At Uganda Talks we welcome guest blogs from our readers. Today, contributor Musa Nuwagaba writes about Africa's bad leadership.
Well! This may sound intriguing, as it is strange. His Excellency Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon seems to be championing a new concept of leadership and governance. Firmly holding his nation and leading it down on expedition as they watch him practice a new concept of leadership: Absentee President-ship. This may be in the category of ‘’things that happen only in Africa’’, specifically Cameroon this time.
It is 15:20 on Sunday, 01st November 2009; I am having online chat with a Lawyer friend (or should I say learned friend) from the provincial town of Barmenda. It all started with a short question; ‘howz Biya?’ Ha ha ha... I wait for his answer.
‘’Same old ‘crazy’ fellow, Absentee President, has countless of holidays, I wonder if really governs this country…it is true he is never there….and the civil society is dead.’’
These words reminded me of what another very good friend of mine said, in fact my housemate in 2008 while we stayed and worked in Katmandu, Nepal. In our numerous discussions about politics and governance issues regarding the African chapter, inevitably we would end up talking about governance in our respective countries—in this case Uganda and Cameroon—and of course about the presidents of the two countries.
My friend would always assert that the Cameroonian president is the most highly guarded president on the African continent, and this is how he would say it:
‘’Oh gosh! That guy is a criminal. He is the highly guarded president on the African continent…who lives a luxurious life that you cannot imagine’’
These are two different Cameroonian nationals making similar and hair-raising assertions at different times. This is truly how they regard their president and feel about him. The frustrating thing about this story (and many other stories like this in Africa, Asia and other developing world) is the sense of powerlessness that comes out of the voices of the very people who can articulate the problems that are facing their communities and nations.
Answers to questions about how citizens are prepared to solve the problems of leadership and bad governance facing them are very demoralizing and cast a grim picture of a very long and rugged journey, worse still with ill prepared travelers. It is a challenge… a big challenge indeed.
How else can you describe responses such as:
‘You know what? It is not possible to remove that president…the army is in his pockets… they are ready to kill, rig elections, bribe the opposition or forcefully silence those who stand firm’.
Bad leadership has clearly manifestated trauma, hopelessness and resignation down to the hands that feed such leaders. In any circumstance, giving up is not a viable option. It is time to stand up to the challenge of removing such ‘Public Burdens’ (President Biya and the like) from the comfort which citizens have lent them without question to the point of having them totally and irredeemably corrupt. Whoever is comfortable to sit at the fence and watch without saying anything is an accomplice.
Blogger Cameroon Conciense seems to tell a detailed story about President Paul Biya than I can gather.
Dedicated to all those who cherish accountable and responsible leadership.
Musa Nuwagaba
N.B. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Independent Publications Ltd.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by Watcher, November 03, 2009
-
- +1
-
-
written by Major Adam Kifaliso, November 03, 2009
-
- +1
-
-
written by solo, November 04, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
