Two Years After Major National Dialogue: Achievements That Speak!

Following the outbreak of the Anglophone Crisis in the two English speaking regions in October 2016, the government decided to address issues that intensified the crisis. A move that was followed by the creation of commissions in the educational and legal sectors where their concerns were tabled. 

Convened by the Head of State, H.E President Paul Biya, the Major National Dialogue held at the Yaoundé Conference Center. This historic event which brought together Cameroonians from local communities, villages, urban areas and the diaspora, lasted from September 30 2019 to October 4th 2019. 

Paul BIYA, President of the Republic of Cameroon

With this opportunity granted to teachers and lawyers, they stated their grievances such as; the ambiguity on the higher education law of April 2001 regarding entry conditions and qualifications for students, low subvention to lay private and confessional schools and high taxes on education availability of the OHADA law in English restitution of lawyers robes and wigs.

2 years since the convening of the Major National Dialogue, 52 of these resolutions have been met with some bringing in new institutions to national life.

Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, Cameroon's Prime Minister speaking at the National dialogue

So far with regards to the complaints tabled by lawyers and teachers, achievements have been made by the Head of State H. E Paul Biya to make sure through the National Dialogue, solutions are provided. Through the dialogue teachers have been dispatched into the two English speaking regions by the Minister of Secondary Education, the dispatch of French speaking lecturers who are not fluent with English from the Universities of Bamenda and Buea. 

Governments actions upon grievances

Also the persecution of officers involved in brutalization of lawyers, with lawyers robes and wigs that were seized by the police were effectively handed back just to name but a few of the.

Governments actions upon grievances

The Major National Dialogue proposed the creation of a special status for the North West and South West regions. This was adopted and inserted in Law No 2019/024 of the 24th December 2019 to institute the General code of Regional and local authorities.

Governments actions upon grievances

This law grants a special status to the North West and South West regions with the Presidents of the Regional Executive councils becoming the Chief Executive officers of their regions. Furthermore, Public independent conciliators have already been appointed to these regions. They have as mandate to arbitrate  between users of council services and the councils concerned where there is a dispute or violation of rights.

Governments actions upon grievances

To further ensure that the over centralization of power becomes a thing of the past, the law gives room for 15% of the state budget to be devolved to the regions. As at now some 30 billion francs CFA have been devolved to kick start the activities of the Regional councils.

Governments actions upon grievances

Moreso, the government went forward to create a school for the training of local administrators who will hence assist in the delivery of council activities known as NASLA- National school of Local Administration based in Buea.

In the Judicial sector, a common law bench has already been created at the Supreme Court. The OHADA uniform act has also been translated into the English language.

Governments actions upon grievances

Those of this Corp await the creation of a law school and the recruitment of specialised interpreters in courts.

The fight against the slowness of Judicial procedures, the creation of the National Commission for the promotion of Bilingualism and multiculturalism, recruitment of 1000 bilingual teachers specialized in science and technology are other steps taken by government to arrest the current impasse in the North West and South West regions.

Governments actions upon grievances

Unfortunately, two years after these measures were taken, they have not generated the much needed effervescence on the ground. Ghost towns and lockdowns continue to be the order of the day.

Attendees at the Major National dialogue

Equally, since the Major National Dialogue, moves have been accelerated to reintgrate ex combattants by providing psychosocial support as well as the financing of several youth projects for the DDR centres in the Far North, North West and South West Regions.

By Tantan Patience