THE GRAVE PAIN OF CAMEROONIANS (2nd of 2 parts)

AES-SONEL has been an abysmal failure and frankly speaking, many are the Cameroonians who often affirm that the company was much better when it was still a state corporation under its then General Manager, Marcel Niat Njifenji who is today President of Cameroon`s Senate. The problems that Cameroonians face today with electricity supply were largely unknown in Niat`s days at the helm of affairs. As might be expected, questions are being asked as to why once things started going wrong, President Paul Biya who privatized the erstwhile SONEL did not solicit Niat`s skills, even as a consultant to remedy the situation. Whatever is the case, Paul Biya must accept blame for the current state of affairs, since he was the one who handed SONEL to the international consortium, even if Cameroon still has shares in it. Come to think of it: while power failure has become a nightmare for the ordinary Cameroonian, it is clear that the top brass are not affected by this downturn in fortunes. The President of the Republic, the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and Head of Government and Ministers – to name those – are protected by a myriad of different measures, including free allowances, free electricity and so on. You watch this: Buea is the scene of in intense preparations for Paul Biya`s arrival – most likely before this year ends – to celebrate fifty years of reunification. It is a near certainty that while Biya is in Buea, every effort will be made to ensure that there is a steady supply of electricity while he is in town. But then as soon as the President returns to Yaounde the poor residents will inevitably be subjected to the same ordeal. Is that fair? That is why none of the big guns of the Republic has made power cuts a battle horse. Not even the President of the Republic. At the best, he has made passing references to electrical plants envisaged and to be built here and there. True enough some have already come on-stream. But what fraction of Cameroonians is it that benefits from those facilities? And when – if at all – will the other installations be put in place. When the President visited Bamenda in 1991 to calm spirits following the unrest brought about by newly-formed opposition parties fighting for their rights, the President announced to everyone that the Bamenda Ring Road (which runs through five of the seven Divisions of the North West Region) would be built and he would “personally supervise it”. Today, twenty two years later, there is no such Ring Road the President can proudly point to. In any case, the president`s pronouncements concern largely the long term. But what does he expect the ordinary citizen to do about tonight`s cuts, tomorrow`s cuts and next week`s cuts? Neither the prime minister nor even the Minister for Energy and Water Resources capitalized on the need to reassure Cameroonians while campaigning for the presidential, Senate, National Assembly and Council elections. So, obviously, none of them is spending any sleepless nights over this major light of the people. But let them know this: electrical failure is a problem that is affecting Cameroonians very, very badly indeed. Let the extent of this dissatisfaction not be underestimated. The earlier something is done about it, the better. A stitch in time saves nine.