Coordination of Gov’t action:

Philemon Yang increasingly gaining in confidence

Prime Minister Yang is now headed for a record stay at the Star Building, after he has beaten President Paul Bathelemy Biya bi Mvondo’s seven years as PM and Peter Mafany Musonge’s seven years and two months.

By Ojong Steven Ayukogem in Yaounde

Prime Minister Philemon Yang

The Prime Minister, Philemon Yunji Yang, is increasingly stamping his authority as the veritable leader and coordinator of government action in Cameroon.

                At least this is what many informed observers are saying, exactly one year after the last cabinet reshuffle of 02 October 2015.

                Before that famous cabinet shake-up, which came after a long wait and prolonged speculations, many were those who had written off Philemon Yang from the Star Building. Political book-makers said after the heavy criticism heaped on the government by President Biya in his state-of-the-nation address on 31 December 2013, there was little chance Philemon Yang would survive the next cabinet reshuffle. Many said by severely criticizing the government, Biya was indirectly indicting Yang for failing to live up to expectation in his role as leader and coordinator of government business.

                Yang’s critics buttressed their point when they also observed that apart from the inertia mentioned by the President the PM had demonstrated a glaring lack of authority in front of some heady and delinquent ministers notably Essimi Menye and Ama Tutu Muna, who had shown manifest disregard for the PM and his authority.

                But when on 2 October 2015 President Biya shamed these doomsday protagonists and renewed his confidence on Philemon Yang, the discreet, workaholic, level-headed and taciturn son of Jikejem Oku, in the North West region now appears to have learnt his lesson; he has decided to grab the bull by its horns in almost every situation where his action and impulsion is needed.

                Recently Philemon Yang made the headlines in almost all the newspapers in the country when he made bold to slash the budget for the hosting of the 2016 Women’s CAN from the projected FCFA 23 billion down to less than five billion. Even as the organizers of the tournament gnashed their teeth in disappointment, PM Yang was hailed by Cameroonians for the bold and opportune action.

                Philemon Yang also recently put an end to unending arguments and debates in the author’s rights sector when he published the new revised statutes to guide the functioning of the sector. The new law which stipulates unequivocally that only those with Cameroonian nationality will henceforth be eligible to run for the offices of Board chair and General Manager of any author’s rights organization has technically eliminated people like Prince Ndedi Eyango who acquired American nationality, over and above his Cameroonian nationality of birth.

                Also, PM Yang recently summoned to his office the new Minister of Mines and Industries, Ernest Gwaboubou, when it became evident that the appointments made by the latter were causing a stir in the said ministry. We learnt that the PM bullied Mr. Gwaboubou to submission and warned him never to take such drastic and embarrassing decisions again without his express consent.

                The personality crisis at SOPECAM is still fresh in the memories of Cameroonians. Here the General Manager, Marie-Claire Nnana and the Board Chair, Joseph Lee, were diametrically opposed on several issues and with each of them ignoring the others position on how the state corporation should function. It took Philemon Yang’s good office to get the two officials to subdue their personal egos and give preference to the general interest of the company. Today Mrs. Nnana and Mr. Le are at least tolerating each other. 

                Then only last week Philemon Yang instructed the GM of CAMTEL to reinstate telephone and internet connection in all government establishments. This was after the latter suspended the telephone lines of these government institutions on grounds that they could not pay their bills. The Camtel GM obliged to the PM’s instruction and immediately reconnected the suspended lines.

                Even as the PM is also expected to wade in and put order in Camwater, where the GM, Roger Ondoa Akoa and the Board Chair, Jerome Obi Eta, are said to be at each other’s jugular, observers say the actions taken so far by the PM in pulling misguided public office holders back on tract, only prove that Philemon Yang has finally come out of his shell and is now ever poised to smite.

                Appointed to the Star Building on 30 June 2009, Philemon Yang has survived two successive cabinet shake-ups (December 2011 and 2 October 2015). With his over seven years and three months at the Star Building, Philemon Yang is now aiming for a record stay as PM, that is after successfully beating Biya’s seven years as PM (1975 – 1982) and Mafany Musonge’s seven years and three months (August 1996 – October 2004).