“My Anglophone collaborators do not deliver, they come late to work, they do not respect hierarchy... how then do you expect me to give them the same amount of money I recommended for the Francophone colleagues?’’.

Such was the spirited defence that was put up by the director of media observatory and public opinion at the ministry of communication, MINCOM, Charles Atangana Manda when these reporters confronted him over allegations of Anglophone marginalisation in his service.

Manda is being accused of not only showing open hatred for Anglophones working in his service but has pushed the hatred further by caging them in an obscure room.

According to one of the Anglophone victims, their present office which hosts circa six of them has only two tables, one of which has a broken leg. “You need to see the office and compare it with that being used by our Francophone colleagues and you’ll mourn for us.”

The media observatory director, The Guardian Post learnt, had opted to separate Francophones from their Anglophone collaborators on grounds that the latter could contaminate the former with bad character.

The director’s phobia for his Anglophone collaborators however hit watermark when instead of 200,000 FCFA that he disbursed to each Francophone staff as fringe benefits for 2014, Anglophones were each given a meagre 30,000FCFA for the same purpose.

“We don’t feel Cameroonian in this office. The situation is above us and I don’t know who will rescue us. This director gives the impression that no one can torpedo any of his decisions…Does it mean that we have ceased from being identified as Cameroonians? Somebody somewhere should hear us and do something before it is late.” Such were the lamentations of one of the victims who refused to be named.

Meantime, screams of oppression and discrimination have been characterising the daily mood of the victimised MINCOM staff since the director undertook the “house cleaning exercise.”

In the meantime, Manda’s victims have reportedly written a strongly-worded complaint against him to the minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary whose reaction they say is still being awaited.

Atangana Manda reacts Meanwhile when these reporters met Manda in his office to react to the allegations against him, he told us bluntly that the Anglophone staff of his service were incompetent and so did not merit the same amount of benefits like their Francophone peers who were more competent.

To Manda, the Anglophone collaborators are merely serving the antics of some senior officials of the ministry of communication who are manipulating them to soil the “giant image” he has taken time to build for himself. He claimed that all the allegations against him were as a result of the political figments of some individuals who are not comfortable with his rise in the administration. “I am a trained and competent professional.

I have criss-crossed several administrative departments in this country. I have never exercised any sign of xenophobia against my Anglophone brothers throughout my service. Those complaining are simply being manipulated by some officials in this ministry...,” he sustained.

Asked if he actually sieved Anglophones from Francophones in his service, Manda reluctantly accepted, but argued that the reason was to ease administration. “I decided that since my service has to do with observing the media, it would be better to have Anglophones in a different unit from that of Francophones so that they will concentrate only on English language newspapers’’. About the nature of the two offices, Manda refused to comment. He said: “they have been asked to come back to the main hall if they wish.”

Quizzed on why he decided to award 30,000FCFA each to Anglophones as fringe benefits as opposed to the 200,000FCFA which he disbursed to Francophones, the director said such benefits are given based on staff delivery. “I did not disburse the money; my role is simply to recommend who should benefit and who should not. I merely recommended the amounts based on their delivery,” Manda argued.

Asked if he meant that all the Anglophones in his service were incompetent and so did not merit the amount and vice versa, Manda’s response was positive. Question: “Do you mean to say that all Anglophones in your service are incompetent while all the Francophones are competent?” Answer: “Yes”.

The Beti director however mooted that he sees everybody as Cameroonians and that he hates when people begin to differentiate between Anglophone and Francophone Cameroonians. “I am a patriotic Cameroonian and will always see all of us as Cameroonians.”

Tchiroma confirms allegations The minister of communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary has meanwhile confirmed the allegations against his director. “Your allegations are all founded. I have been informed of the matter by the aggrieved collaborators,” Tchiroma told The Guardian Post in a telephone conversation yesterday.

The minister who said he was on leave promised to take immediate action as he gets back to work by month end. “I have received a complaint on this matter. I will examine it and take action immediately my leave is over. I was very embarrassed when I heard of it. Be rest assured of my reaction,” Tchiroma promised.