Biya’s New Cabinet Confirms Beti-Grand North Hegemony

By Pegue Manga

President Paul Biya, Wednesday, December 8, appointed a new government to execute his much-touted grandes ambitions.
The new cabinet, which has been inflated from 32 to 36 full Ministers, reasserts the Beti-Grand North hegemony.
Anglophones were elbowed into the political dustbin with only one full-fledged Ministerial portfolio, the Ministry of Forest and Fauna, headed by Egbe Achuo Hilman, from Manyu Division in the Southwest Province.

The Betis, as usual, got the lion’s share, 20 Ministers and/or Secretaries of State, while the Grand North had 17.
Two full-fledged Anglophone Ministers, Clarkson Tanyi-Mbianyor of Environment and Forestry and Henry Kibuh Tume of Mines, Water and Energy Resources, were dropped. The latter spent only five months in government.

Prof. Ephraim Ngwafor, recently appointed Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency, was also dropped. Emmanuel Oteh, Secretary of State in charge of Penitentiary Administration was also relieved.

Once more, an Anglophone, Chief Ephraim Inoni, was appointed Prime Minister. A post of Vice Prime Minister of State in charge of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, headed by  Amadou Ali, a Northerner, was created.

Paul Biya did not include any member of the opposition parties in his government. Rather, he brought in careworn people like Dakole Diassala to head the slippery Ministry of Transport.

From Secretary General To PM

The appointment of Chief Ephraim Inoni, a native of Bakingili, in Fako Division, as Prime Minister, was least expected by many. There had been speculations that his predecessor, Peter Mafany Musonge, would either be maintained or replaced by someone from a different region. But the unexpected happened.

Biya,  true to his enigmatic leadership style, appointed Inoni, hitherto Assistant Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, to replace his kinsman, Musonge.

The new Prime Minister is unlike Musonge. He is a seasoned politician, who has served in government for quite sometime.
Speaking to The Post, Charles Mbella Moki, Mayor of Buea, who has worked very closely with Chief Inoni in Fako Division, described the new Prime Minister as a likeable, humane,  articulate and courageous personality.

“He is a man with a passionate love for his country and people. He has a rich political and professional experience,” said Mbella
Mbella said he has worked very closely with Inoni for over 10 years.
“He is a man I admire and respect.

By the grace of God, I know his sterling qualities will enable him steer the affairs of government business in the right direction,” he said.
He was sure and confident that under Prime Minister Inoni, it would be a journey between hope and confidence.

Mbella also congratulated the outgoing Prime Minister, Musonge, for an accomplished mission. According to him, Musonge did a wonderful job and brought honour and satisfaction to the entire nation. Today, said Mbella, Musonge has been rewarded for his sacrifices, dedication and commitment to a worthy cause.

He said Cameroon is blessed with a man like Inoni. A jubilant crowd gathered at the home of the new Prime Minister in Yaounde to celebrate with him.

Inoni, on his part, told CRTV, December 8, that he was happy and conscious of the task the head of state wants him to accomplish.

Comments

[JP Tanyong]

The fact that events in Cameroon go so much unnoticed just illustrates what Biya and his gang have turned the country into: an irrelevant country in world affairs. The same old devils who have plundered Cameroon so wickedly are back. Biya has also increased the number of ministries and created ministers without any real responsibilites. What the hell is a minister of the youth supposed to do. Why have a minister of Secondary Education and another for Primary Education, or a minister of Environment and another one for Forests? Are these the grandes ambitions? Of course so many helped Biya rig the elections and now they have to be rewarded.
I make this prediction: Biya's crimes have reached the high water mark and that government will not see 2007. It will be brought down by popular frustration at daily injustice. The leading credit agency Standard and Poors have released a report to the effect that Cameroon can no longer pay it internal debt and the country is in serious financial problems with the IMF. The liquidity situation is so poor that very soon the government will not be able to pay civil servants or indeed its beloved military and gendarmes. If anyone has been following the news back home, Biya's reelection was welcomed by riots in Douala (lawyers), Yaounde (students and disgruntled Sonel customers) and Ngaoundere. All these will culmiminate at some point and bring the evil regime down very soon. Even Biya cannot stop people form seeing the light forever.

[Linus]

The poverty rate in Cameroon is Increasing every second and Biya is Increasing ministerial post while excluding other areas of the country.But i have just one thing to say, Cameroon is going to experience a situation that is worst than that of ivory cost and is non reversible.Gone are those days Cameroon was called an ocean of peace In Africa.The French kept spy planes in chad to support Biya in case of an uprising after the election but, the situation in ivory coast made them to change thier minds.Cameroonians will react when everybody laest expect.
May God Bless Trust worthy cameroonians

[Cameroon]

Biya is a joker with nothing whatsoever to offer his fellow Cameroonians. The man has been in power for 22 years and has nothing to show for it. His demise along with that of his crew is nigh.

Cameroonian.

[Charles taku]

With the publication of this so-called government can many Southern Cameroonians who deliberately committed crimes against democracy in their respective regions now admit what we have all long told them, namely that there is a price to pay when one worships false Gods and give to man, praises that are due only to God Almighty?
Now that Biya is a lame duck president, many more who persist in thier perfidy will pay for the many crimes they committed and continue to commit in the name of Biya and the CPDM.
I have opined through this reputed Paper in the past that the the choice in the past election was not between Biya and the many failed opposition candidates who were bribed to pretend to confront him at the purported polls but between those who believed that Cameroon was going to end with another Biya mandate of seven years and others who believed in Cameroon of the future.
With Biya's seven year plan to hand over power gradually back to the North, do his many Anglophone stooges not agree with me that time has come to accept the reailities on the ground , namely, that as long as Biya remains in power they have no place in his crime syndicate called government?
Why therefore not look for alternative means of asserting your relevance and survival as a people by joining the Southern Cameroons struggle?
As prolific Opio had pointed out in Post, many of you should start packing your bags for a very long wait in the widerness sometime between now and the end of seven years except your man -god Biya decides to decree twenty more years for himself as he had in one of his rantings promised.
Chief Charles Fuatabong Achaleke Taku.
Lead Counsel.
UNICTR-Arusha, Tanzania.