Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me first of all congratulate the Nso Voice for conceiving this excercise that is gradually becoming a huge annual event that is attracting people of all walks of life to Kumbo the capital of Bui. It is my humble opinion that you yourself more than deserve the award of the most illustrious son of Bui via your news medium not only to Cameroon
Ladies and Gentlemen when one attends an award ceremony, the first thing you want to know is what have the laureates done to deserve such an appraisal. We in Bui have always raised these questions and found it hard to determine who should receive what for what development project that has helped to advance Bui in the eyes of the national and international community.
From the list of candidates for the present awards though they merit it, it is becoming more and more elitists, which is what I want to dwell in this paper.
The Bui elite has been viewed for the longest time possible as self-seeking and as agents of under-development. I can see people wince and steer in their seats after this statement but you should be patient and you will understand where I am coming from.
The very hard core of our elites live and invest out of the division. The answer they readily give you when challenged for this is that there is no market or money in Bui. This is not true else the Ibos and Bamilikes would not be rushing here to invest. The Bui elite believes that he ceases to be such if he retires to his division of origin. Our elites own the best houses in different divisions where they have settled. The locals only have the inglorious business of burying them when they die and are brought back to the shacks they inherited from their parents or they fill the mission burial grounds. Those who have retired from active service are equally ashamed of their humble homes and find it difficult to bring their families for holidays for they do not have where to keep them. There is a joke that runs around here to this effect:- what is supposed to be a Nso Development Association (NSODA) is mockingly described here in Bui as Bamendada. The reason is not far to fetch. Those running the organisation are mainly elites who minimise the efforts of the locals who are responsible for the on-the-spot development of the division. The external elite regroup to fight for positions in government when they are appointed and only come home for endorsement.
I have deliberately painted a gloomy picture of the Bui elite not to besmear them but on the contrary to call on those who are still in active service to avoid the pitfalls of their forbears. Let us copy from the Bamilikes, they have learnt and are developing their region.
Permit me ladies and gentlemen to make a special comment on H.E. Christopher Nsahlai's "Common Platform for the Development of Bui", though viewed as a ploy to win votes for his C.P.D.M party, it is however a praiseworthy project that should be emulated by every political party and every son and daughter of Bui. Ours is still a nascent democracy and we should learn to throw our weight behind whorever while still in this dispensation for the sake of development of our division. We can trail Mr. Nsaihlai in every village in Bui for the little contributions he made. He is not the first son of Bui to be nominated as Minister but we can say without fear or favour that he will be remembered for a long time for his short stay in government. I would independently have nominated him for this award.
May I also say here to conclude that, The Nso Voice should look around Bui and he will find many laureates, amongst clergymen, teachers, businessmen, farmers, transporters, farmers, builders etc. The afore-mentioned through their daily endeavours keep on contributing to the development of Kumbo, Nso and Bui in general. let us look at a typical case: the up-springing buildings on the roadside from Squares to Mbve. This is a tireless struggle of our looked-low upon Kumbo based businessmen. It is they who in their collective initiatives to develope Kumbo go unnoticed. This is a heritage they are building for posterity. They and the others mentioned above have in my humble opinion made Bui what it is today and should not be forgotten.
Congratulations once more to the laureates who have truly merited their awards. It is our prayer that from your subsequent works for the development of our dear Bui Division, you should again figure as nominees for subsequent awards.
"Ask not what your country has done for you but what you have done for your country" Abraham Lincoln.
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