Bilingualism Commission’s Visit To Some State Hospitals in Littoral Regional (Part 2)

Bilingualism Commission’s Visit To Some State Hospitals in Littoral Regional (Part 2)

Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle Defines In A Comprehensive Way, What Hate Speech Means

Abouem a Achoyi Observes With Regret The Alarming Rate of Hate Speech Being Spilled On The Social Media In Particular

Halle Identifies The Potential Sources And Major Causes Of Hate Speech, And Points Out The Devastating Effects Of Hate Speech In Our Society Or Country

Halle Cries Out That Embezzlement, Tribalism, Bitter Politics, Corruption, Exclusion, Discrimination, Among Others, Are Some of the Root Causes Of Hate Speech That Have Taken Out Society Hostage

Halle insists that for Gov’t and partners to effectively stop or curb Hate Speech, THE FIRST THING TO DO, IS TO IDENTIFY AND DEAL WITH THE ROOT CAUSES OF HATE SPEECH

As stated in Part 1 of the article, a delegation from the National Commission on the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, NCPBM, visited some State-owned hospitals in the Littoral Region on October 2 – 3, 2023. The three selected hospitals that the NCPBM delegation visited included the Douala Regional Hospital which is a renowned referral hospital, the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala which is the Littoral Regional Hospital, and the Gynaeco -Obstetric – Pediatric Hospital in Douala which is a specialized health facility. The two-day visit of the NCPBM started at the Douala General Hospital in the morning of Monday, October 2, moved to the Laquantinie Hospital in the afternoon, and ended at the Gynaeco-Obstetric – and Pediatric Hospital on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
The NCPBM delegation was comprised of Mr Abouem a Achoyi David (member of NCPBM), Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle (member of NCPBM), and Mr Ebondje Alexis Claude Dany (Chief of the Littoral Branch of NCPBM). The mission of the NCPBM delegation was to reinforce the promotion of bilingualism, and make an assessment of the level of the implementation of the two official languages, that is English and French, in the public hospitals. They also had to carryout sensitization against the major societal ill, Hate Speech, which is in recent years has been escalating at an alarming rate. Worth noting, that NCPBM is the State Institution that the Government has charged with the task of playing a frontline role on the campaign or sensitization against Hate Speech and Xenophobia.

Hate Speech On Alarming Rise In Cameroon

Meanwhile, from the look of things, the two members of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, Abouem a Achoyi and Nico Halle, as gentlemen seemed to have partitioned their work during their working – visit to the State hospitals in the Littoral Region, with the former being the main speaker on Bilingualism in Cameroon, and the latter being the key speaker on the topic, Hate Speech.
And so when it came to the time to talk about Hate Speech to the management and senior staff of the Douala General Hospital, just like what happened at the two other hospitals the NCPBM visited later, Abouem Achoyi who is also a former Governor and former member of Government, made a brief presentation of the topic as well as his colleague, the key speaker, Barrister Nico Halle, whom he pointed out has besides being a prominent lawyer, is also a reputed peace crusader and has received dozens of local and international awards in peace crusading.

Hate Speech And Xenophobia

As regard Hate Speech which some people erroneously mixed it up with Xenophobia, Mr Abouem a Achoyi stated that Hate Speech and Xenophobia which NCPBM campaign against, are different things even though they are both about hate. He explained that Hate Speech is about hatred between Cameroonians or citizens of the same country, while Xenophobia is hatred for foreigners. He thus explained that the focus of his colleague, Barrister Nico Halle, at the meetings, would be on Hate Speech, considering the audience being addressed. Abouem a Achoyi observed with regret the increasing or alarming rate of Hate Speech in the country, with the social media being the major platform for the societal ill, caused among others by dirty politics.
Worthy of note that though Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle‘s first talk on Hate Speech was at the Douala General Hospital where the NCPBM delegation started their visit to some State hospitals in the Littoral Region, the report presented below by THE MENTOR, is a summary of the Talks on Hate Speech that he gave at the three major hospitals in the Littoral Region, precisely in the nation’s economic capital.

What Is Hate Speech?

For us to better understand what Hate Speech is all about, THE MENTOR first revisits a great article which the reputed Peace, Justice, And Anti – Corruption Crusader, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, wrote on Hate Speech in 2021. In the article, Nico Halle talked of Hate Speech as: “THREATENING AND WANTON WORDS THAT ATTACK PARTICULAR GROUPS ESPECIALLY ON THE BASIS OF MONETARY, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RELIGION, COLOUR, BELIEF, ETHNICITY, NATIONALISM, AND EDUCATION”.
Halle added that: “HATE SPEECH IS ALSO ANY KIND OF COMMUNICATION IN WRITING, SPEECH, BEHAVIOUR, ACTION OR CHARACTER THAT HURTS, ATTACKS, USES PERJORATIVE OR SELECTIVE LANGUAGE, THAT MAKES REFERENCE TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEPRIVED OR MARGINALISED”.

Nico Halle’s Frank Talk Attracts Much Attention

Meanwhile, Barrister Nico Halle, who gave the talks at the meeting at the Douala General Hospital and at the Laquintinie Hospital on October 2, and at Gyneco –Obstetric – Pediatric Hospital on October 3, in his capacity as a member of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, started by briefly definitely Hate Speech, while also stressing the IMPORTANCE OF PEACE in any society or country. In his characteristic style, Nico Halle was frank and often blunt in his pronouncements, and the hospital personnel quickly took note of that aspect, as they exchanged glances amongst themselves, in a show of deep appreciation for the frank talk.
Halle made it clear that he stands for the truth, and will tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. He said he was somebody who respects people, or who gives people the respect they deserve, but that he does not fear people, and that no human is supposed to fear another human being. He said the only person he fears, is Lord, the Creator. He asserted that patriotism demands that we speak the truth, we should be honest, we should be accountable, that we should shun corruption and embezzlement of public funds, for the general interest of our country and people.

Exponential Upsurge In Hate Speech

Meanwhile, Nico Halle wept that Cameroon which used to be an island of peace, is seriously under threat by a number of unfortunate issues, with Hate Speech being one of the major issues that is seriously threatening peace, national unity and national integration in our country. He said there can be no peace when the people of a region, tribe or village, or the militants of a political party, attack others. Nico Halle explained that: “HATE SPEECH IS NOT GOODNESS, IT IS NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS. HATE SPEECH IS SIN”. He added that “HATE SPEECH IS AN EVIL FORCE THAT DESTABILIZES A PEOPLE, UNDERMINES PEACE AND HARMONY IN THE SOCIETY, AND DESTROYS LOVE AND SOCIAL COHESION. He said we cannot talk peace in a society, when there is no love and harmony.
Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle noted that Hate Speech has been around for decades, but said in the past the situation was not so bad. Halle regretted like his colleague, Abouem a Achoyi, that the situation has degenerated in recent years, observing that there has been “an exponential upsurge in hate speech in our society or country”. He said the type of things that some people say on social media as his colleague pointed out, as well on some of the things being said on other platforms, is unwarranted and must be condemned in the strongest of terms. “I am in fact devastated and frustrated with what is happening”, Peace Crusader, Nico Halle, said.

Major Causes Of Hate Speech

The NCPBM member, Barrister Nico Halle, then moved on to look at the major root causes of Hate Speech in our society. He said WITHOUT MINCING WORDS that serious factors like tribalism, embezzlement, bribery and corruption, discrimination, exclusion, and favouritism among others, HAVE TAKEN OUR SOCIETY HOSTAGE.
Halle said HATE SPEECH THRIVES ABUNDANTLY ON THE PLATFORM OF HATE, GREED, FEAR, EXCLUSION GRAFT, BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION, DISCRIMINATION, ELECTION RIGGING, FAVOURITISM, FALSEHOOD, MARGINALISATION, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES ABUSES, TRIBALISM, NEPOTISM, and so on.

Embezzlement Of Public Funds

Ntumfor Nico Halle highlighted some examples of factors that are the major causes or potential sources of Hate Speech in a society or country. He pointed out for example, that when some people unpatriotically loot and plunder State resources that are meant for the good or benefit all citizens, their criminal act that deprive other Cameroonians from benefitting from projects and services that the Government would have used the funds to provide for, is a major source of Hate Speech. He said there is no way that those citizens deprived by the projects and services that the embezzled funds were originally meant, would speak kindly about the embezzlers. Rather, the populations that have been robbed of the projects and services by embezzlers of the State funds, will definitely be bitter and frustrated, and will likely spill Hate Speech against the embezzlers. Halle pointed out that as is commonly seen in the country, whenever a State official is arrested or accused of embezzlement of public funds, there is general anger against the personality across the country, as people feel that the embezzler has robbed them of certain projects or services that the Government would have realized with the public funds, if it was not embezzled.
Then, there is also the fact that some unemployed persons would have found jobs, if the funds for those projects or services would not have been embezzled. This is the reason why unemployed persons are generally very bitter against embezzlers of public funds, and they instinctively spill Hate Speech against embezzlers. Halle stressed that embezzlement of public funds creates room for Hate Speech to be spilled, especially by those that feel frustrated, deprived or negatively affected by the misdeed.

Discrimination, Exclusion, Marginalization, Tribalism, Nepotism, Bribery And Corruption

Talking about bad governance as a source of Hate Speech, the NCPBM member, Barrister Nico Halle, who as aforementioned, is also a renowned justice and anti –corruption crusader, pointed out that discrimination, exclusion, marginalization and tribalism which are all aspects of bad governance, are all major sources of Hate Speech. He explained that governance does not only concern the government as some people turn to think.
Halle said if for example there are job opportunities in a State hospital, and the Director General decides to recruit only persons from his tribe, family, village or region, or he recruits only persons who give bribes, he has thus unscrupulously, wrongfully or illegally shifted the official criteria set for recruited by the State, which should be competence, to become recruitment based on tribalism, favouritism, nepotism or bribery and corruption. He said such a recruitment inevitable sparks anger and frustration and leads to Hate Speech.
Halle explained that the evil acts of recruitment based on bribery and corruption, tribalism or nepotism, for example, deprive people who would have been recruited based on merit, of having jobs. Those unemployed people who applied and were not recruited because of their tribe, or because of bribery and corruption, will feel discriminated against or excluded and will become angry. They will of course be angry against the authority that robbed them of the job opportunities and gave the jobs to persons that did not merit them. He said their anger will lead to frustration and the feeling of exclusion or marginalization, and they will of course instinctively spill Hate Speech against the Director General of the hospital.

Bribery And Corruption In Hospitals

Nico Halle said even the collaborators of the Director General of the hospital, and other personnel, who saw persons being recruited not because of their competence, but rather because of their tribe, or because of bribery and corruption, will be very disappointed and angry with their boss, and will not have kind words when talking about him.
But Halle told he told the hospital personnel that not only an unscrupulous Director General of a State hospital can cause Hate Speech. He said unscrupulous medical doctors and nurses, who violate professional ethics, and for example, ask for bribes from patients before attending to them, are also a source of Hate Speech. He said those patients or their family members who give the bribes cannot speak well of such doctors and nurses, as they consider them corrupt.

Admission Into State Professional Schools

Nico Halle explained that the same thing will happen, if for example a competitive examination for admission into a State owned professional school, especially a prestigious one like ENAM or CUSS, is written, and at the end of the day those not admitted go away with the observation or impression that admission was not based on merit, but that the admission was rather influenced by tribalism, bribery and corruption or favouritism.
Those people deprived of admission opportunities because the admission was not based on the criteria of merit, would painfully feel cheated, disfavoured, excluded, marginalized or discriminated against by the authorities that were in charge of the admission of candidates. The painful feeling will spark anger and frustration in them and would lead them to spill Hate Speech against the authorities that were in charge of the admission of students into the institution, who robbed or deprived them of the opportunity to gain admission into the school. Nico Halle asserted that ANGER And FRUSTRATION OFTEN LEADS TO HATE SPEECH.

Unemployment / Dirty Politics

Nico Halle also stated that even unemployment, especially the high unemployment rate in a country, is a potential source of Hate Speech. He said when people are unemployed, and especially if the unemployment rate is high, the unemployed people will lose hope and become frustrated, and of course would not have kind words for the authorities.
The member of the NCPBM, Nico Halle, also corroborated what his colleague, Abouem a Achoyi, said earlier, that bitter or dirty politics in the country today, is one of the major factors that is fanning Hate Speech in the country today. Halle said though he is not into politics as he opted to be an independent personality, politics is normally not something bad, and so he has no problem with fellow Cameroonians who opt to get into politics, as that is their choice. But he said there is good and bad politics. He said the politics that is bad is dirty politics, which is the handiwork of some unscrupulous politicians who try to use politics for their selfish interests.
Unscrupulous political elites will say one thing in public, but go behind the scene and say a different a thing. Unscrupulous politicians or political elites will condemn Hate Speech in public, but behind the scene they manipulate or incite their militants to attack those of other parties with Hate Speech. Unscrupulous politicians or political elites will condemn Hate Speech in public, but behind the scene they manipulate or incite the people of their tribes, villages or regions, to attack the people of some tribes, villages or regions with Hate Speech. Unscrupulous politicians will preach LIVING TOGETHER in public, but behind the scene they preach EXCLUSION to their people. All these, because, of selfish political interests.
How To Effectively Stop Or Curb Hate Speech In Cameroon
As to the solution to end or even curb the alarming rate of Hate Speech in Cameroon today, Barrister Nico Halle insisted that the first thing to do is for the AUTHORITIES TO FIRST IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSES OF HATE SPEECH, AND TACKLE THE PROBLEM FROM THE ROOTS. So the authorities first have to identify the root causes of Hate Speech, and then effectively tackle the root causes, to be able to effectively redress the prevailing situation. He opined that Hate Speech cannot be effectively eradicated or even curbed, by tackling the ill at the surface level, while the roots remain intact.
Halle thus argued that just going to the field, or over TV, to condemn Hate Speech, or to call on the population to desist from Hate Speech and live in harmony, while failing to effectively address the root causes of Hate Speech, cannot effectively stop or even curb the disease. “One cannot effectively solve a problem by tackling it at the surface, instead of tackling it from the root causes”, Halle asserted.

If The Root Causes Of Hate Speech Is Corruption Or Tribalism, Or Both, Tackle Then First.
So the crusader against bribery and corruption, Barrister Nico Halle, went back to the example of a competitive examination into a State owned professional school. He said if young Cameroonians write the entrance examination, and after the publication of the results many go away with the belief that bribery and corruption, tribalism, favouritism or nepotism was in play in the selection of candidates for admission into the school, such a situation becomes a potential source of Hate Speech. Those not admitted will feel having been cheated, excluded or discriminated against. Anger and frustration will step in, and sparks off Hate Speech. “WHEN SOMEBODY IS BITTER AND FRUSTRATED BECAUSE HE HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT HE HAS BEEN UNFAIRLY TREATED, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR HIM OR HER TO BE POLITE”, Halle asserted.
Halle said when the disgruntled and frustrated candidates starts spilling Hate Speech, against the authorities that were in charge of admission into the professional school, it would not be enough for the Government to just go out to condemn the Hate Speech, without first addressing the root cause . In this case, the root cause of the Hate Speech was that the admission of candidates into the professional school was influenced by bribery and corruption, tribalism, favouritism and nepotism. He said the authorities cannot effectively put an end to the Hate Speech that way.
Halle reiterated that the first thing that Government is supposed to do in such a situation, is to first identify the root cause of the Hate Speech, which is that the admission of candidates into the professional school was influenced by bribery and corruption, tribalism or favouritism and nepotism. He said if Government take the appropriate measure, and put an end to the malpractices in the admission of candidates into the professional school, the cause of the Hate Speech would have been eradicated, and so there will no more Hate Speech. When admission into a professional school or recruitment for jobs is done by merit, the candidates, and those not admitted or recruited, will not make any noise.

The Fight Against Hate Speech Is Not The Responsibility of Gov’t Alone

Meanwhile Barrister Nico Halle deplored the fact that some people tend to see the fight against Hate Speech in the society or country as the responsibility of Government alone. “The Government has to lead in the fight against Hate Speech, BUT THE POPULATION MUST BE PART OF THE FIGHT AGAINST HATE SPEECH, FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL”, he stressed.
Halle stated that the factors that lead to Hate Speech in our country, do not only exist in the public sector, for they also do exist in the private sector as well. He pointed out that factors like tribalism, nepotism, bribery and corruption, exclusion and favouritism in recruiting or promotion of workers which is a major of Hate Speech, also exist in the private sector as well as in other domains like politics. “So, all of us have the responsibility to work for the eradication of Hate Speech in our society. It is not the responsibility of the Government alone. WE MUST ALL STRIVE TO AVOID CREATING SITUATIONS THAT CREATE A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR HATE SPEECH IN OUR SOCIETY OR COUNTRY”, Nico Halle urged.

Moralization Of Our Society – The Core Moral Values

The NCPBM member, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, who is known to be a highly religious man, and is the former National President of the Christian Men Fellowship, CMF, of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, preached on the importance of CORE MORAL VALUES. He talked of core moral values like LOVE, PEACE, JUSTICE, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, PATRIOTISM, RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ABOVE ALL THE FEAR OF THE LORD, among others. He urged all fellow Cameroonians to strive to embrace or to nurture the spirit of these core moral values, to make our society or country a better place. He stated that the non-respect of these core moral values in a society creates a favourable environment for Hate Speech.
Nico Halle also recommended the book, COMMUNAL LIBERALISM, to the hospital personnel. He said the book contains very good guidelines on the moralization of the society. “I am not looking at who wrote the book, but rather at the content which is quite good”. He said he has read the book, Communal Liberalism, including the updated version, a couple of times, and has continued to find the content to be quite rich as a good guideline for the moralization of society.
Good Upbringing Of Children By Parents (Home Education Or Training)
Still, as regards core moral values, Nico Halle, urged parents to strive to bring up their children in the way of the Lord, as the Bible says. That is, by inculcating into them at home through what is commonly known as home education or home training, the spirit of core moral values. But he also insisted that the teaching of core moral values to children at home by their parents, should not just be by theory, but that parents should also strive to teach by good examples or by living exemplary lifestyles, for the children to emulate. He noted that children generally have a very impression of their parents and often try to imitate what their parents do, so parents must strive to live exemplary lives so that their children can copy good moral values from them.
Halle noted that children are very sensitive to what their patents do, even if they do not talk out. He said a man cannot be a drunkard or an embezzler, and think that the children will be different. He said such a father does not even have the moral authority to teach his children the core moral values, when the children see him doing the contrary of what he tells them. Halle said the high level of moral decadence in the society today, is reflective of the bad upbringing that many people had at home. He said a mother cannot be running around the quarter with men, and think or expect that the daughter will grow up to be different.
Halle also warned parents who use stolen money, or money acquired in bad ways, to sponsor their children in school, for by the power of nature, that disease will contaminate the child. He said if somebody embezzles money and uses that money to sponsor a child in school, the stolen money will have an effect on the child, and he will grow up and also be an embezzler or thief like his father. So while stressing on the importance of good upbringing of children at home by parents, he emphasized that parents must strive to teach their children core moral values by living exemplary lives.

Summary Of The Talk On Hate Speech

Meanwhile the member of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, who is also a renowned Peace, Justice and Anti –Corruption Crusader, summarized his talk on Hate Speech by stressing that: “AS I HAVE SAID, THE FIRST THING THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO TO EFFECTIVELY FIGHT AGAINST HATE SPEECH, SHOULD BE TO IDENTIFY AND EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE ESCALATION OF HATE SPEECH IN THE COUNTRY. TO PERMANENTLY STOP, OR AT LEAST CURB, HATE SPEECH IN THE COUNTRY, CURE MORAL VALUES MUST BE ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE POPULATION. WE ARE TALKING OF CORE MORAL VALUES LIKE LOVE, PEACE, JUSTICE, EQUITY, HONESTY, PATRIOTISM, TRANSPARENCY, TRUTH, RESPECT FORHUMAN RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES, ACCOUNTABILITY, INTEGRITY, CREDIBILTY, AND OF COURSE THE FEAR OF THE LORD. MORALISATION OF SOCIETY WILL TAKE CARE OF HATE SPEECH”.

Prayer For Peace To Return To FN, NW And SW Regions

The Peace Crusader, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, ended his talk on Hate Speech with an emotional call on all Cameroonians to continue to pray for the effectively return of peace to the Far North, Northwest and Southwest Regions. He said Cameroonians should also continue to pray for love and peace to reign in our society, and that the slogan of Peaceful Coexistence or Living Together, should be a reality. Halle stressed the fact that Cameroon belongs to all Cameroonians, and that all Cameroonians thus also have the responsibility to be patriotic and make Cameroon a land of love, peace, justice, accountability, equity and development, for the interest of all Cameroonians and our beloved country.
The talk given by Nico Halle on Hate Speech was saluted at the end by a standing ovation by the entire management and personnel of the Douala General Hospital, just as also happened at the meetings at the Laquintine Hospital and at the Gynaeco – Obstetric – Pediatric Hospital. The head of the NCPBM delegation, Abouem a Achoyi David, did not also fail to thank the managements and personnel of the different hospitals for their appreciation of the talk on Hate Speech given by his colleague, Nico Halle, saying their standing ovation was an indication that they got the message well, and also appreciated it.
Meanwhile at the end of each of the meetings at the three different hospitals, the NCPBM delegation handed over posters containing messages against Hate Speech, to the managements of the hospitals. The posters were sensitization materials against Hate Speech, to be posted at strategic areas in the premises of the health facilities. The key message was: NO TO HATE SPEECH AND XENOPHOBIA.