The MECA-USA malaise and the quest for significance

The Manyu community in the diasporas is set on self-destruction. The creation of NOMA, and the TRC are just examples of what happens when a people refuse to apply common principles and the law. Everyone can confirm that the disqualification of members who run for office is a taboo subject. This penchant for cuddling friends, even in their waywardness and a leadership style that has been based on fear and pampering has created an imbroglio: a web of lies, half and overstretched truths to keep a following that we have failed to inspire.

Why do some get so bitter when it comes to Manyu community affairs? There are many reasons. To begin with, some of us are just eternal pessimists, people who know that nothing will ever work. There are other reasons, but I want to exploit one that I have heard iterated by all: EGO. My principle in GBHS Eyumojock, when I was a teacher there, liked to say this: "if you hear that a man has died somewhere, three things could be the cause: woman, money and or power".

For the most part, Manyu politics, the CPDM, and other such organizations provide the last opportunity for us to achieve some relevance in our lives. South Africans who suffered under apartheid can, for instance, take ownership of the success of the liberation their country. In a few countries in Africa, the individual's potential can guarantee him/her the success that comes with the possession of a given talent and or intellect.

Yes, we all want to be important. Dale Carnegie iterates this when he enumerates what Man wants: health and the preservation of life, food and shelter, a certain amount of money and the things money will buy, the well being of their children, and a fundamental sense of their own significance. All these things are easy to gratify, except the last one. Dale warns that "this longing [for significance] is almost as deep as the desire for food and water" John Dewey called it "the desire to be important". Freud went a step further and called it "the desire to be great".

It should be noted that this longing for significance is not limited to Manyu folk only. Why am I pushing this theory as a source of the current Manyu diaspora malaise? Well let’s see…Manyu has always been known for intellectualism: "l'intellectuel vient de Manyu" I heard a journalist say once on CRTV. Today, that statement has no flavor, and any Manyu person who wants to challenge me on this must begin by examining their own intellect. My grandmother used say: "rich people no di say dem rich". If the thing we could really claim as ours is now elusive, what do we now have in a foreign land to cling on to? Not much! Most of us are not the best in our fields of work. Few of us can satisfy the basic needs that Dale Carnegie spells out above. For the Manyu man, the diminished authority that he now faces may sometimes result from something as positive as his wife being another source of income and sometimes, a very remarkable one.

This is probably a fix that is not unique to Manyu men alone. The black American male also grapples with a similar confused state that has left him perplexed about his identity and role.

Our public service culture of promotions, nepotism, tribalism, favoritism, corruption... is equally absent, leaving some beneficiaries of that system with the difficult task of meriting what they have. In the U.S. your name alone cannot shield you from the requirement to perform. Despite this, titles such as directeur, pdg, president, chief of, doctor, still remotely resonate with us with a tinge of nostalgia. Their frivolous uses in social gatherings still produce the same pampering effect on fragile egos.

Need I mention that getting carelessly laid is out of the question too? It is costly and too time consuming, plus it comes with a nefarious legal/economic trail.

The other very important source of trouble for Manyu-diasporas is the latent feuds at all levels of social interaction. We have quarrels that have successfully put families at loggerheads for generations. There are fights within the subdivision, within villages, families, clans, etc. Every single MECA-USA disagreement brings to surface some of these dormant conflicts and exacerbate every simple misunderstanding to unbearable levels. This has been the one most significant obstacle to any quest for peace in our community.

Outlets of significance

The Manyu man like some African men have not folded their arms. A lot of them have embraced challenges imposed by their new found land and have gained fame through what they do as professionals. Many of them are highly respected: reputable attorneys, businessmen, professors, physicians, pharmacists, engineers, nurses, etc. Idem for the Manyu woman. I simply focus on the Manyu man because he has been so far mostly been in charge of Manyu affairs.

Another curious method the Manyu man has used to gain significance is to resort to being put in position of importance in social gatherings. They accept the position of “Chief” with no qualms and in some cases go as far as demanding that this title be used on them long after they are no longer “chief”. Once a chief, always a chief some argue, but to use these titles to sign emails, letters, etc with no regard to merit or relevance is outright ridiculous. There is again the extant dilemma that there are not enough of these positions for all the authority-craving men. This is when the Ekpe comes into play.

From its inception (and please don't quote me on this, I might be wrong), the Ekpe society was an exclusive society where “men” who were members wielded a certain authority. Gradually, this authority waned as more institutional policing agents like the courts, police, gendarmerie gained assertiveness. The term Sesekou was seldom used. As a child growing up in Yaounde, I don’t recall the title“Sesekou” used to address anyone. There was Dr., General, Minister… but not Sesekou. The point I make here is that the Ekpe men carried themselves with a sense of dignity that did not warrant recognition.

Today, even though the Ekpe society has an essentially ceremonial role, it still carries a certain appeal, hence its increasing following. Today it is hard to believe that a feud or problem that could be handled by the courts could be brought in front of the Ekpe society. The society cannot ban people from certain activities or affiliations (neither can the chiefs). Traditional authority in the Manyuland does not carry the same weight as in the grassfields of the West and North West provinces. It is a good and a bad thing at the same time. The chiefs in the Manyuland do not bequeath any worthy/respectable titles to individuals who have helped their villages. We have experienced honorary Sesekous, but it is restrictive in gender and also can be bought by anyone. This apparently easy access has resulted in a situation where in the USA, there are more Sesekous than Dikabas and or etub- etube-ntuis. Imagine a situation where you have more chiefs than subjects!

The proliferation of the title of Sesekou is a direct result of the quest for significance. Basically, for about $1,000.00, you can become a Sesekou ( expect to spend an additional $500.00 or so for the occasional song in honor of the Sesekou title). There is no problem in this. What does not make sense is that the villages from where these titles are acquired do not gain much from this acquisition besides the one-time feast. Imagine that every title acquired was accompanied by the building of a classroom (we are always in need of these), we would have a dual fold effect: 1. the acquirer leaves behind a concrete evidence of his/her servitude and gains the respect and admiration of the village, 2. the title he/she now has is inextricably linked to an accomplishment hence dignity. The business of buying and selling the Sesekou title must not be the sole preserve of individuals (Ekpe) only.

The honorary Sesekou title should be beefed up with a set of guidelines that all the chiefs must adher to. They could define the restrictions, requirements, purpose requirements, etc. The most important thing is that before anyone accepts the title, they should have a sense of what it represents. I may be writing this when all I prescribe is in effect. If such is the case, well...

We have witnessed ceremonies in which Ekpe in the USA has performed. They range from birthdays to "die-houses" of Ekpe members passing through cultural exhibitions. All you need for them to perform for you is some money and connections of course! A couple of years ago, the DC Ekpe sued another US Ekpe group for defiling the "secrets" of Ekpe. This statement "their wives and girlfriends" caught my eye. How can this kind of language be associated with something as honorable as the Ekpe? Taking the above situations into account, one may have the impresion that the title of Sesekou is symbolic only to lavish parties, being served at social gatherings, enjoying preferred seating and a naïve and near child-like sense of one’s importance: a feeling of having “arrived”, a certain invincibility. Now, this may seem really harsh as an assessment, but remember it is only a perception. The reality may be different, and it is this reality that the Ekpe society needs to ascertain to command respect.

I must do justice to the Ekpe society in the USA for sustaining the culture in a most glamorous way. Ekpe outings are colorful, the dance moves are a feast for the eyes. I will declare anytime anywhere that this is a good thing for the Ekpe/Manyu culture, a culture to which I am a proud member. It equally has a good following of reasonable people who deserve our respect. They have mine.

It could help if the Chiefs of Manyu could sit down and come up with a title that will command the respect of all Manyu people. It should be accompanied by a huge investment in Manyu by the beneficiary. A minimum could be set at CFA 25,000,000. It should not be money stolen from the public service, but hard-earned personal finance. When such a person shows up at a gathering, I will have no problem with him/her sitting in the best seat, and served with the best food…