Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Arnaud Nicolas MAWEL
Published on 2024-03-05 11:29:08
In her opening speech of the parliamentary session on March 5th, Laurentine Koa Fegue, widow Mbede, takes stock of the 12 months remaining in the deputies’ mandate. According to the oldest member of the National Assembly, the deputies “could have done better” in 48 months. Here is the full text of her speech. “Excellencies, Honorable Deputies and dear colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, They have struck again. And at the heart of what the nation holds dearest: its Youth. What a heinous crime, that committed against young Cameroonians in NKAMBE in the North-West Region on February 11th, during the celebration of youth day. Our children only wanted to express themselves and in return, to be encouraged on this day dedicated to them by the Republic. The so-called separatists – what can I say? These bloodthirsty terrorists couldn’t think of anything better than to disrupt the peace and quiet, the festivities and the solemnity of the day, by shooting at the young people parading in the festival square. The result: one dead and some forty seriously injured. It’s not so much the death toll that’s important. But the act committed, the timing and the target are all facts that point to the seriousness of this attack. On behalf of all the Members of Parliament gathered here today, I say no! Once again, enough is enough!!! Enough is Enough! In the name of all mothers, I condemn and denounce with the utmost energy. I say and affirm that shooting children, in such circumstances is inhuman, unacceptable and absolutely criminal. To the parents of young Cherish Lemnyuy, a 3rd grade student who lost her life as a result of this barbarity, I offer the sincere condolences of the National Representation. Condolences that I also extend to the family of Honorable ALI MAMOUDA, our colleague who passed away in India on January 15th, 2024, from illness. A member of the RDPC for Benue-west, the late was in his 2nd term in this hemicyle. Excellencies, Honorable Deputies, Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise to honor the memory of the deceased by observing a minute of silence. Silence – Mr. Senate’s Dean of Age; – Mr. Prime Minister, Head of Government; – Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Government; – Mr. President of the Constitutional Council; – Mr. President of the Supreme Court; – Mr. Attorney General at said Court; – Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Diplomatic Corps; – Ladies and Gentlemen, Parliamentarians, and Dear Colleagues; – Distinguished Members of Civil Society; – Dear guests, – Ladies and Gentlemen, Contrary to usual practice, we, the Members of Parliament, are used to calling others to account. Rarely, if ever, have we taken the time to engage in introspection, that is to say, to conduct our own examination of conscience. As the Dean of Age, and with no pretensions, to be a moralizer, it is to this exercise that I would like to invite you today. Indeed, started in March 2020 on the occasion of the session of right, following the elections of February 9th, 2020, the current legislature, the 10th of its kind in this Chamber, is expected to end in early 2025. All in all, we have about twelve months of life left in this Chamber after the 48 that we have already spent together. A retrospective look at the time past leads me to ask the following question: what have we done with these 48 months of our mandate? Have we all truly lived up to the trust placed in us by the Cameroonian people? I may be mistaken, but the general note would be: could have done better. Without wanting to put all our eggs in one basket, it has been noted that beyond the inertia of some, others have engaged in behaviors such as intrigue, denunciation, false accusations often through social media, power struggles, profiteering and the frantic search for money. Absenteeism in the hemicyle. Yes, absenteeism!! It is with difficulty that we sometimes reach the required quorum for our sessions. Meanwhile, our cities are dying and still dying, suffocated by mountains of garbage; the roads of these cities and of the hinterland have turned into true tombs; corruption continues to ravage the public service. The constant power outages, a energy disaster. Waterborne diseases have spread due to a lack of sufficient clean water. The majority of our health centers continue to be ill, suffering from a lack of personnel, medicines, and poor quality equipment. What about education? Secondary education, for example, resembles a drifting boat. The chalk lords, far from the classrooms, take to the streets more, proclaiming a string of demands, unfortunately, most of which remain unresolved, despite strict orders from the highest authority. Violence and drugs have taken up residence in school campuses. As for universities, work discipline is lacking. Laziness, in many cases, has made itself at home. Another phenomenon is brain drain. At their own risks, many of our youth leave the country to seek fortune elsewhere, notably in the West and in other currently popular destinations. It must be said, we remain powerless in the face of this phenomenon. On a different note, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our Government in the current situation. I particularly commend the Minister of Commerce’s operations to contain inflation, combat high cost of living, and shortages. Nonetheless, the household basket continues to suffer. Excuse my oversight, as I am surely forgetting some aspects. Honorable Deputies, To our credit, we have passed laws. Good laws, I am convinced. We have monitored the Government’s actions through pertinent oral questions. We have debated important and interesting topics within the framework of the various parliamentary networks. But, over 48 months, have we truly been concerned about the issues I have listed and which affect the daily lives of our constituents? Have we effectively taken their interests to heart, which we are supposed to defend in this hemicyle? Have we gone far enough, if required, in contacting the authorities responsible for these issues? Who would prevent, but then who would dare to prevent a group of elected officials from knocking on the door of these authorities to inquire about a given situation in order to prompt action? Another 12 months, certainly less, to spend in this chamber. Can we succeed in restoring our reputation in this period of time. And yet we must. I encourage you to do so, so that in the end, those of the 10th legislature who miss the train of the 11th and those who are there, old and new, all driven by the same patriotic spirit, can feel the pride of having left or being part of an upright, stable, solid institution, adorned with all its prestige and housed in the new headquarters offered by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Paul BIYA, with the help of the long-time friend, the People’s Republic of China. Ladies and Gentlemen, In conclusion, I would like to address the collaborators of the National Assembly. Dear collaborators, There is no viable parliamentary institution without the support of the valuable men and women that you are, whatever the levels of each may be. Elected officials and collaborators are united for the same cause. Despite the vicissitudes, you first love what you do. Excellencies, Honorable Deputies, my dear colleagues, Dear collaborators, Ladies and Gentlemen, Who loves well, chastises well. I may have been harsh at times in my speech. But I am grateful that you have listened to me. With that, I declare open the proceedings of the first Ordinary Session of our Chamber for the legislative year 2024 – Long live the National Assembly; – Long live His Excellency Mr. Paul BIYA, President of the Republic…
Read the original article(French) on Journal du Cameroun
