By Njodzeka Danhatu
Former Supreme Court Judge, Chief Justice Ayah Paul Abine, has lashed out the National Bilingualism and Multiculturalism Commission, otherwise known as the Musonge Commission, on its recent outing proposing a ban on the two words ‘Anglophone, Francophone’ from Cameroon.
The former President of Popular Action Party, PAP, made his criticism on April 29, saying that the renunciation of those two words is like calling for an end to the Central Africa Nation.
“They are often referred to, as Anglophones (English-speaking), and Francophones (French-speaking), respectively. Calling for a Camerouoon without the two communities is calling for the end of Camerouoon – the parting of the two entities,” he stated
According to the legal mind, by renouncing those words, Musonge is, in another way, tagging his boss a ‘secessionist’. “Such a direct call could displease his master or even incense him to the point of treating Pa as a ‘secessionniste’. Using his elderly wisdom, Pa PM has had to go subtle: Mr. President, procure your parliament, almost, but not exactly, like in 1984, to enact a law bringing into existence a new nation to the exclusion of both the ‘Anglophones’ and the ‘Francophones’!” Ayah slammed.
The former CPDM MP then asked why Musonge had to wait until he was hired before proposing it.
“The situation has been rendered far more urgent and the urge to action wholly irresistible the day Pa Victor Mukete reincarnated the ‘wirbaforce’ with rare audacity on the floor of the
Senate. If Pa Musonge waited till now to follow suite, it was, firstly, because, unlike Pa Mukete, he no longer has any Parliamentary immunity. In the second place, there was the need to craft a way to polish off sensitivities in confrontational presentation. Also, was it most probable the need to wait till Pa and his team had appropriated for themselves the new luxurious vehicles acquired for their commission. With that securely done, the time for action is now fully ripe!” he said.
To Ayah, some people might be venting their anger on VE Mukete for his utterances because they have taken his words literally. Hear him “Pa knows that it is inextricably entrenched in history that Camerouoon comprises two Camerou(oo)n”
In the meantime, the recently sworn-in Barrister has observed that, by using the word Francophone adding to Anglophone is just to deceive people “The inclusion of FRANCOPHONES this time around makes all the difference in comparative terms. BUT in actual fact, the inclusion is merely in the furtherance of the subtlety and for further camouflage”
Meanwhile, Former Bar Council President, Barrister Akere Muna, has equally seen the statement made by the commission as leaving the substance and chasing the shadow. Akere tweeted: “The Bi-cultural Commission proposes the banning of the use of the words, “Francophone” and “Anglophone”. So, do we quit the Francophonie? It is now a definition universally used to identify these two groups. Here we go again forsaking the substance for the shadow.”
