Division, education has unfortunately become a huge liability which is hurting the Division in a big and bad way. It is hard for people of Manyu descent to actually pool their resources to achieve something meaningful in their division. It is one Division in Cameroon wherein almost everyone thinks he is more intelligent than the other and this makes it hard for our people to work together. This unfortunate situation has really gotten worse over the years as a bunch of Ph.D holders and those with traditional titles like Seseskou have become a bane on the Division. Having a title in Manyu Division unfortunately implies that the title holder is the most intelligent. This is not true and the people of Manyu must change this mindset if they have to engineer real development in their own part of the world. Groupings like EYUMEMA, NYENE MAWN, MOHWA and others must step up to the plate to play their development roles. They need selfless and unassuming leaders who can unite the people for development purposes.

Cameroon Concord News: This leads us to the issue of MOHWA which has been your focus over the last week. What is the issue with MOHWA?

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: MOHWA has been the hope of the people of Manyu for decades. When created some decades ago, it was to enable Manyu women to socialize and for the older women to share their wisdom with the younger ones. This made it possible for traditional wisdom to be preserved and used for a limited development purpose. But over the years, following the migration of many women of Manyu descent to many parts of the world, MOHWA had to go global and many people saw it as a key development instrument. Under previous leaderships, scandals were rare and the development function was executed smoothly. Unfortunately, this seamless operation cannot continue for too long as greed, manipulation and self-aggrandizement have taken centre stage. MOHWA’s current leadership has been involved in unholy and undemocratic ways of running an association and this has caused outrage among the people of Manyu. The current MOHWA president, Comfort Beyang Ojongmpot, has been accused of financial malfeasance, dictatorship and manipulation by some current and former MOHWA members who are totally disappointed with the way MOHWA is being run. Despite our attempts to get MOHWA, which has been diminished by multiple breakaways, to clear itself of these allegations, the MOHWA president and her surrogates, have demonstrated that they do not care about the disaster they have engineered for MOHWA. True leadership is selfless, attentive and responsive. From their behavior, it could be deduced that they are only concerned about the money that is being generated abroad and sent back home for them to manage and that governance means little or nothing to them. The formation of EYUMEMA and NYENE MAWN are great testimonies to the chaos playing out in MOHWA and, from every indication, the worst is yet to happen. Many MOHWA members have left the organization and they are talking. Those who hold that MOHWA can still be relevant are looking forward to the day the current leadership will yield to the enormous pressure that is on Comfort Beyang Ojongmpot who has fallen short of the people’s glorious expectations.

Cameroon Concord News: I have read some reactions from some people who hold that the Cameroon Concord News Group is doing someone’s bidding and that you, in particular, have been paid to run down the image of MOHWA and its president. What do you make of this?

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: Thanks indeed for this important question. As you know, journalism is not a business wherein journalists go to seek love. A journalist is a whistle-blower, a teacher, an informant and, in an organized system, he could be an undercover agent.  A journalist does not create stories, he reports events and ensures that the voiceless have a platform on which they can tell their stories. A good journalist should have great sources and it is his duty to protect those sources. If anybody says that I am being paid, then that person already acknowledges that I am a good writer and a journalist whose work is attracting readers and attention. People just don’t distribute money if they do not find your services useful.  I think that those who think I am getting paid for rendering such quality services should rather demonstrate their innocence by providing evidence which will make mincemeat of the allegations leveled against MOHWA and its president. The onus is on MOHWA and its president to demonstrate that all the allegations are unfounded. Leaving the issues unaddressed and chasing shadows will not, in any way, rebuild MOHWA’s shattered image. I am not doing anybody’s bidding. I am doing Manyu’s bidding. Things must be done differently in Manyu if that division has to make giant strides forward. 

 Cameroon Concord News: Some of your critics even say you are unemployed and that may be why you have the time to be writing.

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: My dear friend, ignorance is bliss for the stupid. I am running a media empire which keeps me busy. If journalism is not a job, what then is it? Do I need to be found in a nursing home taking care of old or mentally sick people for me to be considered a worker? The world has changed and many of our people are unfortunately not adjusting to the changing times. With technology, certain professionals do not need other people’s offices for them to do what they like. A translator, a technical writer, a journalist, an editor and many others do not need to be running around like neckless chicken to make a living. Having a strong and good pen these days can deliver to you the best possible life. I happen to be working for an organization which knows how to raise funds online and I would like to hail the Board Members of Cameroon Concord News Group, especially Board Chairman and majority shareholder, Dr. Joachim Arrey, whose ability to bring money to the organization I lead is mind-blowing. The Board of my organization has structured the organization in such a way that many advertisers get attracted to what we do and the quality of writing is exceptional. We have correspondents across Cameroon and sometimes we pay journalists in other parts of the world to cover events for us. We do sometimes pay sister organizations to get any information we find useful on their websites. During the Southern Cameroons Crisis, the Cameroon Concord News Group was the only organization which had correspondents in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon and we brought news about the horrors taking place in Southern Cameroons to our audiences in real time. We were admired by many and those who think today that journalism is not a profession hailed us when we were criticizing the government of Cameroon for its atrocities on English-speaking Cameroonians. Those who are casting slurs on me and my organization are simply unaware of how we operate. If they can criticize the work I do, then it implies that they are reading what I am writing. Instead of disliking them for their insults, I think I should admire them for their insatiable quest for the knowledge I am sharing. They should know that each time they click on our website; they only make it possible for my organization to make more money.  I will not trade my job for anything else. Journalism is a lucrative venture and writing comes to me easily. I don’t need to be a nurse or a factory worker for me to earn money.

Cameroon Concord News: So, what is next?

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: We are going to continue with our coverage of Cameroonian organizations and we will continue to encourage those who are doing the right thing while exposing those who engage in irresponsible behavior. We have given MOHWA the opportunity to share its perspective with us, but all of its members who have been protesting are media-shy. Either they do not know how to draft their story or they do not have much to say, and such behavior is symptomatic of guilt. We have even sent messages to some of their objective and responsible members but they have not replied to our messages. Are they hiding anything? Next weekend, our correspondent in Belgium will be covering the launch of NYENE MAWN which may be that proverbial nail into MOHWA’s coffin and we will be bringing the stories to our readers in real time. We will also focus on MOHWA whose leaders have yet to come to terms with the fact that they are no longer relevant.  They have to do the right thing or they will end up with an empty shell on their hands as the bad press is diminishing their ranks.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your time. Any last word?

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai: Thank you once more for granting me this opportunity for me to share more insight into the MOHWA saga with our readers. As a journalist, I would like to point out that writers neither hate nor love people just because they are close to them. As journalists, we have a key role to play – exposing those things which retard progress in any society. Those who think I hate MOHWA and its president are mistaken. If they organize any major event today, I will send my writers there for them to cover the event free of charge. They need to be media-friendly and this implies doing the right thing. Once more, thank you!

The Cameroon Concord News Group Editorial Board has received messages from some MOHWA Cameroon members contesting the allegations in the Cameroon Concord News’ Editorial titled MOHWA: Rudderless Ship wherein many former and current members of MOHWA have expressed their minds about the ongoing disintegration of MOHWA, a once beacon of hope which is currently plagued by major leadership issues.

The Cameroon Concord News Group’s editorial board stands by its publication and its author whose investigative journalism skills are unquestionable. The Cameroon Concord News urges whoever disagrees with those allegations to send a rejoinder or submit a request for an in-depth interview of key figures of MOHWA.

The Cameroon Concord News is willing and ready to get MOHWA’s version of the story out there.

As we write, more people are sending their own allegations which will be published subsequently.

However, Cameroon Concord News is waiting for an official request from MOHWA.

Thanks

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

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!