Papers by Christian Pagbe Musah
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research , 2024
This study has as objective to situate the historical context in which the new paradigm of commer... more This study has as objective to situate the historical context in which the new paradigm of commercial motorbike transportation; an informal economic activity, emerged in the late 1990s through the early 2000s in Bangem town. It treats the genesis/implantation, challenges and implications of the sector in Bangem. The paper contends that, the very difficult impacts of the economic crisis of the second half of the 1980s and early 1990s that hit Cameroon at large and Bangem in particular amongst other factors brought untold hardship on the locals exhibited by poverty and mass unemployment of youths. It was the economic crisis and the ensued hardship that was the basis and catalyst for the pursuit of informal economic activities as niches for economic survival, growth and livelihood. Commercial motorbike transportation thus provided a new avenue for economic livelihood. Based on primary, secondary data and the authors' observations, the study reveals that commercial motorbike transportation greatly ameliorated the lives and living standards of many youths who found a way of making ends meet in the sector. More to that, Motorbike transportation became the main means of transportation within the Bangem township and greatly helped to palliate the movement of persons from Bamgem municipality to the neighbouring villages due to the flexibility and adaptive nature of the bikes. Motorbike transportation also aided in the transportation of agricultural products from the suburbs and environs of Bangem Township that had been a major handicap for the rural farmers due to the poor state of the roads within the entire Kupe-Muanengube division. Commercial motorbike transportation was therefore a new paradigm of informal economic activity that had come to stay and to contribute to the socioeconomic fabric of Bangem town.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS), 2023
Traditional medicine and healing has been part and parcel of the communities and peoples of the B... more Traditional medicine and healing has been part and parcel of the communities and peoples of the Bamenda Grasslands of Cameroon since pre-colonial times and has stood the test of time. Traditional medicine and healing in the Bamenda Grasslands was sustained through constant practice, tolerance, research and innovation. If the Bamenda Grasslands is popular in Cameroons social settings, it is largely due to the influence of traditional medicine. It is in this context that this paper seeks to examine traditional medicine as a measure in disease treatment within the Bamenda Grasslands since the pre-colonial era. The paper further probes into the dynamics of Bamenda Grassfields traditional medicine. It builds on primary and secondary data to show that traditional medicine and healing helped in no small way in the treatment of prevalent diseases and contributed to the welfare of the people of the Cameroon Grasslands.
African Journal of History and Archaeology (AJHA), 2022
This paper unravels government's implication in the radicalization of the Anglophone Crisis that ... more This paper unravels government's implication in the radicalization of the Anglophone Crisis that broke out in late 2016 and degenerated into what has been otherwise termed the "Ambazonian" secessionist war that ensued in 2017. This came on the backdrop of what started as a resistance against the Francophonisation of the Anglophones and the Anglo-Saxon institutions in what came to be known as the Anglophone Problem. This resistance had been a daily struggle of Anglophone activists, Anglophone pressure groups and the Anglophones in general since the early 1960s. Their struggles were however less violent until late 2016 when pacific protests put up by Anglophone lawyers and teachers trade unions against corporate grievances and social vexations took a twist in 2017 and escalated into a violent political crisis and war of separation. The paper based on primary and secondary sources, makes a critique of government's responses and policies towards the corporate grievances and the Anglophone Problem in general and begs the conclusion that they in one way or the other contributed in escalating the situation. The paper reckons that, though the potency of secession for Anglophone Cameroon/former Southern Cameroons appears gloomy, however, if the government does not seek and implement authentic consensual measures other than the military option in resolving the crisis from its roots, there is fear that it will become a protracted warfare with much violent and bloody episodes and may lead to a full scale civil war in Cameroon and within the central African sub region.
American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR)
The UN trust territories of British Togoland and British Southern Cameroons at independence and f... more The UN trust territories of British Togoland and British Southern Cameroons at independence and following UN organised plebiscites, choose to gain independence by joining the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Cameroon in 1955 and 1961 respectively. Today, some indigenes of the two territories are protesting against the unions and are advocating separation. This study, based on secondary sources, examines the similarities and differences between the two secession movements arguing that their similar colonial history played in favour of today's conflicts and that the violent, bloody and more advanced conflict in Cameroon is inspiring the movement in favour of an independent Western Togoland in Ghana. It reveals that colonial identities are unfortunately still very strong in Africa and may continue to obstruct political integration on the continent for a long time.
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES, 2021
Le vivre ensemble recently dominated political discourse in Cameroon due to the difficult cohabit... more Le vivre ensemble recently dominated political discourse in Cameroon due to the difficult cohabitation between the
more than 250 ethnic groups that make up the Cameroon ‘nation’. The outcome has been inter-ethnic conflicts and the
resurgence of identity crisis. If Cameroon is African in miniature because of its ethnic diversities, then the North West
Region is Cameroon in miniature because its populations came from almost all the cultural spheres of Cameroon. This
paper attempts an investigation into the attractiveness of the destination for settlers, the identity crisis that emerged
from the settlement of strangers and the symbiosis and apparent calm that characterise autochthon-settler relationship
in the Northwest Region since Precolonial Times. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources and the
qualitative method used to analyse it. The findings suggest that the region’s economic potentials, the hospitality of its
indigenes and the inter-dependence between the various ethnic groups made for the le vivre ensemble that characterised
the peoples. Unlike the economically advanced Southern part of Cameroon where le vivre ensemble was problematic, the
Northwest region has experienced some level of integration amongst different communities probably because of the non politicisation
of identity. The Northwest Region can therefore serve as a veritable laboratory for Cameroon at this time
that national unity and national integration are threatened by ethnic and other forms of sub nationalisms.
Indiana Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2021
The German annexation of Cameroon on July 12, 1884 marked the official beginning of German admini... more The German annexation of Cameroon on July 12, 1884 marked the official beginning of German administration in Cameroon. The annexation of the coast was followed by a rapid expansion and consolidation into the interior. The desire to bring together the coast and the interior landed the Germans in Bali in 1889 and later Bamenda where they stationed their administrative headquarter of the Bamenda Grassfileds in 1902. The establishment of the colonial machinery necessitated the provision of basic social infrastructures such as schools, health facilities, postal services, and a good road communication network to facilitate the functioning of the colonial agenda in Bamenda and within other parts of the Grassfields. When the British took over in 1916, they improved and expanded the social infrastructures that the German left behind. This paper based on archival, secondary sources and the authors" observation attempts a survey on the development of social infrastructures in Bamenda within the colonial context. The paper concludes that the presence of the colonialists and colonialism masterminded the development of social infrastructures in Bamenda, with primary basis for the effective implementation and smooth functioning of the colonial agenda and produced incidental outcomes that laid the foundations for the present day Bamenda urban space.
European Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 2021
In 2016, a crisis broke out in Cameroon provoked by secessionist agitations in the two Anglophone... more In 2016, a crisis broke out in Cameroon provoked by secessionist agitations in the two Anglophone regions of the North West and South West. It has variedly been referred to as the Anglophone Crisis or the Ambazonian War. The crisis has affected and threatened the unity, territorial integrity, social cohesion and le vivre ensemble in Cameroon. It has shattered the economy, destroyed schools, villages, infrastructures and businesses leading to mass displacement of persons to the Francophone regions and neighbouring Nigeria. In fact, the crisis has inflicted huge anguish and damages on the masses and has left the populations in very precarious conditions and misery that demand humanitarian actions to their rescue. Appeals have been made from several stakeholders both nationally and internationally pressing on the government to seek and implement lasting solutions to the crisis. Some musicians and song composers through musical activism added their voices to the calls for peace by articulating and conveying the misfortunes, despair, miseries and sufferings of the poor masses, victims of the war. This was exhibited in the music titles, the lyrics or messages they passed across, their grieving faces in the video grams and their tones that were telling and compelling as they expressed their lamentations. The musicians via musical activism regretted the war, begged for peace, unity, ceasefire and veritable actions in seeking lasting solutions to the crisis. This article attempts an analysis of the content and messages of some of these musicians revealing the desperation and gravity of the crisis in Cameroon.
International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science, 2021
This paper appraises Cameroon-Nigeria relations in the face of secessionist tendencies in both co... more This paper appraises Cameroon-Nigeria relations in the face of secessionist tendencies in both countries. An x-ray of secessionist wars in most countries reveal that they have been propelled by a variety of economic, socio-cultural and political factors in different dimensions. Based extensively on secondary sources, the paper argues that the empathy demonstrated by both Cameroon and Nigeria amidst secessionist trends in both countries between 1967 and 2020 were strategic responses to hard realities that obliged such reactions. The fear of spill over effects warranted the protection of national interest. In fact, there was the need to uphold national security, protect state unity and integration and it thus became imperative to show sympathy to the neighbour"s predicaments. Therefore both states have been forced to show ""good neighbourliness"", upholding the moral principle of ""one good turn deserve another"" in order to guard themselves from not falling victim to secessionist circumstances and by extension keeping their interest intact and not necessarily friendship as the empathy demonstrated was incidental.
Sumerianz Journal of Social Science, 2020
This paper is a means through which to understand the pivotal role which teachers as a profession... more This paper is a means through which to understand the pivotal role which teachers as a professional group, played in shaping the political evolution of the British Southern Cameroons. The paper unveils the several ways by which teachers were able to exploit and digress from their functions and responsibilities as pedagogues to become role models, decision makers and political beacon bearers as the territory evolved politically. From the avalanche of primary and secondary sources consulted, the findings reveal that teachers championed the formation of associations, political pressure groups and political parties, participated in elections and were actively involved in parliamentary debates. In fact, teachers were at the firing line of political activism. From the findings, it is therefore, unconceivable to refute the fact that despite serving under colonial rule and thanks to their attachment and love for motherland especially against Nigerian domination, teachers were very courageous, polyvalent and instrumental as the political vanguards of the British Southern Cameroons. In fact, they constituted the most politically enlightened corp. This was not the case with the practitioners of other professions or colonial servants.
International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review, 2020
This study examines the emergence of autonomous teacher's trade unions in the British Southern/We... more This study examines the emergence of autonomous teacher's trade unions in the British Southern/West Cameroons. The objective is to account for their creation and the important role they played in enhancing the teaching profession, education and social evolution of the territory. The paper demonstrates their contributions to social advancement and the impact of their activities. Using archival and secondary sources, the study reveals that the teacher's trade unions were well organised, conscious of their tasks and were determined in protecting the interest of the teachers. More to that, the unions actively participated in the social dynamics of the Southern Cameroons nations.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2020
Communication remains a fundamental aspect of man's life, existence, interactions and evolution. ... more Communication remains a fundamental aspect of man's life, existence, interactions and evolution. This paper takes off from indigenous African communication (modes and mediums), to examine the enhancement of communication in the British Colonial Bamenda Grassfields. The study based on a vast array of archival and secondary sources, unveils the centrality of the need of a flexible and fluid communication channel in the implementation and effectiveness of the colonial machinery in the Bamenda Grassfields. The study also reveals the readiness and engagement of the indigenes in the development of post offices and postal services as it was a means through which they sustained contacts and affinities with their kith and kin whom most migrated to distant coastal towns in search of jobs and livelihood. The development of post offices and postal agencies was a very popularly welcomed initiative especially amongst the indigenes. One can therefore maintain that the development of post offices and postal services in the Bamenda Grassfields was thanks to the collective efforts of the colonial administration and the indigenes. This also laid the foundation for post-colonial communications services. In fact, most if not all of the vestiges of the British colonial administration in terms of communication channels and services in the Bamenda Grassfields were the first generation of post-independence postal operations and services.
Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, 2020
A retrospect of the close to 60 years after the reunification of Cameroon unveils a systematic ch... more A retrospect of the close to 60 years after the reunification of Cameroon unveils a systematic chain of political repression, cultural marginalization, linguistic segregation and assimilation by the uninterrupted Francophone regimes on the Anglophones. This has led to Anglophone nationalism in the quest to protect, preserve and uphold their cultural identity. This has been as a result of the feeling that they are being recolonized by the majority Francophones. This paper based extensively on secondary sources takes off from the plethora of literature on the Anglophone Problem to make a diagnosis of linguistic segregation and cultural assimilation in Cameroon. The main problematic of the study lies in the fact that in the means of nation building, national unity, national integration or building a consensual national identity, there has been deliberate efforts at sideling the English Language despite the fact that the constitutions requires that the linguistic and cultural variables of both groups (English and French speaking) be protected, upheld and preserved. Linguistic segregation of the English language is thus endangering the cultural heritage and identity of the English speaking population. The main objective of the paper therefore is to reveal the hidden agenda which the successive Francophone dominated regimes had to sideline the English language and by extension "re-annex" Anglophones. The paper is a means through which to understand the diverse experiences which the Yaounde government or the French dominated regimes systematically executed language segregation and Anglophone assimilation agenda since independence. It goes further to demonstrate vivid and glaring examples and concludes that the
International Journal of Education and Social Science, 2019
This study investigates the emergence of the Southern Cameroon corps of professional teachers and... more This study investigates the emergence of the Southern Cameroon corps of professional teachers and the influential role the Head Teachers or Head Masters as they were called, and the teachers in general played in shaping the Southern Cameroon culture and identity. The objective is to account for the popularity of this group of colonial servants and their rise to prominence. Using archival and secondary sources, the study reveals that they were well groomed and that their Christian upbringing and attachment to motherland against Nigerian domination was responsible for their admiration, uprightness and commitment to the Southern Cameroon nation.
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Papers by Christian Pagbe Musah
more than 250 ethnic groups that make up the Cameroon ‘nation’. The outcome has been inter-ethnic conflicts and the
resurgence of identity crisis. If Cameroon is African in miniature because of its ethnic diversities, then the North West
Region is Cameroon in miniature because its populations came from almost all the cultural spheres of Cameroon. This
paper attempts an investigation into the attractiveness of the destination for settlers, the identity crisis that emerged
from the settlement of strangers and the symbiosis and apparent calm that characterise autochthon-settler relationship
in the Northwest Region since Precolonial Times. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources and the
qualitative method used to analyse it. The findings suggest that the region’s economic potentials, the hospitality of its
indigenes and the inter-dependence between the various ethnic groups made for the le vivre ensemble that characterised
the peoples. Unlike the economically advanced Southern part of Cameroon where le vivre ensemble was problematic, the
Northwest region has experienced some level of integration amongst different communities probably because of the non politicisation
of identity. The Northwest Region can therefore serve as a veritable laboratory for Cameroon at this time
that national unity and national integration are threatened by ethnic and other forms of sub nationalisms.
more than 250 ethnic groups that make up the Cameroon ‘nation’. The outcome has been inter-ethnic conflicts and the
resurgence of identity crisis. If Cameroon is African in miniature because of its ethnic diversities, then the North West
Region is Cameroon in miniature because its populations came from almost all the cultural spheres of Cameroon. This
paper attempts an investigation into the attractiveness of the destination for settlers, the identity crisis that emerged
from the settlement of strangers and the symbiosis and apparent calm that characterise autochthon-settler relationship
in the Northwest Region since Precolonial Times. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources and the
qualitative method used to analyse it. The findings suggest that the region’s economic potentials, the hospitality of its
indigenes and the inter-dependence between the various ethnic groups made for the le vivre ensemble that characterised
the peoples. Unlike the economically advanced Southern part of Cameroon where le vivre ensemble was problematic, the
Northwest region has experienced some level of integration amongst different communities probably because of the non politicisation
of identity. The Northwest Region can therefore serve as a veritable laboratory for Cameroon at this time
that national unity and national integration are threatened by ethnic and other forms of sub nationalisms.