Minister Delegate Jean De Dieu Momo’s Facebook post calling for national unity resulted in a clash with journalist Mimi Mefo Newuh. Mrs Newuh’s unyielding criticism resulted in a heated Facebook exchange that exposed the cracks in Cameroon’s political landscape. The debate, played out in the public arena of social media drew a range on engagements from others. It however, reveals some of the deep tensions between lofty governmental rhetoric and the pressing demands for accountability.
A Call for Unity in Rhetoric
In his extensive post, Minister Momo painted a grand vision of an indivisible Cameroon.
“Is the essential coming together of the people the centre of gravity of any nation? A house divided against itself cannot stand indefinitely,” he said.
He took the opportunity to invoke timeless adages to stress the need for collective identity and solidarity. Minister Momo’s message, replete with historical and cultural references, urged Cameroonians to transcend ethno-communal biases:
“We are not enemies but brothers. We are children of the same nation. We must not be enemies.”
He further argued that only by embracing a collective destiny could Cameroon bridge its tribal diversity and overcome longstanding divisions. In his poetic style, the minister suggested that the “mystical accents of the awakening collective memory” could galvanise the nation toward “essential emergence” through inter-tribal dialogue and mutual recognition.
A Journalist’s Confrontation
Not everyone, however, was moved by Momo’s idealistic call. Mimi Mefo, who was tagged in the post, did not mince words.
“With all due respect, what is the exact message you are trying to pass across on this post?” Mimi Mefo said. She went on to challenge the minister’s decision to direct his message at a journalist rather than addressing the government’s broader responsibilities.
Mimi Mefo’s response was also laced with personal reproach and pointed inquiries about accountability.
“Also, Mr Minister, as deputy minister of Justice in Cameroon, where is your balance sheet? Where is justice for Martinez Zogo, Samuel Wazizi, and your own client, Mancho Bibixy and others?” she asked. This refers to cases emblematic of a justice system many believe to be in crisis. Mimi Mefo further accused the minister of abandoning his earlier critiques of a 92-year-old leader—claims he made before his alignment with the current regime.
“Before you joined the Yaoundé regime, I interviewed you countless times, and you condemned your 91-year-old leader, worse than all of Cameroon’s opposition combined. What changes have you made since you became Biya’s songbird?”
Broader Issues
Her questions reflected the broader scepticism toward government assurances of unity when substantive reforms remain elusive.
“A country where the RULE BY LAW prevails rather than the RULE OF LAW what do you expect? When there is restrictions to freedom of speech, assembly and press, it tells you the nation is governed on the principle of RULE BY LAW. That’s why they will always turn to journalists as scapegoats,” Akumbom Elvis Mc Carthy commented on the post.
Others used adages to make their point.
“A person who plays an evil drum must dance an evil dance. He was employed as an agent, dear. How do you expect an agent to condemn his master? Who does that?” Nyuyki Peter DaSilva said.
Meanwhile another journalist, Prince Nfor Nchanji, pointed out that this was the Biya regime’s strategy to avoid their responsibilities.
“Your name don cheap for their mop, always looking for a scapegoat!” he said.
A Need for Accountability
The exchange is not only about a lack of accountability by the government. It is also a sign of the complexities inherent in calls for unity from within a deeply divided society. While Minister Momo’s rhetoric appeals to shared history and cultural values, Mimi Mefo’s response reminds readers that such lofty ideals can ring hollow without tangible progress on justice and government accountability.
She insists on transparency is seen in her invitation to the minister for an interview she claims has been repeatedly declined.
Mimi Mefo Newuh’s criticism also highlights broader issues within the country. For instance, critics have often argue that government officials often invoke national unity while sidelining pressing issues such as arbitrary detentions and an allegedly crumbling judicial system. As such, the promise of “essential togetherness” risks becoming a slogan devoid of substance.
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