The CPDM crime syndicate and the Cameroon Radio and Television may have pulled off the impossible with the creation of a Biya 11 February speech that’s spurring outrage on both sides of the political aisle.

The televised address to the nation, featuring President Biya wearing the same attire he used in a live broadcast last year was published today by CRTV.

French Cameroun news portals have shared the video from the CRTV shoot, referencing it as coming from the ailing Head of State.

“I caption this ‘there was 2017 rubbish coming out of Biya’s mouth” our desk editor in Yaoundé wrote immediately after the speech was made public.

In a report sent to our editorial office in London, Sama Ernest pondered if it were possible to be jailed for announcing that President Biya indeed was no more, then went on to joke that he hoped he’d be allowed to visit Professor Mendo Ze in Kondengui.

We of the Cameroon Concord News Group have gotten intelligence that the speech was recorded last year. The speech betrayed the diabolic harsh ploy by the CPDM gang when the President observed that “There will be elections in 2018.” Also, the Paul Biya we know would have spoken about the constitutional council and the senatorial elections which he recently decreed. Of vital importance is the fact that Biya would have praised the cooperation with the Federal Republic of Nigeria that facilitated the abduction of President Ayuk Tabe and his top aides in Abuja.

Below is what came out today as President Biya’s message to the Cameroonian youth

My dear young compatriots,

The last few years have not been easy for our country, which has had to take up simultaneously several major challenges, namely:

–     addressing the Boko Haram threat in our northern regions and that of armed gangs on our eastern border;

–     hosting tens of thousands of refugees and displaced persons;

–     managing the outburst of unrest in the North-West and South-West Regions, marked by sporadic  acts of violence; and

–     countering the impact of falling oil and commodity prices in a bid to return to growth.

I believe we can now make an initial appraisal of our struggles on these different fronts:

–     Boko Haram’s potential to cause harm has been severely undermined, thanks to the combined action of Cameroon’s defence forces and its people;

–     Supportive measures have enabled many displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes;

–     the situation in the South-West and North-West Regions is stabilizing, and the Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism should thus be able to delve into the crux of the problem;

–     the latest assessments point to an improvement in our economy, with renewed activity in various sectors.

Indeed, the characteristic “resilience” of the Cameroonian people deserves to be hailed once again, for, it must be stated, credit for the results we have achieved goes to the people. Not only did they not give up, but they lent their support to   government’s action.

Our compatriots at large, regardless of social status, remained united throughout the ordeals. And such is what makes a great nation.

Allow me, once again, to underscore the heroism of our defence and security forces – mostly young people – whose sense of duty and responsibility has been beyond all praise.

My dear young compatriots,

The Nation is calling on you strongly, because, in the decades ahead, you will be our country’s leaders, hence the need for you to be up to the task, by acquiring the necessary skills and experience.

However, first, you must understand that the “new world” which is unfolding before our very own eyes could be tougher and more unstable than the old one. The rules that governed the old world for more than half a century – the role of the United Nations in maintaining world peace, international trade regulation, solidarity through development assistance, etc. – could become more difficult to apply, whereas nationalism, protectionism and isolationism are likely to gain ground.

In a tougher and less open world, it could become more difficult for developing countries to defend their interests and secure their economic and social progress.

Accordingly, we should commend the holding of events such as the recent African Union / European Union Summit in Abidjan, which focused on youth education and training in Africa and particularly the acquisition of new technologies and modernization of agriculture.

These orientations are in line with the objectives of China’s “new silk road” initiative and the development assistance projects of Asian countries such as India, Japan and South Korea. So, there are reasons to not yield to pessimism.

While Cameroon may rely on the solidarity of its external partners, as well as the understanding of major international organizations, the fact remains that its own efforts are naturally foremost.

Indeed, this is not the business of the government alone, but that of each and every one of us. And, in this regard, I will echo the famous quote: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Today, I renew this call for effort which I made to you barely a year ago on the same occasion. Rather than yielding to the tempting mirage of illegal emigration and undertaking a hazardous   and often doomed trip,        I invite you to play an active part in our great vision to achieve emergence by 2035.

I believe I can safely say that the State has done much in recent years to prepare you for this lofty task.

Regarding the budget, the combined allocations of the three ministries responsible for education represent about 15% of public spending. Great strides have been or are being made in terms of infrastructure, school facilities and educational opportunities.

The number of schools and universities is growing progressively, the two most recent illustrations thereof being the opening of a Faculty of Medicine in Garoua and a Higher Teachers’ Training College in Bertoua.

Today, each of our ten regions has a public higher education institution. Moreover, from this year on, our universities will be connected to the global university cyberspace.

The programme to donate computers to our students, which will be pursued actively, will help them to more easily connect thereto and access more and more knowledge and resources.

The government’s policy, geared towards learning trades as well as vocational and technical training, is beginning to pay off as it fosters self-employment and the socio-economic integration of youths.

As at 31 December 2017, 473,303 (four hundred and seventy-three thousand three hundred and three) jobs had been identified for youths, exceeding our set target of 400,000 (four hundred thousand). We are however aware that more jobs are required to curb youth unemployment.

Moreover, although growth slowed down due to exogenous factors, we continued forging ahead in various sectors of our development. The year 2018 will mark the completion of our major first-generation projects such as:

–     the hydroelectric dams that will soon be supplemented by power transmission infrastructure;

–     road projects such as Douala City’s east and west entryways, the second bridge over the Wouri River, various highways and the motorways under construction.

Already, a series of projects known as second-generation projects have been launched or are in the pipeline. They concern energy generation, new road transport infrastructure and especially the extension of our railroad network to N’Djamena and Limbe. We will then have to devise an ambitious social housing strategy commensurate with our needs.

Our GESP-based development programme will be continued, as will the three-year “special youth” plan which, since its inception last year, has  prioritized youth access to agriculture, industry, handicrafts, the digital economy and innovation. Nearly 500,000 youths have already registered with the National Youth Observatory to participate in the aforementioned youth plan. As funding has already been secured, its implementation will be accelerated in 2018.

The year 2018 will also be a decisive one for the preparation of AFCON 2019. The State has pumped considerable resources into it. It will then be up to our footballers to live up to their reputation and the outstanding achievements of their illustrious predecessors. They have demonstrated in the past that they are up to the task.

My dear young compatriots,

From my position as Head of State, I perceive signs of your growing interest in public affairs.

In this regard, your favourite platform of expression is the social media. Whenever at a click, you access these communication highways that give you global visibility, you must bear in mind that you are not exempted from fulfilling civic and moral obligations, such as respect for others and your country’s institutions. Be patriotic Internet users working for Cameroon’s development and influence, and not passive followers or naive relays for staunch critics of the Republic.

The Cameroon of tomorrow, which is being forged before our very own eyes, will differ almost entirely from that of yesteryear. You will be its key beneficiaries. You will need to prove yourselves worthy of it.

The world is about to witness a dramatic change. The populations of most developed countries are aging. Africa, on the contrary, will be a continent of predominantly young people by the middle of the century.

This constitutes both an opportunity and a challenge. Let us seize the opportunity and meet the challenge. I believe our youths are capable of doing so.

A final word. As you know, 2018 will be an important election year. You all who will be aged 20 years and above will be able to – or rather should – exercise your right to vote. By voting, you will be performing an act of responsible citizenship and, thus, participating in forging your destiny.

Happy Youth Day to each and every one!

Long Live Cameroon’s Youth!

Long Live Cameroon!

Yaounde, 10 February 2018

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

Millions of Cameroonians, especially youths, are impatiently expecting the annual head of state’s speech that precedes the celebration of the country’s youth day, a day highly contested by Anglophones who have been fighting for a separate state since October 2016.

The wait stems from the fact that for more than two weeks, there have been speculations concerning the whereabouts of Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, 85, who has been missing in action. Mr. Biya is expected to deliver a live speech on Saturday, February 10, 2018, directed at the youths at 8pm Cameroon time to urge the country’s impoverished and unemployed youths to continue persevering in their efforts to find work.

He will also use the occasion to point out that though the economy has not been delivering the results expected of it, it is, more because of external factors resulting from a struggling global economy and internal attacks coming from Anglophone secessionists and Boko Haram.

However, Cameroonians are still very concerned about the absence of their president. Many analysts hold that the country’s president might either be dead or his health situation might have taken a turn for the worse.

It should be noted that Mr. Biya has been having serious health issues for some time now and a source close to the ailing dictator has intimated that he has been suffering from prostrate cancer and a failing heart.

Cameroonians need confirmation about their president health. They want to be sure that Mr. Biya’s collaborators are not working behind the scenes to change the country’s constitutional order just to ensure the Betis who have been mismanaging the country for more than three decades do not wrestle power out of the hands of the real constitutional successor.

According to a source at the Presidency which elected anonymity, the Secretary General at the presidency has been holding a series of meetings with some of his collaborators who have been advising him to issue decrees that would usher in constitutional changes on Mr. Biya’s behalf. The appointment of Clement Atangana early last week as president of the constitutional council is one of the changes, many argue, are aimed at changing things to the advantage of a Beti Mafia that has been running the show for many years.

The scheduling of senatorial elections next month, our source added, was one of the moves designed by the Beti Mafia to kick out the current senate president, Marcel Nyat Njifenji, so that it could retain power even after Mr. Biya’s death.

Under the country’s current constitution, the constitutional successor is the president of the senate, Marcel Nyat Njifenji, a man many hold has played a key role in the corruption and mismanagement that have become the country’s hallmark.

Many Cameroonians want to see a new republic and they hold that if the country has to witness any significant political changes, figures like the senate president and the national assembly speaker have to disappear from the political scene.

But the doubts are continuing even when the government has been arguing that the president is alive and in good health. A few days ago, an empty presidential motorcade was mounted and made to travel to Mvogmeka just to give the impression that the president was really hale and hearty. This ruse, which did not convince many Cameroonians, caused a lot of traffic in the nation’s capital, Yaounde, a gimmick that frustrated many people in the capital city.

Some analysts are already concluding that Mr. Biya’s entourage, which is predominantly Beti, might use still images just to create an impression. A live speech by the ailing president, they argue, might reassure the population. Anything short of that will only fuel the suspicion and rumor.

But there are speculations that the Beti Mafia that is struggling to keep things under wraps might have already had a taped speech from the dying president before he slipped into a coma.

Sources close to the Unity Palace have indicated that Mr. Biya’s collaborators have been busy, working day and night just to prove that Mr. Biya is alive. They have also indicated that Mr. Biya’s entourage might put the president’s still image on the screen while broadcasting a taped speech just to prove their point.

An inside source has also said that all tricks are on the table, adding that the secretary-general at the presidency and his men are capable of manufacturing anything just to prove their point.

“They may cut off power supply across the country so as to blame everything on the country’s energy corporation. They can even blame it on technical issues resulting from CRTV’s aging equipment. These people are capable of any and everything,”our source said, arguing that from what he has seen over the last two weeks at the Unity Palace, the country’s leaders cannot be trusted.

“They behave like mercenaries. You can never think that they are Cameroonians. They don’t love this country and they are certainly going to cause a more complicated civil war if power leaves their hands,” he lamented.

“Whatever they do, the truth will always come out. Nobody is eternal. The country does not belong to Mr. Biya and it will be preposterous for anyone to think that they can manipulate everybody, every time,” he stressed.

It should be recalled that the Betis have always felt that they must continue to govern the country. They hold that since the seat of government is in Yaoundé, they deserve to run the country’s political show.

Their strong desire to head the country even after Biya’s departure has already been manifested a few times through some of their actions. In 1992 when the Social Democratic Front chairman, John FruNdi, won the presidential election, the Beti Mafia did all it could to grant the victory to Mr. Biya who has continued to run the country as his personal estate. He has been using the institutions to his advantage and his method of choice has been the appointment of only those who are loyal to him, regardless of their ages.

This week’s establishment of the constitutional council and the appointment of its members through presidential decrees has caused the rumor mills to be very busy. The presidential decrees finally established a constitutional council provided for in the 1996 constitution and appointed members of the said council.

77-year-old Clement Atangana, a legal expert of Beti extraction, who has been on retirement for more than ten years, was appointed to head the constitutional council, while other very familiar faces were appointed as members of the same council in the same decree. It should be underscored that members of the constitutional council are members of the ruling party, the CPDM, and people who are personally loyal to the country’s president and his collaborators.

The appointment of these familiar faces underscores the fact that Mr. Biya is not yet ready to give Cameroonian youths a place in today’s Cameroon. Besides marginalizing youths, Mr. Biya is still pursuing his policy of Anglophone marginalization by appointing only Francophones to head major government institutions.

It should be underscored at this point that all heads of important structures in Cameroon are Francophones despite the ongoing Anglophone crisis which was triggered by the government’s marginalization of the country’s English-speaking minority.

As Mr. Biya’s entourage works hard to deceive the population, Cameroonians, for their part, are quietly looking forward to the annual youth day speech which will either confirm or disconfirm rumors that the head of state is no more.

By Kingsley Betek in Yaounde