COMMENTARY: Bahebeck’s arrogance and the myth of equality in Cameroon

By Hans Ngala

Last Saturday, what was supposed to be a sane discussion between civilized and mature adults deteriorated into a shouting match. However, it was the supposedly most educated and oldest “adult” in the room who was doing the shouting.
Professor Jean Bahebeck, who is running for president, got offended when one of the hosts, Lasha Kingsly, an Anglophone journalist, asked Bahebeck a question about Robert Bapooh Lipot as Secretary General of the UPC, a Supreme Court decision prohibits Bapooh Lipot from holding that title.
Bahebeck, in a moment that is reminiscent of Trump with Ramaphosa in the White House on May 21, burst into a verbal tirade, hurling insults at Lasha and asking Lasha to leave or call his station manager.
Not to spend time narrating what can be found online, suffice it to say Bahebeck’s uncouth attitude is representative of that of many ruling-class Francophone leaders in this country who see Anglophones as subservient and who should shut up and listen or just obey their Francophone “masters”. Bahebeck kept shutting down Lasha even though Lasha tried to calmly reason with him, preferring to address Lasha’s co-host, Sylvain Tchogoka, and not Lasha – a clear demonstration of his disregard for the Anglophone journalist.

Related story: https://cameroonnewsagency.com/presidential-hopeful-prof-bahebec-harrases-anglophone-journalist-for-asking-terriblequestion/

Lasha has since stated that “Jean Bahebeck should no longer be invited to Cameroonian media platforms”, arguing that “Here is someone who aspires to lead the country. A simple question for him to explain so Cameroonians could understand and he chose to insult me”.
Lasha is right, if the National Communications Council (NCC) which likes to lecture English-speaking journalists on journalism ethics around election season is to be taken seriously, they should punish Bahebeck and ban him from any media outings as Lasha has rightly stated and he should also be called upon to apologize to Lasha on the same platform which he used to insult him.
It is disappointing to think that Bahebeck is hoping to hold the highest office in the land and holds such disdain for Anglophones. It makes one wonder what kind of leader he would be were he to venture near the corridors of power at the Unity Palace. People like him should not be allowed anywhere near power or the media to espouse their derogatory views.
At a time when Anglophones have suffered unimaginable pain and loss, it is shameful and reprehensible that a man like Bahebeck, passing for a scholar, would engage in such “intellectual dishonesty and anti-Anglophone sentiment” as Lasha stated on his Facebook page.
Bahebeck’s comments demonstrate with no iota of doubt that he believes he is superior to Anglophones. The arrogance and hatred in his voice and body language and demeanor said it all. It makes Anglophones question the myth of “equality” or “unity” which the Francophone-led government of Paul Biya sings about all the time.
Funny that the comments come in the same week of National Unity Day, which was commemorated on May 20 and ironically were preceded by similar remarks (this time from a Francophone journalist,) Parfait Ayissi of InfoTV who rudely shut down an Anglophone guest on his show. Ironically, Ayissi was asking the guest on May 21 what could be done to make the concept of National Unity more real and more palpable in Cameroon, but didn’t want the guest answering in English. He told the English-speaking guest that he can do so on English-speaking programs.
Paul Biya himself takes the lion’s share of the blame for these attitudes that persist in contemporary Cameroonian society. Since the start of the ongoing Anglophone Conflict, Biya remained haughty, refusing to go to Bamenda or Buea to engage in grassroots dialogue with aggrieved Anglophones, and has never during his 42-year reign, addressed Cameroonians in English. This leaves the estimated 8 million Anglophones (in a population of 30 million) feeling vulnerable, and people like Bahebeck and Ayissi see through this and feel emboldened to disrespect Anglophones.
Cameroonian leaders need to condemn such behavior and in fact enact legislation to punish it, enforce payment of damages. Maybe, just maybe, this would deter such reckless and callous behavior from elite Francophones as we seek to foster a better union.