National Unity, Permanent Strive!

Cameroon’s unity as a State, irrespective of her cultural and linguistic differences, easily makes the country an irresistible reference within and without Africa. Those who have journeyed out of the country, even once, would agree that mastering English and French - Cameroon’s official languages, gives them an added value anywhere they go. 
Bilingualism which is just one of the spinoffs of Cameroon’s unity continually propels citizens to stardom in most international trips and forums. Immeasurable favours also come with that! Something others from purely French or English-speaking countries cannot. What a virtue worth upholding for convenient living at home and abroad for Cameroonians!
How comes this unity that continues to bear fruits for nationals in and out of the country repeatedly suffers threats from those benefitting from it, or could do, is mindboggling! Observation shows a growing feeling of superiority and inferiority depending on where one citizen finds his/herself. While some regrettably present themselves as more Cameroonians than others, simply because of the person they know, where they come from and sometimes the language they speak, others are almost given the status of ‘stranger’ in their own ‘land’.
A simple illustration is the near viral but degrading appellations like “Anglos”, ‘Grafis”, ‘Wajos”, “Frogs”, “Come-no-goes”, “Bamenda” or even “Bamis”. The list is not exhaustive!  However, the country’s authorities constantly insist on togetherness. President Paul Biya last Friday February 3 once again hammered on the need to permanently strive for national unity.
Speaking during a solemn ceremony at the Yaounde Military Headquarters Brigade to pay homage to four military officers who died in a helicopter crash, Mr Biya enjoined all and sundry to stand up strongly for values of unity. The demise of the military officers, he said, “Calls and appeals to us all, from East to West, and from North to South: to rekindle our civic and patriotic spirit, to rally further around these three colours that we chose in all solidarity and sovereignty, to blend into this unitary star, at the centre of our national flag, which is a glowing symbol of faith and unity.”
The presidential beckon after a similar one on December 31, 2016 when he said, “Cameroon is one and indivisible,” gives a strong signal of his determination to uphold the country’s unity which he himself qualified as, “a precious legacy with which no one should take liberties.” Understandably so as the nation keeps boiling with some citizens of one linguistic background even expressing feelings of frustr...