Indeed God have Mercy on and on our nation Cameroon. I lack words to express my indignation to what our people have been subjected to. We have been reduced to destitute in their own country by their own people. Our fellow countrymen have concocted a potent tonic of misery and death for others.
The main ingredients of this lethal concoction are bribery, corruption, embezzlement, fear, falsehood, greed pride and selfishness, etc. These toxins are not very palatable as such they are repackaged for easy consumption. The doses come in different shapes and styles. Some of them are; (1) Heaven helps those who help themselves, or God helps those who help themselves. (2) Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. (3) You have to do what you have to do to survive. (4) If you do not grab your share of the national cake some other person will. (5) The government has inexhaustible resources and does not care how we use them. (6) It is Ok to break the law for personal survival. (7) The immediate is more important than tomorrow. (8) We are not different from other countries, corruption is found everywhere. (9) Everybody is doing it so it is right. (10) Sacrifice is better than obedience. I will robe Peter and pay Paul. Cheat, steal from the system and give to the poor. Permit me to stop it, for this list can go on and on.
Before you stop reading, remember that we all at one point or the other drank some of this concoction. Please do not dismiss my allegations, just read on. I am also included and I am guilty of positioning myself to take advantage of the system. Most of the time when my age is asked, I struggle to come out with which is which. You all understand what I am talking about. Our demographics have been messed up by such actions.
No wonder a bridge that was built in the 50s to serve a city that had less than half a million inhabitants is still the only bridge in use after the population of the city has more than quadrupled. Who are we lying to? Who are we deceiving? The answer is obvious, we are the ones, lied to and the ones who end up suffering and paying the price.
We may spend all our time and energy debating if these toxins are actually toxic or not. But the truth of the matter is that our people are living in misery and part of the problem is people taking advantage of the system.
We are not supposed to let fear of the present, past, and future influence our actions. Fear is universal, but our Lord JESUS Christ admonishes us not to be afraid. May I submit that fear is the root cause of most of our suffering. People are afraid of what people will say to them, if they do not get job, so they lied and cheat to get it. Some are afraid of how their peers will treat them if they do not get that car, house name it, so they lie and cheat to get it. People are afraid to be deported, so they arrange fictitious marriages. It is shocking that the marriage institution which is the bedrock of society should be treated like this. Some are so afraid of not earning a living in foreign countries and afraid of going back home that they have to do all in their power to get papers. Yes some say they were persecuted in Cameroon in order to be granted asylum.
You can justify it all you want. All what I am saying is that letting fear instead of faith guide us is counterproductive. Where is the hope for our country? When are we going to stop consuming this lethal tonic? Do we have the courage to change the system? Do we have the moral capital to effect change? Can we boldly beckon on others to come walk with us on the straight and narrow path of life?
We are all connected and none of us can take advantage of the system without inflicting, pain on others.
