Biya’s New Gov’t:

What Ration for Anglophone Regions?

By Ojong Steven Ayukogem in Yaounde

President Biya is expected to announce a new government soon

Following the victory of President Paul Biya in the 7 October Presidential election and his eventual swearing in on 6 November, the entire nation has held its breadth and is now looking up to the Etoudi Palace tenant to redistribute the spoils of victory. All Cameroonians are now waiting anxiously for President Biya to form his new government which other things being equal should be out any time before Christmas. Recall that after the presidential election in 2004 Biya reshuffled the government on 9 December. After the election in October 2011 the President did the cabinet reshuffle on 7 December. So, will he stick to his tradition or will he not?

                The anxiety of the masses to see the new government is the more because the President in his inaugural remarks after his swearing-in said he would give more consideration this time to the youths. The President said he has finally understood that the youths want a more deserving attention from him, apart from their quest for a better representation in decision-making spheres of the polity. Whether the President’s remarks were mere political rhetoric or whether he meant business, will be seen in the days ahead, when his new government would be published.

                Yet, it must be noted here and emphatically, that, for very long years now, President Biya has always empowered ‘old people’ in his successive governments and this was in preference to and in spite of the youths, that form almost 70 percent of the country’s population (UN statistics). It is understood that this ‘disdainful’ treatment giving to the youths has been a source of real frustration in the country and the President is expected to make a noticeable turnaround from the past.

                Even though, some analysts say no number of appointments can satisfy the youths of the country today, giving that they too want to rise to the mantle of leadership of the country. The enthusiasm shown to Cabral Libi’s candidature was telling. It should neither be undermined nor underestimated.

                But these political bookmakers at once contend that the President will not make a radical change as to give the impression of a completely youthful government; he will proceed with his policy of “rajeunissement” gradually by injecting a few more youths to key ministerial positions.

                Yet though, some analysts observe that Biya had already given the youths some consideration in his previous governments. They cite cases such as the SG of the Presidency (Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh), the ASG of the Presidency (Elung Paul Che), the MINEPAT (Alamine Ousmane Mey), the Secretary of State for the Gendarmerie (Etoga), Secretary of State for Mines (Fuh Calistus), the MINDEL at the MINEPAT (Paul Tasong) etc.

                But the question observers are asking is how really young are these cited persons, all or most of whom are in their fifties? The observers recall that Biya was Prime Minister at 42. He became President at 49. As for the sitting Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, he was first made minister at 27. Bouba Bello was Prime Minister at 35 etc etc.

                However, some analysts contend that giving the government a youthful outlook may not necessarily entail appointing young ministers; it could also require that some of the old guards heading the many government parastatals and even institutions like the National Assembly should retire and make way for their children to also rise and crowd the top.

                Apart from the youths, the Anglophones are also anxiously waiting to see what chunk of the national cake Biya will hand to them in terms of ministerial appointments. It is needless mentioning that for decades now the Anglophone populations have been expressing dissatisfaction at the rather condescending treatment they get from the President especially in his redistribution of ministerial positions. Anglophones note albeit with dissatisfaction that for over three decades of Biya’s rule and until the last cabinet shake-up in March 2018 when two of theirs (Nalova Lyonga in Secondary Education and Atanga Nji in MINAT) were appointed to ministries of sovereignty, no Anglophone(s), except maybe the late E.T Egbe (former Minister of State for P&T) have ever held ministries of real power, not to mention an Anglophone being Minister of State.

                Reason why, despite their paltry contribution to Biya’s eventual victory with just a total 73.048 votes (about 1% for NW and about 2.5% for SW), the Anglophones are still yearning nay clamoring for more portfolio ministries – Finance, Defence, Health, Higher Education, Water & Energy, Public Works etc etc. This clamor by the Anglophones is apart from the Prime Minister’s Office which naturally should go to an Anglophone that is, after the Presidency of the Republic, National Assembly, Senate, Supreme Court and several others have all eluded them.

                With the understanding that Paul Biya will maintain an Anglophone as Prime Minister, the trouble is to whom will he hand the job this time? The sitting PM, Philemon Yang, has been on the Star Building job for nine years and counting. So, will Biya renew his confidence in Yang or will he tell him thank you and allow him to go and have some time of rest before bouncing back as Grand Chancellor of National Orders, maybe?

                Yet, it should be pointed out that apart from the Anglophones who are laying claim to the PM’s Office, the Grand North and especially the Far North region is also eyeing the post. Though presently occupying the powerful position of Speaker of the National Assembly (Cavaye Yeguie Djibril), the power brokers of the Grand North are brandishing their huge contribution to Biya’s overall victory, with over 1.5 million votes (47.56%) and with over 900.000 votes from the Far North alone.

                Though Cavaye Yeguie from the Far North is the 3rd personality in the country after the President of the Republic and the Senate President, his brothers of the Far North say the post has very little in terms of real content, apart from the fact that it benefits only its occupant and perhaps his immediate family.

                Reason why the Northerners are also asking for the more lucrative and enticing PM’s Office, which has wider appointive as well as other powers.

                But beyond all of these, it is President Biya alone who has the yam and the knife. He is the only one with the constitutional powers to decide what goes to where and to whom. With his rather unique, exorbitant and limitless powers as the head of state therefore, one can only imagine what permutations and combinations the President should be doing now, as he tries to satisfy the interests and the aspirations of all the major segments of the national divide, in his expected government of greater opportunities.