Lebialem Division: Epitome of Underdevelopment
Lebialem Division is undoubtedly one of the victims crying out loud to the Government of Cameroon over chronic abandonment of the Division from development projects. Known for its biodiversity riches, Lebialem Division hosts the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary and Proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary with great wildlife species and ecotourism potentials. It is also known for its agricultural prowess. Unfortunately, very bad road network, epileptic electricity supply, and unhygienic portable water, have made life unbearable for the people living in the Division.
The main artery into Lebialem from Dschang is a total nightmare. Traveling from Dschang to Menji, Wanbane and Alou requires two sets of dresses; one for the mud and another to wear at the destination.
The state of this road is such that weather has become an even greater determinant of transport cost and no longer the forces of demand and supply.
The Lebialem (Bangwa) people are weeping silently and the bells of anguish are being heard signalling that Lebialem Division may cease to exist in the map of this country.
The essence of tragedy is not the doing of evil by evil men but the doing of evil by good men, out of weakedness, indecision, sloth, inability to act in accordance with what they know to be right.
Hence, there is nothing to be done except to live every moment without a thought to the next. The nature of this road has made Lebialem Division an Island on land which makes them to feel and to be powerless to influence the life of society by which their own life is governed.
Today, thinking and feeling are more and more separated from each other, and this separation leads either to an almost schizophrenic intellectualism or to a neurotic, irrational emotionalism. Only if emotions and reason are brought together can man function in a way which makes life interesting and hence, creates the possibility of a productive life. To put it briefly, what Lebialem people need is not political speeches, if need be, they need three MPs (one per sub Division) who can tell their story.
The question that comes to mind is whether the CPDM in Lebialem is a “dance of the vampires”? In 2011, 2013 elections, Lebialem Division ended up with over 80 percent score for the CPDM, the best in the South West Region, so to say. As to whether these results were manufactured in a laboratory or were the wish of the people, is a debate for another day. The Division has lost two key positions from the same party they so much love in less than one year with many attributing to retributive justice. So was this the prayer of the people?
As a division that owes all its good things to Christendom, there is no gainsaying that the population of Lebialem undeniably turn to God to hear their prayers. They are calling on the almighty to deliver them from the evils of all season bad roads, information hoarding, influence trafficking, eye for eye politics and above all side-lining of local people from the “dog eat dog” sharing of the crumbs of CPDM loyalty.
The aftermath of these is very glaring today. Stomach politicking and the ruthless desert of this part of the country have saturated the mind of the population that all they can spill now is lava.
The elite, who recently visited this area and administrative officials in the Division can bear testimony that the people of Lebialem have reached a level where they can’t be fooled again.
Even American president emeritus, Abraham Lincoln noted that “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
The time for justice has come and the time for justice is now!
