 |
| Chantal Biya |
A symposium on social activities of the
First Lady of Cameroon was announced from 1st to 3rd November, under the
patronage of the Prime Minister Head of Government with logistical,
administrative and financial support of the University vice-chancellor and the
Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FSJP). Some prominent
professors whose scientific rigor and human qualities cannot be questioned
would contribute to the symposium.
In
principle, the First Lady’s social
activities, while private, could be the basis of a University symposium albeit
in our political system she is just the lovely wife of Mr. President, her
husband because having no institutional reality.
However,
considering that the Cameroonian university is paradoxically a place where free
and independent debate on power is prohibited and where the political
surveillance of students and their lecturers is strict, one could not be
indifferent on the meaning and the opportunity of the said symposium.
It
is, indeed, not trivial to study in a law school, even with a political science
department, non-institutional actions while the country is embroiled in
political, constitutional, legal issues such as:
The question of the electoral code reform, the independence
of the Judiciary and Parliament, governance, violation of the Constitution, the
"living together", citizenship, respect for the rule of law, the
legality and operation of the Special Criminal Court, the incomprehensible and
interminable delays in the signing of the decree implementing section 66 of the Constitution on the
declaration of assets even as the Head of State and Government develop
continuous propaganda on the fight against corruption, equal access to
education and basic health care, equal treatment for the retirement age , non-compliance
with quotas in appointments to civil and military positions, distribution, on
an objective basis known to the public,
of investment in the different regions
and divisions of the country, rampant youth unemployment, support to orphans
of soldiers fallen in the war, the
integration of students from our universities, political reasons on suspended
activities of the higher education Council which met for the last time in 1983,
the University contribution to the country's development, the respect of
deadlines in our courts, the right of political parties and citizens to freedom
of expression and demonstration, evaluation of the political importance
granted to the University and lecturers
by the government in terms of infrastructural and financial efforts supported,
the analysis of the place of the cult of personality in the Cameroonian
political system under the curious declarations of the Director General of CRTV, Charles Ndongo, drunk by the grace of
the presidential decree, the source of funds financing social activities of the First Lady in a context where the
President of the Republic has not got time to sign the implementing decree of
the law on section 66 of the Constitution on the declaration of assets several
years after its adoption , the CPDM
funding by the Chinese Communist party (CCP) in violation of Cameroonian law on
political party financing, compliance with international treaties and
conventions, etc.
It
appears from the analysis of the preparatory documents in circulation, and subject
to their authenticity, that the symposium from 1st to 3rd November 2016 pursues
an undeniable political goal. It is in fact a plea for the award of the title
of Doctor HonorisCausa of the University of Yaoundé II, SOA to "First Lady
Chantal Biya for the realization of the social policy of the Head of State, His
Excellency Paul Biya ". It is an authentic political event, prepared in
the background under the tutelage of a mysterious adviser.
The
regime in power is the organizer and sole beneficiary of this false scientific
event which is nothing but a political rally disguised as a scientific
symposium. The tribal argument that determined the choice of the campus of the
University of Yaoundé II, SOA, led by a Northern vice-chancellor (according to
the document), to hold it confirms allegations.
Indeed,
the Government is unable to dispose of tribal considerations that it exploits
at its convenience. This game of tribal antagonisms, contrary to the very idea
of a Republic in which only citizenship must prevail, is especially true when
comes the implementation of the anachronistic, anti-republican,
anti-performance principle of Regional quotas and thus the famous quotas in
competitive examinations and appointments to senior political, administrative
and military positions, the Government does not implement its own distribution
key. No need for unnecessary stigma. All Cameroonians can, without resorting to
some statistics whatsoever, but simply by observing those who hold the real
power in our country, come to the conclusion that the tribal management of
power is a reality that the Government uses at its wish.
Beyond
these tribal considerations that reveal the footprints of the regime on the
preparation and organization of the symposium, its ultimate goal is political
because it wants to highlight the "implementation of the social policy of
the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya ".
From
the above, Mr. Prime Minister, Head of Government, distinguished colleagues all
protocol respected, I would like to bring to your high attention Law No.
2016/007 of 12 July 2016 on the Penal Code, section 231-1 on
""political procession in a public establishment and in schools"
provides that: "a penalty of imprisonment of ten (10) days to four (04) months
and a fine of twenty five thousand (25,000) to 2-150000 (250,000) francs or one
of these penalties, the one who organizes a policy-oriented event in a public
institution, as well as in a school or university".
In
the light of this section, no one can imagine a Prime Minister, Head of
Government, sponsoring an activity prohibited by law. As it is almost certain
that distinguished colleagues jurists and political scientists, who failed to
consider this provision, will change their mind and waive any direct or
indirect involvement in this political meeting.
To
the Prime Minister, and to all colleagues involved in any capacity whatsoever
in the preparation of the meeting of 1, 2 and 3 November 2016 at the University
of Yaoundé II, SOA, even if you are not I n the organizer, I would like to
mention again to your high attention sections 95, 96, 97 and 99 of the criminal
Code that should inform your final decision.
Section
95 (1) on Conspiracy states: "conspiracy shall mean the resolve concerted
and determined between 2(two) or more people to commit an offence."
Paragraph (3) of the same article emphasizes that: "The conspiracy to
commit a felony or a misdemeanour, if it has not been suspended or if it does
not in fact by circumstances beyond the will its authors, is considered the
crime or offense itself.” Paragraph (4) as to specify that it "Backed by
the defence to one who voluntarily withdrew from the conspiracy before any
commencement of execution."
Section
96 on co-offenders defines a co-offender as, "a person who, in agreement
with another takes part with him in the commission of an offence".
Section
97 on accessories is meanwhile even more instructive. It states that "an
accessory mean a person who abets the commission or misdemeanour that is
(a)
Who orders or in any manner causes the commission of an act or omission so
defined or (b) who aids or facilitates the preparation or the commission of
such an offence. Paragraph 2 says that “attempted abatment shall be treated as
abatment"
Section
99 on foreseeable consequences provides in paragraph (1), that "any
co-offender or accessory to the commission or attempted commission of a felony
or misdemeanor shall also be responsible in respect of any other offence
committed or attempted as a foreseeable consequence of the agreement or
abetment"
The
exploitation of the preparatory documents for the CPDM meeting announced at the
University of Yaoundé II, SOA, 1st to 3rdNovember, reveals written instructions
to the dean of the faculty of Law and political science by the interim vice-chancellor
requiring him to finance part of the very conservatively proposed budget of
sixty-five millions five hundred and five thousands three hundred and eighty
five (65,505,385) CFA francs.
Even
if the dean intended to execute
instructions of hierarchy , recalling section 231-1 on ""political procession in a
public establishment and in schools," section 95 on Conspiracy, section 96
of the Co-offence, section 97 on
accessory and section99 on foreseeable
consequences would, I am sure, lead him to refuse financing of that illegal
activity.
In
addition, the co-sponsorship application No. 723 of August 25, 2016 addressed
to the dean of the faculty of Law and political science in lieu of a funding request does not
mention any reference to the University Council and the Board of Directors who have
decided to award the title of Doctor HonorisCausa to Mrs Chantal Biya. However,
it is usual practice that the highest authority of the University discusses and
decides on the award of such a title. As a consequence on can challenge, on
administrative grounds and on the basis of university practice that honour to
the First Lady, and by extension to laud the social policy of the CPDM
president and head of state. One should also mention that the call for papers
for the symposium was made only to a certain group of friends, that being
curious for a university.
Funding
for a political rally on public funds spent outside the legal framework, is
illegal; it may give way to lawsuits against any person who does it for
embezzlement of public funds. When the meeting is scheduled to take place on a
university campus, it is twice illegal.
Beyond
these legal considerations, the budget of that CPDM meeting scheduled to be
financed from public funds, is shocking knowing the financial and
infrastructural poverty of Cameroonian universities and precisely that of the
University of Yaoundé II, SOA.
Beyond
the expensive limousines that even their Western colleagues from Oxford,
Cambridge, Strasbourg, Sorbonne, etc. whose universities are among the best
ones in the world and leaders of large companies such as General Motors,
Boeing, etc. would envy, the university campus of SOA has no infrastructure
that means seriousness in work and consideration for students and teachers.
Here, the library is extremely poor, and includes remains of the Cold War and
then haphazardly waste received as part of "cooperation." The grass
is very green because it takes advantage of human manure generously provided
daily with no privacy because of the lack of toilets by students and lecturers.
On this matter, colleagues often joke on the terror that haunts us when foreign
colleagues stay on campus for classes or juries. At the canteen menus that are
almost the same every day, are so poor that they will upset even a gulag
nutritionist.
Regularly,
for lack of a single bulb, tutorials are cancelled as soon as the daylight is
gone. On a campus of nearly forty thousand people, there is no drinking water.
The social service of the university is struck with destitution that reserve
forbids complete disclosure. Amphitheatres, or better what stands for, are
either cattle sheds where students and lecturers sometimes have to use canoes
to get in or out, or real graves like the building opposite the vice-chancellor
office. That building has already been several times the theatre
of serious incidents with injured people. For safety reasons, it should
be destroyed if the Government does not want to be responsible tomorrow for the
death of students and lecturers trapped in a building that the university
authorities know is cracked and in very poor condition. In addition, the
University of Yaoundé II has no campus.
In
the other universities in the country, the situation is very similar. Classes
are sometimes offered in private homes scattered throughout the city. In
Yaoundé I where applied sciences are studied, what stood for a lab before the
advent of the New Deal is now completely dilapidated. The Centre
HospitalierUniversitaire (CHU), which yesterday was the pride of the university
system is now an infamous death camp so much that it scares even professors in
charge of its management. University campus, which until the 1980s marvelled
fresh students from the hinterlands is now totally degraded. The new university
campus built with millions is nothing other than a poorly fashioned hutch where
students do not even have space to store their books.
In
this University of Applied Sciences students get Bachelors and postgraduate
degrees without ever having done a
single laboratory manipulation. Yet, lecturers and tutors have never stopped
demanding equipment for greater efficiency and competitiveness.
In
this general environment of Cameroonian universities where hard word of some
officials full of good will is not enough, students are in doubt during competitive examinations because of
the complex policy of regional quotas
which does not ensure equal opportunity for candidates, but opens the
way to all sorts of politicians arrangements. It is through such arrangements
that the ruling political elite expands itself in high administration and
power. Graduates are more in doubt that
our universities are just large Kindergartens and nurseries where they must
keep as long as possible generations of young unemployed people who could threaten the survival of the regime. In
Cameroonian universities today, hundreds of young doctors are eagerly awaiting
hypothetical recruitment.
The
budget of the political rally scheduled for 1, 2 and 3 November 2016 represents
more than 1,806 times the guaranteed minimum wage (minimum wage) which is a
monthly amount of 36,270 francs today. These 1806 minimum wage will be
scientifically engulfed in just three days on a campus where poverty is the
daily lot of students or administrative staff who regularly complains of salary
delays.
Colleagues
and other participants who favourably accepted the invitation to this event
without being clearly informed that this is actually an invitation to take part
in a political meeting of the CPDM in which it is planned to laud a single man
and praise the CPDM candidate for the next presidential election, no one can,
after this open letter that reveals the symposium objective, pretends he or she
was acting as a university don.
There
is no shame in being a militant of the CPDM; so it is simply an act of intellectual
honesty vis-à-vis the committed members of that party and vis-à-vis the
opinion. The wisdom of the forest people whose depth of thought is legendary
teaches, indeed, that one cannot refuse to enjoy the bush meat and at the same
time savour the broth in which it was cooked without contradiction.
All
honourable participants in this CPDM political rally must now know that
financial rewards that will be distributed to them will probably be as a result
of a misuse of public funds.
Finally,
the symposium to be held from 1 to 3 November 2016 to celebrate the
"implementation of the social policy of the Head of State, His Excellency
Paul Biya" through the work of the First Lady is indeed a political
meeting. It cannot therefore be organized on the campus of the University of
Yaoundé II, SOA, without breaching section 231-1 of the Criminal Code on
"political procession in a public establishment and in schools." This
reminder does not express any objection for the University of Yaoundé II, SOA
to award to the wife of Paul Biya, like to any other person, the honorary title
of Doctor HonorisCausa if the University Council after discussion so decides.
The
University of Yaoundé II, SOA can, in fact, given Chantal Biya's address book
and probably her financial assets, bet
that honouring her could help improve the learning conditions of students who so far have a pressing need for
books, counting on her generosity. Under these conditions only, without any
link being made with the political promotion of her husband and his political
party, the graduation ceremony for the awardee will be a genuine academic event
that for once should not cost cfa francs 65,505,385 to the taxpayer.
No
Cameroonian university is on the list of the hundred best African universities;
it is not by turning the University of Yaoundé II, SOA into a branch of the
CPDM Executive School that our universities will be scientifically renowned.
Participants
announced for the symposium on social activities of the First Lady who had
ignored that they were actually invited to campaign for the candidate Paul Biya
in view of the upcoming presidential election, must now draw the consequences.
If
finally this CPDM meeting was
nonetheless scheduled on the campus of Yaoundé II, SOA, with the risks of
more than probable commission of offenses , the state Prosecutor of the Court of First Instance Mfou and the
general prosecutor of the high criminal court as concerns its financing, should
accordingly, take any measures to
investigate and punish in accordance without our laws conspirators, sponsors,
co-offenders, accessories, participants ,officials for the foreseeable
consequences and unscrupulous managers who allegedly illegally financed it.
This open letter is to be regarded by the judicial authorities as a denunciation
of a crime in progress.
If
there was no serious action from the state Prosecutor of the Court of First
Instance Mfou then this rally would open the way to all political parties to
organize their meetings at their convenience on all university campuses across
the country.
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