Years Of Arduous Tasks

Patriotism, the love of one’s country is not only portrayed by the will to live and serve in respect of norms, but also, to a greater extent, the will and determination to face challenges.
The commonest question asked those who live long but look young, or have exercised power for long, but still enjoy the confidence of those they lead, “What Is Your Secret?”
People who have lived beyond 80 or 90 years may attribute the secret to prudence in lifestyle, or the caring powers of God. But all political leaders may, or will not tell you the same story. 
For God-fearing stewards, their secrets of successe may not be very different from the aforementioned, but the most of them would say “My people, the electorate have continued to demonstrate their confidence in me”
As President Paul Biya celebrates his 41 years in office, it would be unrealistic if not unpatriotic to claim that he has not faced political problems that could tempt him to leave office in spite of the people’s calls for him to continue. Instead, he faced the political and administrative problems as they unfolded, sustaining the confidence the people have in him in the face of crises.
From the abortive coup, d’état of 6 April 1984, economic crisis of the 1980s, plane crises and derailments, to the Bakassi land maritime conflict with neighbouring Nigeria, Boko haram misdeeds, and the ongoing crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, President Paul Biya has continued to prove that shrewdness in leadership is not assessed from the absence of problems, but sustained efforts to weather the storms.
With this spirit, Paul Biya in his quest for peace, opted for a peaceful solution of the Bakassi land and maritime conflict.
By opting for settlement of the Bakassi conflict through the International Court of Justice at The Hague, what could have resulted in the exchange of gun fire, ended in the shaking of hands between the then Nigerian Head of State, President Olusegun Obassanjo and his Cameroonian counterpart.
considering that the unpleasant surprise of 6 April 1984 has not resurfaced despite the trying moments that surround our beloved triangle, there are causes for joy. Unlike the political scenario of the 1960s when political ousting had apparently become the only means of ensuring political alternation in Africa, Cameroonians and their leaders have continued to prove that much can be achieved through tolerance and dialogue; NOT the gun and the bullet. What an enviable trend!
Despite the discouraging rate at which die-hard separatists are relinquishing their misdeeds, decisions taken at the 2019 National Dialogue are yielding positive results. The Regional Assemblies, and their Independent Conciliators are giving Decentralization the meaning it deserves. The creation of sta...