Biya: A Ruler Who Is Out Of Touch

By Neba-Fuh

"We therefore immediately embarked on the process of constitutional revision in order to remove a hurdle which was looming over our political future in the medium-term. I believe that the majority of the Cameroonian people understood the meaning of this reform which, in any case, leaves all options open". - Paul Biya

Biya's ritualistic end of year speech to the people of Cameroun is a provocative piece incoherent with the spirit of  political leadership even in its most pretentious state.
He exhibited extreme detachment from his populace in every sense of it.

What else could one expect from a ruler who spends that less time in the executive office of  his Ahidjo-constructed-palace, as if his ghost still haunts him there?
What else could one expect from a ruler who spends most of the year in Western  five-star-resorts, and  attempts to visit the provinces or is it regions of his country only during election period?
No wonder, in his speech, he now refers to the 'rainy season' as 'summer'. Soon he will decree an 'autumn', 'spring' and 'winter' in Cameroun.

Seriously, Biya thinks limiting presidential terms to 7 years renewable once, was 'a hurdle which was looming over our political future in the medium-term'.  He believes Camerounians understood the 'hurdle', that's why they 'pressed ahead' for constitutional reforms to delimit presidential term, paving him the right to rule till death.
If this kind of speech cannot provoke an angry juju to unmask, then I know not anything that can. 

Biya hailed himself for finalizing the process of setting up ELECAM(Elections Cameroon)- a body conceived to 'strenghten' electoral process in Cameroun-, by appointing the following as President, Vice President and Members:
President
FONKAM Samuel AZU’U
Vice-President
EBANGA EWODO Justin- vice president

Members
NJEUMA, née EFFANGE Dorothy LIMUNGA
BOMBA NKOLO Cécile
SADOU DAOUDOU, née Lady BAWA
Abdoulaye BABALE
Adamou ALI
EFANDENE BEKONO Pierre Roger
EJAKE MBONDA Thomas
MANA NSCHWANGELE Jules
MASSI GAMS Dieudonné
MBONDA Elie.

These are the people who are expected to exercise impartiality in the Camerounian electoral process.
At a glance, Fonkam Azu'u is a CPDM parrot that has been caged in the Administrative section of the National Assembly for a long while now.

Njeuma Dorothy is one of Ahidjo's relics recycled by the Biya regime. Campaigned desperately for the CPDM over Radio Buea in Pidgin English during the 1997 elections campaigns while she was Vice Chancellor of Buea University. A member of the Political Bureau of the CPDM

Ejake Mbonda was once Governor of South West Province- Seasoned election rigger and also a member of the CPDM party!

Abdoulaye Babale- Diehard CPDM former Minister from the Extreme North of Cameroun.

Bomba Cecile Nkolo is a former Minister and a CPDM faithful; just to mentioned these few.

A friend of mine after glancing at the list jokingly told me that Biya still has to appoint the Opposition list of members of ELECAM!!!

Where is the impartiality, neutrality or integrity in this appointment? Does one need to go to Hyde Park Speakers Corner  or hide under a pseudonym to criticize this?

Biya touched on the world credit crunch in his speech. He boasted of good economic performance this year, exaggerating their efforts in implementing the three year economic and financial program, while many Camerounians live in abject poverty. Some find it impossible to get even meagre credits to start off small businesses due to the endless bottlenecks involved. The Government is still to meet up with their expected yearly expenses of funds stashed away in the Central Bank under the HIPC initiative, due to inability to table developmental projects that are approvable. The few that are approved, government embezzlers line their pockets before the dregs reach the population to kick-start the projects envisaged.

Apart from the multinationals along with their billionaires who have greatly been struck by this credit crunch, trickling down to the common man, another group of people dying in silence due this world economic crisis are African dictators. They have also lost some  billions of their  embezzled money invested in western companies or stashed in banks. Therefore, they need to replenish. That is why Biya in his speech, didnot waste time in preparing the minds of his people, envisaging economically difficult days ahead. There will be economic difficulties, but these economic difficulties will be exacerbated in Africa by the concurrent embezzlement of its autocrats, aimed at replenishing their accounts because of the billions they have lost, as a result of the world credit crunch.

The likes of Biya and his other African companions are a disgrace to African tradition of brotherhood- where the whole is always more important than the parts, and your neighbour's livelihood is as important as yours. A tradition where eating alone is as guilty as eating stolen food, and success or achievement is not glorified except the whole neighbourhood assembles at your doorstep for the celebration.
Today, we 'celebrate' phony Africans, who hoard billions of embezzled cash while the majority of the population is left with little or nothing to survive on.
Biya's Speech

Comments

[Vitalis Nkwenti Asanji]

Is it a crime to fight for what is ours? For how long shall we sit and watch a man ruin our people. For how long shall we remain stateless with no state to espouse our rights? For how long will the diaspora be patient to handle our multitudes who flee to their land for safety? For how long shall we wait to have a "Capitol" and an "Oval Office" in our motherland? I Know we can but when are our people going to start deleting the relics of colonialism on our soil. Time to act is now! No more time to alot blames. Our children will hold us accountable for the inpending misery that awaits them. Lets Thwart it and keep a clean place for posterity.

[hanna]

President Biya has killed his conscience. he doesnot care about cameroonians again.
His choice of members of ELECAM shows that. History will judge him, and his CPDM followers. God save us.