Senior Barrister Ntoko Justice Ebah
MEMORANDUM TO HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON THROUGH THE RIGHT HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER, HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
Subject: Interpretation and Implementation of the Special Status for the South West Region and the Urgent Imperative of Development
Your Excellency, we address this memorandum to your high office with a profound sense of patriotism and a deep concern for the future of the Southwest Region.
This document serves as both an analytical reflection on the legal evolution of our Republic and a grassroots account of the developmental challenges currently stifling the potential of our people.
The Southwest Region remains a pillar of the Cameroon’s economy and a cornerstone of our bilingual heritage. However, the current atmosphere is one of weary expectation.
The promise of “Special Status” must now transition from a legislative concept into practical reality of paved roads, stable electricity, and potable water.
- The Constitutional Foundation: The Law of January 18, 1996,the roadmap for our current administrative structure finds its roots in the Constitution of January 18, 1996. This groundbreaking document set the foundation for a decentralized Republic, specifically under Section X, which unambiguously mentions the “Special Status” of certain regions.
For decades, the 1996 Constitution was considered in the Southwest as a promise of local autonomy—a framework envisioned to bring the administration closer to the people.
However, for many years, the slow pace of implementing the decentralization provisions created a vacuum. This gap between constitutional promise and local reality contributed to the grievances that eventually necessitated the Major National Dialogue(MND).
Reinterpreting Special Status Post-National Dialogue
The Major National Dialogue of 2019 was a turning point moment. It resulted in the Law No. 2019/024 of 20 December 2019 on the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities, which finally gave flesh to the “Special Status” for the Northwest and Southwest Regions.
To the people of the Southwest, the Special Status is interpreted not merely as a recognition of our Anglo-Saxon heritage (legal and educational systems), but as a mandate for accelerated development. It implies amongst others: the right of South Westerners to lead their own development agencies through participatory governance; the ability to retain and reinvest a significant portion of the wealth generated from our natural resources (oil, timber, and agriculture) back into regional infrastructure, otherwise known as fiscal autonomy; and most essentially ensuring that the specificities of our educational and judicial systems are not just preserved, but adequately funded.
III. The Infrastructural Underdevelopment Crisis Plaguing the Southwest Region :
Roads, Water, and Light Despite making tremendous progress to elaborate the legislative arsenal and the legal framework that should guarantee a certain degree of autonomy, the physical landscape of the Southwest Region remains a testament to neglect.
The “Special Status” remains an abstract concept as long as the following three pillars of development are in decay:
The Infrastructure of Connectivity (Roads).
Since time immemorial, the Southwest has often been referred to as the”breadbasket” of the nation, yet our farmers are facing a nightmare to carry their products to the markets.
The Kumba-Ekondo Titi Road, the Mamfe-Akwaya axis, andthe internal networks within Fako and Meme divisions are in deplorable states.
A “Special Status” region should not be characterized by mud tracks that isolate entire villages during the rainy season. It is our fervent desire for the immediate revitalization of the Ring Road projects and a commitment to bituminizing arterial roads that connect our agricultural hubs to the Atlantic coast.
The Crisis of Darkness (Electricity)
It is a profound paradox that a region serving as the heart of the nation’s energy and industrial sectors—hosting giants such as the National Refining Company (SONARA) and the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC)—remains plagued by chronic load-shedding. These frequent and unpredictable power outages have effectively crippled the local economy, stifling the growth of small businesses and stalling the industrialization of key urban hubs like Buea, Limbe, and Kumba. Without a reliable power supply, the entrepreneurial spirit of the region is suppressed, as development is fundamentally impossible in the dark.
To rectify this systemic failure, we call for the immediate implementation of a dedicated regional energy plan designed to stabilize the aging grid.
This strategy must go beyond mere maintenance by actively leveraging local natural resources to drive rural electrification and industrial resilience.
By prioritizing energy security, the region can finally align its vast industrial potential with a modern infrastructure thatsupports sustainable growth and brings light to both urban centers and underserved rural communities.
- Constant Violation of the Fundamental Right to Water.
Access to clean, potable water remains an elusive luxury in many parts of the Southwest, characterizing a severe failure of urban planning and a burgeoning public health crisis. In major urban centers such as Buea, the water supply is notoriously inconsistent, forcing citizens to abandon dry taps and rely on untreated,precarious sources like open streams or unverified community springs.
This systemic neglect exposes the population to the constant threat of waterborne diseases and places an undue economic burden on the most vulnerable households who must purchase water for basic survival.
Under the provisions of the Special Status, it is imperative that the Southwest Regional Assembly is legally empowered and sufficiently funded to initiate a comprehensive overhaul of the water distribution infrastructure.
The current patchwork approach is insufficient for a rapidly growing population; instead, a modern, regional hydraulic plan must be implemented to replace antiquated piping systems and expand the grid to underserved neighborhoods.
By leveraging the region’s natural spring resources through local management, the Assembly can transform water from a scarce commodity into a guaranteed public utility, ensuringthat development is built on the foundation of health and dignity.
- The Expectations of the Southwestern People.
The people of the Southwest are not seeking charity; they are demanding a fair and equitable share of the nation’s Commonwealth through direct, targeted investment.
To move beyond the limitations of standard ministerial budgets—which often fail to account for the unique devastation in our communities—there is an urgent need for a “Special Intervention Fund” dedicated specifically to the reconstruction of the region.
This fund would serve as an autonomous financial engine, ensuring that the rebuilding of schools, hospitals, and infrastructure is treated as a national priority rather than a bureaucratic afterthought.
Furthermore, true development must be rooted in “Local Content” to ensure that the region’s growth is socially and economically sustainable.
Every developmental project executed within our borders must prioritize the employment of local youths, transforming them from idle observers into active stakeholders in their own future.
By integrating our young men and women into the labor force of these projects, we do more than just reduce high unemployment rates; we provide the dignity of labor and a sense of belonging that serves as the most effective shield against radicalization and social instability.
Finally, the era of “ghost projects” and stalled development must come to an end through a rigorous mechanism of accountability.
The Regional Assembly, as the direct representative of the people’s interests under the Special Status, must be empowered with the oversight authority to hold contractors strictly accountable for abandoned road and water projects. We envision a transparent system where every franc spent is tracked, and every contract signed results in a finished, high-quality project.
Accountability is the bridge between political promises and the lived reality of the Southwestern people, ensuring that the Commonwealth truly serves the common good.
The people of the Southwest are not seeking charity; they are demanding a fair and equitable share of the nation’s Commonwealth through direct, targeted investment.
To move beyond the limitations of standard ministerial budgets—which often fail to account for the unique devastation in our communities—there is an urgent need for a
“Special Intervention Fund” dedicated specifically to the reconstruction of the region.
This fund would serve as an autonomous financial engine, ensuring that the rebuilding of schools, hospitals, and infrastructure is treated as a national priority rather than a bureaucratic afterthought.
Furthermore, true development must be rooted in “Local Content” to ensure that the region’s growth is socially and economically sustainable. Every developmental project executed within our borders must prioritize the employment of local youths, transforming them from idle observers into active stakeholders in their own future.
By integrating our young men and women into the labor force of these projects, we do more than just reduce high unemployment rates; we provide the dignity of labor and a sense of belonging that serves as the most effective shield against radicalization and social instability.
Finally, the era of “ghost projects” and stalled development must come to an end through a rigorous mechanism of accountability.
The Regional Assembly, as the direct representative of the people’s interests under the Special Status, must be empowered with the oversight authority to hold contractors strictly accountable for abandoned road and water projects. We envision a transparent system where every franc spent is tracked, and every contract signed results in a finished, high-quality project.
Accountability is the bridge between political promises and the lived reality of the Southwestern people, ensuring that the Commonwealth truly serves the common good.
Conclusion: A Call for Presidential Action
Your Excellency, the Special Status was a bold political move to restore peace and unity.
However, peace is not just the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice and development. When a mother can take her child to a hospital over a paved road, and a student can study under a working light bulb, the “Special Status” will finally have meaning.
We urge your office, through the Prime Minister’s leadership, to move beyond the rhetoric of decentralization and into the era of Physical Transformation.
Let the Southwest Region become a model of what a decentralized, “Special Status” entity can achieve when political will meets the aspirations of the people.
Respectfully Submitted,