In a recent commentary, Alex Nguepi asserts that tribalism in Cameroon serves as a convenient smokescreen for underlying economic shortcomings.

“Individuals who have dedicated their capital to establishing homes, factories, businesses, and commercial ventures are not obligated to offer justifications to those who merely observed from the sidelines,” Alex Nguepi firmly stated.

“The Bamileke people bear no responsibility to explain their ownership of land, residences, or enterprises in Douala, Yaoundé, or any other region within Cameroon. Cameroon is not the exclusive domain of any single tribe, community, or specific group; rather, it belongs equally to all Cameroonians.”

The nation’s prominent urban centers, including Douala and Yaoundé, did not arise from the efforts of a solitary ethnic group. Their development is a testament to the taxes, sacrifices, labor, and dedication of millions of Cameroonians hailing from every corner of the country. No one can claim a monopoly on Cameroonian citizenship.

The straightforward truth, which some are reluctant to acknowledge, is that the Bamileke community has cultivated a strong ethos of saving, trade, investment, and wealth creation. While some prioritize consumption, others actively invest. As some spend, others diligently build. And while some seek justifications for their lack of progress, others are busy working to secure a better future for their offspring.

For many young people from the Western region, their aspiration extends beyond merely inheriting the family home. Their true ambition is to construct their own residences, establish their own businesses, and forge a lasting legacy for future generations. This inherent drive explains why they acquire land, erect buildings, launch commercial ventures, and generate employment wherever opportunities arise across the nation.

It is, therefore, absurd to attempt to reframe the economic accomplishments of any community as a political issue. Those who have channeled their financial resources into building homes, factories, shops, and enterprises are not accountable to those who chose to remain passive observers.

The genuine scandal does not lie in Cameroonians building and investing throughout their own country. The profound issue is that, after decades in leadership, certain officials still resort to pitting Cameroonians against each other as a tactic to obscure their own inadequate economic and social records.

When the economy falters, unemployment soars, poverty escalates, and opportunities dwindle, purveyors of hatred consistently deploy the same tired tactics: invoking tribalism, claims of indigeneity, and fostering division. This, Nguepi observes, is the typical strategy of regimes nearing their end, regimes that have exhausted all viable solutions for their populace.

Cameroon, Alex Nguepi stresses, has no use for tribalists. Instead, the nation desperately requires builders. It needs citizens who actively invest, establish businesses, fulfill their tax obligations, create employment opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to the national wealth.

A nation truly flourishes through the collective efforts of its entrepreneurs, farmers, industrialists, traders, and dedicated workers. It does not advance through divisive hate speech, petty jealousy, or attempts to stigmatize any segment of its population.

Let every individual build. Let every individual invest. Let every individual generate wealth. Only then will Cameroon truly move forward.

The future, Nguepi concludes, belongs unequivocally to the builders. Those who sow division, however, are destined to be relegated to the dustbin of history.

Alex Nguepi