Tell me... Don't tell me....

Tell me when you shall start thinking of your legacy as a President who has ruled for three decades and counting - do not tell me about elections. Do they really matter?

Tell me when I will be able to move freely and go about my business as I choose - do not tell me about your dusk-to-dawn curfew! What difference have the numerous curfews made to resolve this conflict in order to save lives and property? Isn't a repressive curfew a constant reminder of the need to fight and liberate self from some overbearing administrator dishing out instructions and directives from above which do not play to my favour? Who does not cherish freedom?

Citizens seeking refuge 

Tell me what we can spend our time doing in order to avoid the agony of the mere thought that my rights as a citizen whose vote should count have been consistently violated. Cameroon is yet to have one democratically elected President since independence. Do not tell me about voting and protecting my vote. Is it only now that I can protect my vote? Do dictators/autocrats know the value of the rights of citizens to choose a legitimate leader for themselves? How many ruthless dictators have been booted out through the ballot box?

Tell me that you are investing the matter to establish the facts and take action - do not tell me that it is fake news, when you intention is to push through an agenda for your own fake news to be accepted as the gospel. We are already tired of your manipulation of facts. Maitre Alice Nkom said, "How do you work with someone when every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie?", while referring to the legendary liar, Issa Tchiroma.

Tell me that you are sorry for shutting down internet, do not tell me about fake news being spread about a pending internet shut down, when your previous assurance by an official note made no meaning and an internet shutdown followed. I hope the optical fibres would not rupture then? The telephone companies always send bulk smses to their subscribers with this fake version of the rupture of optical fibres or technical difficulties. We already know! If you cannot stand the fact that everyone has found a voice to freely express himself/herself through the internet, check out the key on your phone and shut down the internet on it. Find a small niche and go take a glass of water and chill. You might well throw away the damn phone or internet modem you have at home and live naturally. These are your rights and no one can violate them. But if you must shut down the internet for everyone, then public office is not for you! There are many ways to counter fake news, hate speech etc without necessarily shutting down the internet. When you close your eyes in order not to see the bad people, you also miss out on the good people! Across the world, the internet is such a huge monster to all dictatorial regimes!

Tell me about the negotiations which have taken place and peace has been achieved through understanding. Do not tell me that "All security measures have been taken". Are security officers themselves safe? How many of them have died? No one has the monopoly to violence and the reckless actions of the military which you religious praise are causing enormous radicalization of the youth. And after several months of trying a counter-productive approach which has produced many more camps of Amba boys, while not sue for peace now through negotiations?

Tell me that your commitment to the office is to serve as a leader - do not tell me about the next authoritative decree you have signed? Don't you see that your legitimacy is being contested and the situation on the ground is degenerating?

As a soldier, my role is to protect the citizens. Tell me that you have made this job easier by easing tensions after listening to the people, so that I can go on combat against foreign enemies when they do come up. Do not tell me that I am a valiant soldier for crushing my own people, as I have no say in your decisions, which may conflict with my own beliefs. Above all, you endanger my life and I can get crushed at any time! Even as you may honour me as having died for the nation, I know I died for your selfish interests, trying to eliminate reformers! How tough it can be serving an autocratic ruler as a military man? You tend to torture your own people and really get hated by everyone around you for someone's egoism! Hard, so hard! You get used like a tissue paper and dumped into the trash can (grave) when you fall in the battle field while the dictator consolidates his position of power, wining and dining over the misery of the people!

Tell me how many people you have rescued from the bushes and deradicalized. Do not tell me that you have "neutralized 27 terrorists in Pinyin". These are human beings for God's sake! What happened to our humanity? Is your job as a leader to be 'neutralizing' the citizens who gave you a mandate to rule them? If votes truly counted, you would not be neutralizing your own people! Perhaps, do some good by neutralizing your absolute and eternal grip on power to save lives and let the people decide their destiny! Stop precipitating the departure of the less privileged when you have spent half of your life in the corridors of power. 

As a journalist, tell me where news is happening for me to report. I already received good training in the journalism school. Do not tell me how to report the news ("How can you say that?"). Essoka/Tchiroma -  a bad carpenter blames his tools! Keep quarreling with the mirror. I must not sugarcoat every news item to suit your whims and caprices under the guise of professionalism.

A young boy leaves home for the unknown

Tell me where I will spend the next night and where I will get food from to eat.Tell me if I will survive the next couple of days, weeks, months not without being hunted down like a beast. Do not tell me about the 'terrorists' you are fighting. You are more terrorising to me than the boys you claim to be fighting who mean no harm to me! Release all detainees and initiate dialogue, then I will know you are of good faith and truly care about my welfare and that of the country you lord over.

Tell me when I will be able to return from the bush where I am going to now, do not tell me about the food you are bringing to refugees. How many times can you bring me food in the hideouts? Will you also bring me a hospital, a school, a church etc? By the way, why do you put me in a situation where you have to come give me food? Do the right thing and I will find my way! That is the best way you can empower me!

Tell me, should I survive and return to this place, I will find our house safe and not burnt down, do not peddle lies that you do not know who is burning the houses. How important is this when everyone knows the truth? You do have so much affinity for lies-telling. How long can you sustain lies before everything crumbles like a pack of cards? Can you still be trusted? As you burn our houses, and leave us vulnerable, would you blame anyone for picking up arms to retaliate?

Tell me when I will be able to go back to school - when every place shall be safe enough for me to focus on my studies  -  do not tell me that the police is here to protect me? I have lost count of how many people they have killed, how many communities they have erased with fire, how many hospitals they have attacked, how many people they have arrested, how many 'stray' bullets they have sprayed! Is that what you mean by protection? Are you not feeling the guilt?

Tell me.... Don't tell me...!

Akaba A J