The fact finding mission by the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and  Multiculturalism (NCPBM) ended in Bamenda on June 1, 2018.

“Listen to the people” was the mission that took members of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism to Bamenda on May 31 and June 1, 2018. Curtains dropped on the mission with the population of the North West Region voicing their frustrations on issues of discrimination linked to language, culture and especially the socio-political crisis rocking the North West and South West regions.

It was a rare moment for the population to showcase their hospitality and outspoken nature of the region’s inhabitants.

Open working sessions, audiences and sessions with target groups helped Commission members led by their President, H.E Peter  Mafany  Musonge to listen to concerns of marginalization, hate speech, arrogance, dissenting voices on the form of State, terrorism, unfriendly attitude of some security  forces  and other challenges that do not help matters for living together in Cameroon.

It was a moment for politicians, historians, civil society leaders, teachers, lawyers, journalists, clergy, men and women of literature, commercial motorcycle and taxi drivers, economic operators, etc to freely speak and suggest credible and attainable solutions for a return to normalcy in the face of the crisis threatening to destroy the education and economy of the land with families counting their dead in violent confrontations that kill security forces and civilians. It was all in the hope that the Head of State will soon take actions towards concrete, genuine dialogue for a return to normalcy. 

The Commission was in their second lap in the North West Region after their first outing in Buea, South West Region. The commission  was created on the strength of Presidential Decree No.2017/013 of 23rd January, 2017 to promote bilingualism and multiculturalism with a view to maintain peace, consolidate unity, strengthen people’s willingness and day to day experience with respect to living together.