Barrister Akere Muna, considered Cameroon’s best choice for president considering his towering image and achievements, has called on Csmeroonians to use the October presidential election to fight for the resurrection of Cameroon which has been rendered bankrupt by the sit-tight Biya regime.
In a post titled **Between Despair and Resurrection** , written in the wake of the christening of Cameroon’s National Assembly as The Paul Biya Glass House, Akere Muna wonders if Cameroon can rise from the depths of despair it has been plunged into. He regrets that the nation is “in intensive care”, yet those in power are proclaiming its resilience.
The October presidential election, he said “ is our opportunity to spring out of despair and seize the hope within our reach”. Following is Op-ed in its entirety:
**Between Despair and Resurrection**
A Pope who lived, preached, prayed, and stood with the poor, the weak, and the downtrodden has just passed—after celebrating with Christians the resurrection of Christ at Easter. That is the spectrum between death and life, despair and hope.
Yet, as I watched our parliament—one of the beacons of democratic power—fall victim to the venom of sycophancy, I wondered: Where is our resurrection? This institution, unbalanced as it is, still held the fragile hope from which our democracy could germinate. But now, it has been dealt an almost deadly blow—christened in the name of an executive leader who has never sat in its chambers. The symbolism is crushing.
I now ask: Can our nation rise from the depths of despair it has been plunged into?
The only currency that guarantees a nation’s survival is **integrity, justice, and accountability**. I once believed our national account was overdrawn. Now, it seems we are bankrupt.
The weak and poor are trampled underfoot. Countless citizens have watched as ancestral lands are seized by the high and mighty. Struggling businesses are harassed for taxes they can scarcely afford, while unemployed youths, in their desperation, consider the most extreme means of escape—even expatriation at all costs. High-ranking officials treat revenues from our natural resources as personal fortunes, while our government remains accountable to no one—not even the Supreme Court’s audit bench.
Human liberties have become a matter of discretion. The freedom for political parties to operate exists only within the narrow confines permitted by the ruling party—one that believes its progress depends on holding others back.
The most frightening thing of all? Cameroonians know our country is in intensive care, yet we proclaim its resilience and sound health. This denial is a deeper sickness than the crises themselves.
My profound conviction is this: **Only we, Cameroonians, can save ourselves.**
This October is our opportunity to spring out of despair and seize the hope within our reach. We owe this—to those wallowing in misery today, and to those who will come after us.
The choice is stark: **surrender to the death of our nation or fight for its resurrection.**
The time is now.
Akere Muna.
