Why Petit Pays should get an apology from minister Ama Tutu Muna!

Cameroon is at a major crossroads in its history. As the country speeds towards its rendezvous with destiny in which a transformational candidate -Kah Walla, is poised to sweep an overwhelming victory in the presidential election, some problems just pop up to portray the state of under development in which the country finds itself.

Adolf Moundi, who goes by the name Petit Pays is arguably the country's most popular and prolific musician. Over the course of more than two decades, he has explored, and blended rhythms from every nook and cranny of Cameroon, and even broadened his horizons beyond Cameroon's borders.

He also pushed, then blurred the boundaries of what is considered mainstream music, playing songs to which a Pastor can dance, and then later in his career, songs that can only be played in...private.

To sum it all, Petit Pays is the quintessential symbol of success in Cameroonian music.

Recent media reports from Douala indicate that he is the subject of an arrest warrant. He stands accused of failing to pay two of his employees the equivalent of approximately $4000.

That the leading musician in Cameroon has to evade police custody because of this amount of money is telling about the financial stability of artists.

Sometime about half a decade into his career, Petit Pays began including the names of prominent members of society, the famous like Fotso Victor, as well as the infamous like Paul Biya. No one raised an eyebrow. It was understood that to get this cheap but effective sort of name recognition and the attendant political leverage it procured, someone had to pay. And pay they did in droves.

But those days are long gone. The barons who robbed the state treasury dry now have 78 year old Biya's henchmen on their heels. No one is spared. Both the public and private sector (see separate story on Fotso Victor) are targeted. Suddenly, the cash is all gone and artists who made a killing chanting the names of politicians have suddenly gone broke.

But this is specifically where the Ministry of Culture has to step in. That ministry was created to consolidate and promote our rich national culture. To abandon a respected and prolific artist of Petit Pay's calibre is simply unacceptable.

Ama Tutu Muna has a direct responsibility to protect Petit Pays. He is now a national treasure, to be cherished and protected by the state, just the same as Roger Mila and Eto Fils.

The Nobel Prize comes with a cash gift for a reason, so that those giants who win the prize further their contributions to mankind in their respective fields and not bother about failing to pay guards $4000.

Furthermore, I believe whoever was on guard when Petit Pays went missing deserves a promotion. They are true patriots - they did the right thing. That is common sense, the type that works, the type that Kah Walla will bring to Cameroon.

Petit Pays is a national symbol, as the most decorated Cameroonian artist of all time, he deserves some degree of protection from the state.

Paul Biya just lost one more vote, along with millions of fans of Petit Pays. 2011 will be the year of the masses in Cameroon. Kah Walla is showing the way ahead, and she has a new advocate on her side- Petit Pays!

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Kah Walla Scores second Major Victory!

For the second time in less than a month, leading presidential candidate Ms. Kah Walla has made a huge dent in the credibility of incumbent Paul Biya.

The first was when she launched her campaign with widespread media coverage and popular acclaim. Riding on this wave of popular approval, she basically forced Paul Biya to boycott the national soccer finals which is a platform where incumbent presidents always show their authority. This was the first time it was happening since Biya was given power twenty-eight years ago.

Now, for more than a year, the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Armed Forces has been planned to hold in Bamenda. The president said so himself and that he will personally preside over the ceremony. One year has gone by. The minister delegate at the presidency in charge of defence Edgar Alain Meme Ngo gave specific dates, the 29th and 30th of November 2010 for the head of state Paul Biya to be in Bamenda. With the popularity of Ms. Kah Walla running high both among the youth, unemployed, women and the disenfranchised-basically the whole local population- Paul Biya may have thought it wise to boycott this event so that his disapproval by the people he rules does not come to light.

Close observers of the political landscape in Cameroon know one thing: Paul Biya will leave the presidency next year. He has jailed most of his closest supporters including some highly respected sons of the North West region like Zaccheus Forjindam and former government delegate Mr Nde.

His actions are exceedingly erratic even by African dictator standards. Just like Ms Kah Walla says, "Time has Come". We can only wish Ms Kah Walla more energy for she will be packing her bags with those of millions of Buyam-sellams and Sauveteurs as she forges ahead to the Unity Palace in Etoudi, while Biya Paul recedes to Switzerland where he has taken up residence.

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Cameroon 2011: What change means...

Change is coming to Cameroon in 2011 and Ms. Kah Walla, leading presidential candidate seems to be the leader of the movement that will make it happen.

Cameroon has been too slow to react to current changes in the world. It is bogged down by an aging leadership which is a vestige of the colonial days.

Many other African nations are progressing at a fast clip. What is common in these countries is the turnover in leadership. Many African countries have had three or more different heads of state since independence. Those with the greatest number of leaders post independence also seem to have more robust democracies, and dynamic economies. Look at Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, regional powerhouses that came of age when ancient leaders of Biya's generation and ilk were thrown out by the people.

However, the stagnant countries with aged leaders, clueless in today's high-tech world like Cameroon's Biya , Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Equatorial Guinea's Obiang Nguema still lag behind.

What these strongmen have failed to do for their countries in decades will not be done in the next couple of years. They systematically introduce policies designed to keep the citizens impoverished, so that no one is well fed enough to complain about the poor state of roads, under equipped hospitals, or lack of schools. Survival is the purpose of their daily struggles.

Cameroon is ripe for a leader different from Biya, and the field is set for democratic change to occur. Kah Walla will make that happen in Cameroon in 2011.

Kah Walla, Cameroon needs you!
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Yves Michel Fotso: A Cameroon Tragedy

Cameroon has a major rendez-vous with destiny in 2011.

There will be presidential elections, and barring a major change in current trends, 78 year old Paul Biya who has ruled this country since 1982 is set to be kicked out.

How this came to be is a long and sad tale. In his first few governments when he came to power, Biya appointed the best in their respective fields to key positions to propel the country forward. Then some of these people started helping themselves to the tiller and soon, bribery and corruption was institutionalized.

Some of these cats grew too fat and the president did what was natural; attempt to curb their influence by throwing them in jail.

But on the eve of presidential elections, his henchmen seem to have gone too far. Some of his closest advisers are languishing in jail and now, Biya has his sights on Cameroon's foremost privately held business- the Fotso Group.

Last week, security forces staged a lame attempt to arrest the son of magnate Fotso Victor. For a developing country that is struggling even to feed its population and where it is near impossible to start a business, systematically targeting a successful businessman like Yves Michel Fotso is simply disingenuous.

If this is an attempt to further cause Cameroonians employed by Fotso companies to lose their jobs and scare foreign partners of the group, then Biya is in for a surprise.

A premise for weakening the Fotso group may be so that no opposition campaign gains financing or logistic support from its holdings which include a multinational bank, and an airline.

What Biya will get will be the exact opposite. He will lose the entire Western region to the opposition in the 2011 election. Many of the struggling youth hold the soft spoken Fotso Victor in high esteem. He is a household name and role model for many.

Holding the Fotsos to ransom and expecting to get a single vote in the Western region of the country, or even in the Littoral where many towns have a majority of inhabitants from the Western region is a gross miscalculation. No right minded person will see one of their own humiliated daily, without good cause, and still vote for Biya.

And speaking of campaign financing, anyone who has not been living under a rock should know that most elections these days are funded in a dispersed way. Each individual contributing where they are most competent. As such, a bendskinner will carry passengers to a rally for free, a water seller will freely distribute iced water at meetings, a computer literate person will build a website, and so on and so forth.

Such mobilization that comes from the free will is stronger, durable and more resilient than any number of policemen or soldiers with guns.

That is what is coming to Biya. Wherever he is reading this, whatever he is doing, he will be blind sided by the oppressed people of Cameroon. How does your's truly know - just google "Paul Biya 2011" and read what the people think.

"Vox populi..."
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