“Officials of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism ( NCPBM) have for the past days been visiting state and private institutions all over the country. The commission is carrying with them messages of Bilingualism, peace and the fight against hate speech and xenophobia”.
The team made up of the Littoral regional head of the commission Alexis Claude Ebondje, Barrister Nico Halle, and the head of delegation David Abouem Tchoyi on Monday 2nd September and Tuesday September 3rd 2023 visited state health institutions to take stock of the level of the implementation of Bilingualism in the health structures with the personnels of the hospitals. This visit was carried out at the General, the Laquintinie and the Gyneco Obstetrics Pediatric hospitals of Douala.
While addressing the personnels of the various health structures, the NCPBM elaborately explained the various types of Bilingualism, the importance of the health institutions to effectively implement the practice of Bilingualism and multiculturalism adopted by the Head of state on 24th December 2019. A law which is intended to lead in no small way to the promotion of peace and living together of Cameroonians. After discussing with personnels of the General hospital, the head of the delegation David Abouem, gave a positive note “We have come to first of all visit the premises and then explain the law on the promotion of official languages and explain what we are doing and call on them to shun hate speech and xenophobia and I think from their reactions we can be happy that the message has been received 5/5.” Officials of the General hospital on their part were enthusiastic with the visit “The members of the commission came in and the message they brought, we have taken into consideration and to see how my personnels were; so we appreciate them because we’ve been trying to carry out Bilingualism just as though we were dealing with languages but now we will start beyond that because in addition we have to think of other components which could bring peace and diversity in our society and I think it was well appreciated.” Professor Henry Luma Namme, General Director of the Douala General hospital said.
Another member of the NCPBM who did not fail to bring into board his expertise and technical know-how is the refined peace advocate barrister Nico Halle. The peace advocate while addressing the health personnel emphasized on love for one another which is the greatest key to humanity for a peaceful cohabitation with one another in a country like Cameroon. He said just like other countries Cameroon is governed by laid down laws and constitutions guiding the citizens. Quoting a line from the Cameroonian anthem “ Thy welfare we will win in love and peace “, barrister Nico Halle said the line only exhorts all Cameroonians that, they will only triumph where there is love, for one another, tolerance, no segregation, no hate speech, where an origin from the North West can without discrimination be able to freely settle in the East region for instance. The peace barrister went further to explain that one of the reasons for xenophobic attacks in our society is due to the fact that many are not aware of the law as some use derogatory words such as “anglofous “francofouls” words that stand as a menace to the peaceful and social cohesion of Cameroonians. Concluding his talk with the health workers, barrister Nico Halle exhorted the people to read the book “Communal Liberalism” authored by the head of state president Paul Biya which pens down the ideal way of communing with fellow citizens of the country. He says when Cameroonians get to read the book, the minds and perspectives of people will have to change for the better.
The Laquintinie general director at the end of the visit applauded the initiative of the NCPBM “I think it’s a good thing for us because we have the obligation to treat either patients speaking English or French and when you want to treat a patient you don’t have to ask first of all the languages and also we are about 1500 personnel in this hospital some are anglophones and others are francophones and we are obliged to live together to work together so the promotion of Bilingualism is a good thing for us it will let us be able to speak the two languages.” Noël Emmanuel Essomba G.D of Laquintinie hospital said.
After visiting health structures, the NCPBM intends visiting other structures to continue the struggle for a better and peaceful Cameroon and for a brighter prosperity.
JULIETTE MESAME
