Anglophone Institutions in National Development: Role of Traditional Rulers in Nation-Building, 1977-2019

Abstract

Since her return to multiparty politics in the 1990s. Cameroon has experienced serious security challenges that has not only threatened only her existence as a nation but distorted the fabrics of national integration, Nation building and all solutions for its eradication including the efforts of the security agencies to tackle the challenges. This calls for an urgent need and collaboration of the traditional rulers in promoting national integration and unity in Cameroon1. As leaders of various Fondoms and the custodian of the people’s culture and tradition, they have firm command and grip of the people at the grassroot and therefore can mobilized people to inculcate the spirit if national integration and unity in their sphere of influence and by extension of the Nation. The paper is to examine not only the roles of traditional rulers in the promotion of national integration and unity for effective nation building, but also the challenges and how the institution can be restructured for it to perform better in promoting the fabrics of national integration for nation building in Cameroon. This demands that traditional institutions be restructured in a way and manner that it will operate optimally or independently in the promotion of national integration and unity for effective nation building.1977,was the year the government outlines the organization and roles of traditional chiefdoms and in 2019,the major National Dialogue was organized aimed at resolving the Anglophone crisis and the Anglophone regions were given a special status and the restoration of houses of chiefs in North West and South West regions. These houses aim to promote cultural diversity, social cohesion, and traditional leadership. The study made used qualitative historical analysis developed from primary and secondary sources.