The month of May that has just ended has indeed been eventful. While in Cameroon it will take time for those who lived the pomp that marked the 25th anniversary celebrations of the country’s independence to forget that masterstroke, African leaders, diplomats and businessmen who participated at the 25th edition of the Africa-France summit, will continue to appreciate President Nicolas Sarkozy for giving an old story a new slant. Not only leaders from French-speaking countries were in Nice to talk cooperation and business, but also Heads of state from English-speaking countries; South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Nigeria’s Goodluck Ebele Jonathan among others. This portrayed the new dimension President Sarkozy had planned to give this grande premiere of his as far as these summits are concerned. But that was not all that made the Nice France-Africa Summit different from others. Over two hundred French and African business magnates were present to participate in talks concerning the Socio-economic challenges of the continent, and why not our Global village. Yaounde’s Africa 21 was indeed an eye opener.

The 25th France-Africa summit will also be remembered for its vertical and horizontal vision and the deliberations that made possible the charting a new course for Africa, but the rest of what will give meaning to the summit depends on what President Paul Biya in his recent presentations, declared as a sign of maturity and determination to forge ahead. For, we cannot claim to be masters of our destiny if there is no effort to face the realities of nation-building.

And talking about nation-building who doubts that this demands the love of oneself, the family and the nation at large? Who doubts that if African leaders were confronted by delicate domestic problems, back home they could hardly have been part of this France-Africa summit as well as other fora in which crucial developmental issues are deliberated and decisions taken?

In this case, facing the challenges that render meaningful these Summits demands not only patriotism, but also commitment to the obligations that qualify citizens to be catalysts of development.

President Paul Biya in many of his messages to compatriots has decried the problem of inertia among other societal ills which regrettably have become canker worms in our milieu. On several occasions he has called on his compatriots to emulate the spirit our nation football team (the Indomitable Lions) that fight hard to bring honour to the nation. But what a surprise that despite our awareness of what is at stake, some compatriots behave as if they were not part of what is undertaken in the interest of fellow citizens and their country!

This care-free attitude regrettably has eaten so deep into the fabric of our society that the cries against the irresponsible use of our roads, and other societal ills like corruption, misappropriation, and laziness have been relegated to ostentations wishes. The painful result is the loss of precious lives as it happened in Jombe on 27 October 2007 when 32 people lost their lives in a road accident and last Saturday on the Bafoussam-Yaoundé highway when about 40 passengers perished on the spot, to name but these two. Yet these accidents can be reduced, if not prevented considering the efforts being made by government some non-governmental organizations.

The eventful month of May during which Cameroonians celebrated in a great way the 50th anniversary of political independence and saw their President shine at the France-Africa summit will remain a cause for pride, but who doubts that such pride can only be genuine if during the next 50 years we work hard to prove that we can do something more meaningful to demonstrate our political independence and economic endeavours?

We need this spirit to swim to safety in this world of Socio-political and economic protectionism. Globalization, we must understand, can only be given its positive meaning if after summits such as the one that has just ended in Nice, African leaders and the led prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they can chart efficiently as well as implement effectively what is demanded of those who know what is good for them, and how to get it.