Shuttle Diplomacy:

PM Yang undertakes crucial tour of NW

PM Philemon Yunji Yang, in B’da Monday

During the 5-day meet-the-people visit the PM will make stopovers at the seven divisions of the NW region where he would have working sessions with administrative, traditional, religious, education and civil society authorities, as well as local elite.

                The PM’s visit to the seven divisions of the NW was announced in a communiqué issued Friday by the DICAB of the PM’s Office, Ghogomu Paul.

                Though the communiqué did not mention the purpose for the visit by the PM, it is understood that the Philemon Yunji Yang wants to forge a rapprochement with the populations of the NW, after two failed outings that he made to Bamenda earlier in November and December last year.

                The PM first went to Bamenda in November 2016, when it became evident that separate strike actions by lawyers and teachers had grounded schools and courts as well as socio-economic activities in the two Anglophone regions.

                Unfortunately, PM Yang after meeting with the lawyers and teachers failed to convince the latter to call-off their strikes. The PM returned to Yaounde disappointed and understandably crestfallen.

                Yet, a determined PM Yang made a second visit to the NW region, this time in the company of the CPDM Scribe, Jean Kuete.  This second outing had as objective to hold a political rally and talk CPDM supporters to boycott the strike calls by the teachers and lawyers. But it turned out that this second outing proved more catastrophic than the first. Not only did the rally fail to hold, the presence of the CPDM bigwigs in Bamenda provoked a spate of violence by irate youths that led to destruction of public and private property and even some deaths.

                It is however hoped that this third home-coming of Philemon Yunji Yang to the land of his ancestors would yield the desired fruit, that is, if the PM must save his face before his boss, Paul Biya.

                Worthy to mention that schools have remained closed in the NW and SW regions for almost four months now that is, since 21 November 2017. The Courts in these regions are also barely functional, giving that lawyers have also stayed away since 21 October 2016.

                Political commentators say this state of affairs does not speak well for the sitting PM, who if anything, and by every reckoning, should enjoy unreserved support and loyalty from the populations of his NW political base at the least.

                Philemon Yang must therefore do all in his power, and use every means humanly possible, to convince his kindred to stop disgracing him before his boss, Paul Biya, who has given him his high confidence for 8 years and counting now.

                Intriguingly, Philemon Yang’s 5-day visit to the NW will open in Bamenda with announced ghost towns. The ghost towns are observed every Mondays and Tuesdays for several months now.