By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The Eldest Member of Parliament, Hon. Laurentine Mbede Koa Mfegue, has urged Cameroonian Members of Parliament, MPs in the Lower House of Parliament to engage in deep self-introspection as the current 10th Legislature will conclude in 2025.
During the opening of the first Ordinary Session of the 2024 Legislative year of the National Assembly on March 5, Hon. Koa Mfegue raised important questions regarding the achievements of MPs elected in 2020, with less than 12 months remaining to the end of their mandate.
She emphasized the need for MPs to reflect on their track record and questioned if they have truly lived up to the confidence placed in them by Cameroonians.
“…Exception does not prove the rule. As Members of the National Assembly, we habitually call the attention of others to issues, but we have never taken time to do a self-introspection or look at our track record. While I do not, as Eldest Member of the National Assembly, seek to moralise, I would like to urge us to take some time off today and do a self-introspection,” Hon. Koa Mfegue said.
She added, “In retrospect, the time spent in this House Chamber warrants me to ponder on the following: what did we do during the past 48 months of our tenure? Have we really lived up to the confidence bestowed on us by Cameroonians? I may be mistaken, but our general appraisal would be: could do better.”
While acknowledging that not everyone is to be blamed, Hon. Koa Mfegue highlighted unhealthy practices among MPs, such as intrigues, demeaning others out of envy, spreading slander on social media platforms, engaging in power struggles, pursuing personal gain, and obsessively chasing after money.
She raised the issue of corruption which continues to plague the public service, power outages recurrent due to acute power shortage problems and water-borne diseases are increasingly propagated because of inadequate water supply.
“…We are credited with the passing of bills which I believe are good bills. We ensured Government oversight through relevant verbal questions. Our parliamentary networks have examined serious and important issues. But, did we bother to raise concerns on the issues I just mentioned in the past 48 months even though they affect the daily lives of our constituents?” she questioned.
She asked again, “Have we really served to satisfy the aspirations of our constituents, the very aspirations we are expected to articulate in this House Chamber? Did we actually go the extra mile to contact appropriate public authorities to have the aspirations of our constituents satisfied? But who would dare to stop a group of elected representatives from knocking at the door of such public authorities to enquire about a situation in order to spur action?”
Talking about secondary education, she lamented the state of the sector, likening it to a sinking ship where educators are abandoning classrooms and increasingly taking to the streets to make demands that, unfortunately, have largely gone unmet despite clear directives from the highest authority.
She also observed that violence and drug abuse have become pervasive in school environments, while university campuses suffer from a lack of discipline and rigor, amidst an atmosphere of general laxity.
While she acknowledged the government’s efforts in managing the current economic challenges, she commended the Ministry of Trade for its measures to address inflation, reduce the cost of living, and alleviate food shortages in the country.
Looking ahead, Hon. Koa Mfegue called on MPs to work towards restoring the good reputation of the House Chamber within the remaining 12 months of their term. She emphasized the necessity of achieving this goal, ensuring that both outgoing members and incoming representatives take pride in contributing to a viable, stable, and reputable institution.
Additionally, she encouraged the staff of the National Assembly to maintain high standards of restraint, efficiency, discipline, professionalism, and moral integrity in serving the nation’s supreme interests. She also expressed condemnation for the attack that occurred in Nkambe during the National Youth Day celebrations on February 11.
Even though bills are expected to be tabled during the session, the March sessions of parliament are primarily devoted to the election of the Bureau of the National Assembly.
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