Let us look at some facts:
1) The North West Province for instance is sandwiched between the Bamilekes to the East and the Ibos to the West. These are very hard working people and one would have expected that over the years, we would have learnt from them, copy from them and be like them or better. What do we notice? We are sleeping while the world moves on without us! Only the Bamilekes are hard working in this country!
2) The Blacks make up 13% of the American population. 85% of all the people in the US prisons are blacks. The same percentage of all HIV/AIDS patients, are blacks. We seem to have the same patterns for drug histories and unemployment. (Lack of positive ASSERTIVENESS. They assert themselves negatively in crime, stealing, witchcraft etc). They behave as if someone in America or the world owes them something and should pay up!
3) When we look at the HIV/AIDS spread all over the world, 85% of all cases are found in AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA!!!! The poorest people in the world live in these areas that are also plagued with selfish wars and natural disasters.
4) Japan is a small country but because its citizens have roots and wings, it is richer than America and 100 times stronger than all of Africa put together. Notice that Japan has no minerals, no oil, no forest, no wars, no dictators, no masters and no servants. It has people who are mature and respect themselves, their country and their neighbors. They have scientists who use knowledge for the good of mankind. They are disciplined. No cheating, no corruption.
5) The North West Province is the second poorest province in this country after the Far North. Notice that over 540 factories are in the Douala area. Over 126 are in the Yaounde area. 4% of all our industries are in the Grand North. 4% are in the West Province. Only 1.2% are in the North West and South West Provinces put together. You cannot earn money. I mean good money without industries. Industries are not created by the government; IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
6) WHAT IS SUCCESS? We understand SUCCESS to mean, 'Helping those that are less fortunate than we are to rise to our level or even do better'!! Money, cars, houses, land, titles, power and talents are tolls we use to achieve success

There are two types of SLAVERY!

a) Physical Slavery where you are constrained to work for another person by force for practically little or no salary. Best examples are found in history when blacks were shipped to America; God's Chosen Race (Israel) was in bondage in Egypt.
b) Mental Slavery is a state of the mind in which a free person who decides what he should do with his time and talent refuses to think and act positively for himself and the community. He wants others to think and work for him. He looks for someone else to blame for his failures. He is always right and cannot be held accountable for anything. He spends more time drinking, playing, dancing, celebrating, having fun and sex. He makes so many babies and fails to realize that it is his responsibility to feed, clothe, house, nurture and educate them. The responsibility becomes that of the uncles, church, state, welfare, or the poor wife etc.

The best place to learn some HARD LESSONS and turn around is when one is in the pit. You MUST hit ROCK BOTTOM. This is the best classroom.

The ECONOMIC CRISES was a God sent event and is a good opportunity for all Cameroonians to forget chicken parlors and bars and to think and work concretely to make things better. It is a huge classroom in which we MUST learn the lessons and apply them well. If we chose not to, nature is not in any hurry and we will perish. The sooner we start doing the right thing, the sooner we will solve our problems and the sooner we will be able to afford for good health, shelter, education, transportation etc. Blaming God or other people including the Government will not help.

When God took out the Israelites from Egypt, they went through the desert for 40 years. If they had the right attitude, they would have got to the 'promised land' in 40 days. Because they were irresponsible and complained against Moses and God, All those old enough to remember free food from Egypt had to die in the dessert. Only those born in the wilderness with the right attitude saw the Promised Land.

Cameroonians are presently in the wilderness! Just before the children of God crossed the river Jordan to Canaan, something happened. Notice that is the wilderness, they had manner, that is, food that they never cultivated. They had some corn, wheat and some food reserves.

As they went into Canaan, the manner stopped! The food reserves dried up!!!

Notice that Canaan is described as a land flowing with MILK and HONEY. The truth is the milk and honey was not hanging from trees or lying around just begging to be eaten!

God's chosen race had to work very hard to raise the cattle, then go out to milk them. They had to raise the bees. To harvest the honey, they had to be stung!!! The lesson here is that free lunch was over and they had to work for what ever they needed. They had to pay the price!!! I am talking of God's children paying the price!! God himself worked for six days and rested on the seventh. He has called you to continue in His creation by WORKING! You will not make it if you refuse to pay the price!! PERIOD!!! SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE WORD!

WHAT THEN IS ATTITUDE AND WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE SHOULD WE HAVE??

If you are thirsty, you THINK of drinking water. If you do nothing about it, nature would not be in any hurry. Before you know it, YOU WILL GET UP FROM YOUR COMFORT ZONE to go and get water!!! If it is not at home, you will go to the public tap. If it is not there, you will go to the valley. If the valleys are dry and there is only dirty, muddy water, you will collect it and do something about it. If there is nothing at all, you will leave the comfortable houses, and every thing else behind and MIGRATE!!!!!

This principle works for every need we have on earth. First we must THINK about it. Identify it as a REAL NEED and not a want. The strong desire and passion must be there for us to do something about the need.

Just thinking and concretely identifying the need is 50% of the problem solved. However if it stays just in our heads as thoughts, it achieves nothing. Thoughts alone would not put food on your plate!

It is important to get out of the comfort zone and DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE THUOGHT TO BRING ABOUT THE DESIRED RESULT!! Until this is done, nothing happens and all we would have achieved would be wishful thinking and day-dreaming. This is where North Westerners and most Cameroonians and Africans are.

Therefore, there is a call for IMMEDIATE, CONCRETE and PURPOSEFUL ACTION in the desired direction to get the desired result. This is only achieved after proper planning which takes into account the following things:

What is the problem?
What is it I want to do about the problem?
How will I solve the problem?
Who can help me with some of the solutions?
Where will this take place?
When?(NOW!! Short term objectives, Long term objectives).

Notice the 'I' factor in problem solving. You must look within you for the solutions before you start asking for help. Stop blaming others.

The thought process must be POSITIVE!!! If you think negatively, you are defeated even before you start. This must be tied to FAITH in yourself and God who created you. You must PRAY about your dreams and make sure that they are in line with GOD'S WILL for your life. When this happens, you get a multiplier effect in what ever you do. You will not have to work too hard to get the desired results. God's hands multiply everything that you touch a hundred fold.

THIRTYONE REASONS WHY WE FAIL!!!

In the book "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, he lists out 31 reasons why people fail. I will encourage all of us to pick up this book and read it.
(People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common. They know all the reasons for failure and have what they believe to be air-tight explanations for their own lack of accomplishment.

IF I didn't have a wife and family…. IF I had enough "pull"….. IF I had money….. IF I had a good education….. IF I could get a job….. IF I had good health…. IF I only had time….. If times were better …IF other people understood me…IF conditions around me were only different….. IF I could live my life over again…. IF I did not fear what" they "would say….IF I had been given a chance… IF I now had a chance… IF other people didn't "have it in on me"….IF nothing happens to stop me… IF I were only younger… IF I could only do what I want… IF I had been born rich… IF I could meet "the right people".. IF I had the talent that some people have…. IF I dared assert myself… IF I only had embraced passed opportunities…IF people did not get on my nerves….IF I didn't have to keep house and look after the children….IF I could save some money… IF the boss only appreciated me… IF I only had someone to help me… If my family understood me…IF I lived in a big city….. IF I could just get started… IF I were only free…. IF I had the personality of some people…. IF I were not so fat… IF my talents were known… IF I could just get a" break"… IF I could only get out of debt… IF I hadn't failed… IF I only knew how… IF every body didn't oppose me… IF I didn't have so many worries… IF I could marry the right person… IF people weren't so dumb… IF my family were not so extravagant… IF I were sure of myself… IF luck were not against me.. IF I had not been born under the wrong star…. IF it were not true that "what is to be will be"…. IF I did not have to work so hard… IF I hadn't lost my money.. IF I lived in a different neighborhood…IF I didn't have a "past"…. IF I only had a business of my own…IF other people would only listen to me….IF *******and this is the greatest of them all….if I had the courage to see myself as I really am, I would find out what is wrong with me, and correct it.
THEREFORE, YOU GREATEST ENEMY IS 'YOU'.CONQUER SELF AND THE SKY WILL BE YOUR LIMIT.)

What are some of the collective excuses we give for our collective failure?
" THE ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM! Is there actually something like that? Yes, there is. However, let us ask ourselves some pertinent questions:
1) Are we the only ones with a problem? NO!!
2) Are we or were we hated more than the Bamilekes? NO!
3) Did someone specifically stop you from doing something useful because you are from the North West, East, North, South? NO!
4) Have we succeeded in working together in joint ventures and companies? NO!
5) Did anyone stop us from building good houses along the Commercial Avenues? NO!!
6) Did any one force you to sell your land? NO!
7) Did you try to cooperate to build and share? NO!!
8) Did we start a transportation company, industry, big farms and someone stopped us? NO!!
9) Are there roads in other parts of the country like Yaounde, Douala, East Province, South, North? NO!!
10) Has anybody forced us to be drinking alcohol from as early as 8 AM? NO!!
In as much as we might have genuine problems, we are using them as an excuse to run away from RESPONSIBILITY.

" SCHOOLS.
Prof Ajaga Nji has written a book entitled, " Why Poor People Remain Poor".
He says that to fight poverty, our youth must study sciences and technology, which must be applied to our daily lives. No one beats the North West in this field when it comes to "head knowledge". We have failed because we have not translated what we know to work for us. Our intelligent children are in Germany, Britain and the USA and have FAILED to transfer technology, which is seen in the growth of cottage industries and the creation of jobs. They blame politics and cite 31 reasons why it cannot work.
Some have tried to come back home. We here are so dishonest that we cannot help them to succeed. The 419 syndrome, has eaten deep into our bones so we tend to discourage and cripple their efforts. How many of them have tried to build houses from aboard and have failed because we deceive and cheat them?

" INFERIORITY COMPLEX
This is a killer disease! When you feel inferior, it means you do not LOVE and ACCEPT YOURSELF for who you are. God did not make a mistake when you where born black, in Cameroon/Africa and not in the White House. When you have no respect for yourself, you cannot love others or pretend to do so. You cannot achieve anything in life. Acting superior is even worse. It breeds pride, which is the other face of the same coin. None of these people can succeed. Be yourself. Respect your self, your country and your race.

" Have FAITH in yourself and in God your Creator. Listen to His silent voice. Seek his WILL and do it. The Fear of WITCHCRAFT and DEATH is a big source of insecurity, which freezes us into inactivity and suspicion. This is how the native doctor makes his fortune by frightening us, stating that he has the solutions and holding us captive for all our lives. What nurses this state of events is the lack of TRUST IN GOD. It is very damaging to prosperity and progress.

" MALE DOMINANCE.
In Donga & Mantung Division, the males do not cultivate the land. They think it is reserved for women only and for spineless men in distant lands. What a shame! What a mistake! This is a poor cultural belief that does not help. The men are strong and use the energy to clear the farms. Their contribution ends there. The most they do is to drink the 'SHA ' that the women prepare, tap the palm wine and consume all the brasseries drinks. Some of the women are so nice that they pay the tax for their husbands.

" GAMBLING
This is worse than HIV/AIDS. It destroys the body, the mind, the future and the community. How many businesses have been crippled because of gambling? Have you every seen anyone who won the lottery become a millionaire? They become arrogant, send away their wives and look for younger ones, fly left and right and end up being a public disgrace.
Have nothing to do with gamblers. They are not leaders and do not succeed in anything worthy of praise. They cannot even look after themselves.

What puzzles me so much is why gambling Kiosks in Bamenda are open to do business on Clean Up Campaign days when every other business shuts down for the exercise of the day. Either they are above the law or their services are as indispensable like hospitals and pharmacies.

" SERVICE!
Do not be a master! That is the lesson that Jesus taught us on the night he was betrayed. Do not forget this message. When you are ready to serve others and your community faithfully, honestly, with passion and dedication, putting others before self, nature will help you to succeed. When you work for others, God arranges it in such a way that others will be working for you. SOW THE SEED!!!
We must be reliable, welcoming, going the extra mile in every thing that we do, and take responsibility for our failures and successes. Stop blaming others. Listen to others and give them a chance.

IN CONCLUSION:

We must be PRO-ACTIVE and NOT REACTIVE. Have foresight and work to correct eventual problems before they show up.. "FEAR" the Lord your Maker, Seek to do only His WILL and stay away from BLOOD MONEY!
Poverty is in the mind!! Riches cannot be conferred on you by a Presidential decree or by appointment. RICHES COME THROUGH HARD WORK AND NOT FAMLA!!!

It does not matter how much money you pump into a village. You have to take on the attitude if you want your money to make a difference! The only way to progress is to accept suffering as a blessing and go through it learning something in the process. This is what most people do not want and that is why we are poor.

The spread of HIV/AIDS is directly linked to poverty. By solving our poverty-related problems; we will be contributing effectively, concretely and directly in the fight against this pandemic.

Dr Nick Ngwanyam, MD
Surgeon & Urologist
CEO ST LOUIS GROUP Bamenda. Tel (cell) 776 46 74
Email: stlouisclinicbamenda@yahoo.co.uk
Visit us at: www.stlouisgroup.org