President Biya's Youth Day Message

President Paul BIYA addresses the youth

President Paul BIYA has called on the youths of Cameroon not to relent their efforts in the development of the country. He was speaking to the youths on the occasion of the national youth day, and announced the special employment of 25 000 university graduates into the Public Service. Here is a full text of the message of the Head of State to the Youths on 10 February 2011.

My dear young compatriots,

The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of our independence, which will be followed this year by that of our reunification, was for all of us and for you especially, an opportunity to relive the process of our liberation, but also and above all, to project ourselves into the future. It is obviously the latter aspect that concerns you the most.

I told you last year that I was convinced we were on the verge of a recovery of our economy which, you know, has suffered the lag effects of the global crisis. I believe that I am being vindicated.

This year we should, indeed, return to our pre-crisis growth rate and perhaps do even better. Many of our major projects should be launched. Let me mention a few of them.

• In the energy domain: the Lom Pangar, Memve'ele and Mekin hydroelectric dams and power plants and, hopefully, the Kribi natural gas plant.

• Regarding road infrastructure: upgrading of our urban road networks and construction of new roads in most of our regions.

• In the mining sector: the expected start-up of our projects.

• With regard to water supply and distribution of electricity: continuation or implementation of ongoing or planned works.

• Concerning transport: the first phase of construction of the Kribi deepsea port.

• In the social sector: the launching of extensive housing schemes, new health facilities and building of school, university and sports facilities.

This renewed activity should not only improve the living conditions of our people, but also substantially boost demand for labour with different skill levels. Hence, it would produce bright prospects for employment and put us in a better position to combat unemployment, a scourge unfortunately plaguing mostly our youth.

There is another factor that can give us some optimism. Increasing global demand for commodities of mineral or plant origin should prompt us to boost their production. Our mining projects mentioned earlier on will provide an initial response. But, above all, I am counting on our agriculture broadly speaking, to supplement production. I said so very recently in Ebolowa, but permit me to come back to it briefly.

Indeed, our agriculture has significant production capacities that can be enhanced. Such is the case of cereals like rice and maize and our cash crops, mainly cocoa and coffee, but also our industrial crops, namely cotton, palm oil, rubber, sugar cane and bananas. A significant increase in the production of these crops would not only help balance our external trade, but would inevitably lead to demand for labour and reduction in unemployment.

I do believe that in our current situation, the solution to our unemployment problem lies here. If our agriculture proves capable of making this "leap forward", it will offer a wide range of jobs, from the simplest to the more skilled. That is why I urge our youth not to turn away from working the land which guarantees stability and fulfilment. This obviously does not mean we should neglect industrial activities and services which also generate employment and show promise.

My dear young compatriots,

This struggle for employment is merely another aspect of our battle for development. And you are those who in the coming years will have to wage it ... and win it. To do so, you will need to be armed with all the necessary skills which you have acquired in school and university. This is of course the guarantee of your personal success, but also and above all, the performance of a civic duty to your country. You will thus be showing her your gratitude for the efforts she made for you throughout your studies.

These efforts will be pursued. Even if, temporarily, the State has had to curtail certain budgetary allocations, it remains committed to giving priority to education in general and each type and level of education in particular.

As concerns basic education, the fundamental objective remains extending access to education and improving its quality. At the same time, actions undertaken to build school infrastructure and provide equipment and support to private education will be pursued. Special attention will be paid to completing primary education to ensure the irreversibility of literacy.

As regards secondary education, a reflection should be undertaken to identify priorities based on available resources. The main orientations will however remain strengthening educational opportunities and increasing infrastructure.

Regarding higher education, professionalization remains the watchword, without neglecting the extension of the LMD system. Synergy between the university and enterprise should be taken into account in the spirit of the proposals of the recent forum on this issue. Furthermore, it is clear that the policy adopted to strengthen social governance within the university will be extended. I want to recall that a special effort was made in 2010 for the benefit of university research and academic excellence. These allocations will be increased in 2011.

My dear young compatriots,

As I told you last year, youth participation in development is not only a matter of intellectual and technical competence. It also requires a civic and patriotic commitment.

In this regard, an important fact should be mentioned. I did recently sign a decree on the establishment, organization and functioning of the National Civic Service for Participation in Development Agency. This body is mandated to mobilize energies for :

• economic, social and cultural development of our country,

• fostering national pride and patriotic feelings, and lastly,

• promoting a sense of the common weal, civic spirit and culture of peace.

These measures concern youth aged 17 to 21 years who are required to undergo a mandatory service period of 60 days and volunteers a period of 6 months. The Agency will extend its activities nationwide. A budget has already been provided for the Agency which could soon go operational.

The commissioning of the Agency and rehabilitation of Multipurpose Youth Development Centres that contribute to extra-curricular training should provide our youth leadership and citizenship guidance required for their social integration. The preparation by the Ministry of Youth of a "guide to education for citizenship" serves the same purpose.

Another milestone worth mentioning concerns the deployment, at all levels of our administrative set-up, of organs of the National Youth Council. The Council, which has prepared its three-year action plan, should be able to play its role as an interface between government, development partners and civil society, on the one hand, and all of our youth on the other.

By a fortunate coincidence, the effective commissioning of the Council comes just when the African Youth Charter has been ratified. The main objective of the Charter, I recall, is to strengthen youth participation in political, economic, social and cultural life. The celebration in 2011 of the International Year of Youth will afford us a timely opportunity to promote ownership of the provisions of the Charter by our youth.

Regarding the integration of youth into the economy, the State, alongside actions by the National Employment Fund, has continued to support programmes designed to give the greatest possible number of young people opportunities to start a working life. Such is the case of the Project to support rural and urban youth and the Project for the integration of youth through the manufacture of sports equipment. These two projects have enabled the integration of several thousand youth into economic life, the launching of hundreds of micro-activities and junior-enterprises and the creation of dozens of cooperatives.

My dear young compatriots,

The start-up of the major structuring projects mentioned above, will generate many jobs.

Meanwhile, I have instructed the Prime Minister to launch, this year, a special recruitment into the Public Service, of twenty-five thousand young graduates.

But as I said earlier on, I am counting mainly on the revival of our growth to stimulate employment.

My dear young compatriots,

I am aware, believe me, of your worries about your future. I can imagine the disappointment of those who, after studying for many years, have difficulty finding employment commensurate with their qualifications. The discouragement of those, who, without qualifications, can, at best, only expect precarious jobs. The feeling of injustice of those who, having lost all hope, believe they are social outcasts.

To all of them, I say they should not despair, for our recovery is on the way. And I will cite the example of the emerging countries now breaking growth records and which yesterday were experiencing internal upheavals, extreme poverty and oppression. We, who are enjoying peace, stability and democratic progress, now have every opportunity to build together a just and interdependent society. That is why, like last year, I am asking you to have confidence in the future because we are nearing our goal.

Happy Youth Day to you all,

Long live Cameroonian youth,

Long live Cameroon.

Source: prc.com

Comments

[Andrew Nforne Tanjong]

Mr, Paul Biya has not leant yet by now that the rule by decree has not yielded any fruits and he can try as hard as he can, ruling by decree will take the country nowhere.

I know his mentors - the French - passed on the rule by decree. This very undemocratic and yet he preaches " la demoicracie avancée". There exist certain tenets in the realm of economics that must be taken into consideration to when considering a national economic take-off. This tenet is embedded in taking into consideation the "Market". In a democratic society, all considerations must be centred in a "Free Market" context.

Under the free market situation, decisions are arrived at with due consideration to accepted societal norms accepted by the whole national society whereas the decree rule brings to mind a "ommand society" as practised in France. The State dictates what has to be produced and where irrespective of economic considerations like taking advantage of economies of scale, say or the availability of technical consideations, say.

The whole economic fabric of the national economy has been taken hostage by ignorant folks not versed with any economic mindset.

This leads the national economy which for the past decades has been in the wilderness not to want to get out of the wilderness.

Mr. President tells Cameroonians he just recently signed decrees. Economics is an actual science not concocted ramblings imbued with much ignorance of what's supposed to be.

I challenge the so called policymakers who concoct these decrees to stand up and in a scientific manner explain to the Cameroonian public the type of empirical studies they undertake to arrive at these voodoo decrees for the president to sign at midnight into laws.

[John Dinga]

President Hosni Mubarak finally threw in the towel after all the resistance and bla bla bla, prompting a lot of relief the world over.
The Egyptian Supreme Council of generals will take over Egypt. Hear the language they use on the protesters: "honorable sons of the nation who rejected corruption and demanded reform....return of normal life in order to safeguard the achievements of our glorious people". How I wish our own military could value the citizens this way.

[John Dinga]

Any mention of those Cameroonians abducted in the Bakassi peninsula at all?

[BIYAMUSTGO]

Alerte… Cameroun: Paul Biya doit dégager

Ils se croyaient invincibles et se prenaient pour Dieu. Ils ont été défaits par leurs Peuples. Aucun dictateur n'a jamais vaincu le Peuple. Après Samuel Doé du Liberia, Mobutu au Zaïre, Moussa Traoré du Mali, Mamadou Tandja au Niger, Ben Ali en Tunisie, et actuellement Mubarak en Egypte.... Paul Biya du Cameroun, c'est ton tour de dégager.

Message important du CODE

Aux "Ben Skineurs" ou conducteurs de motos taxi, Taximen, Bayam Sellam, élèves et étudiants, syndicats, commerçants, sauveteurs, artistes, hommes d'affaires et opérateurs économiques, c'est à vous que le CODE (Collectif des Organisations Démocratiques et Patriotiques des Camerounais de la Diaspora) s'adresse:

Le Code vous appelle à vous mettre debout comme un seul Homme, pour soutenir tous les appels à l'insurrection populaire qui va se mettre en marche dans les prochains jours, et ceci jusqu'à ce que PAUL BIYA DEGAGE.

Nous sommes à vos côtés sur place au Cameroun pour l'assaut final. Préparez vous psychologiquement car, la lutte pourrait être longue et difficile.

Paul Biya a le choix de quitter le pouvoir tout de suite, ou de faire face au sort reservé à tous les dictateurs.

Nous appelons l'armée de s'abstenir de tirer sur le peuple et de désobéir si Paul Biya leur faisait la demande.

***** Pls pass it on through your network

[Gan Charles]

Switzerland has frozen Mubarak's assets in Swiss banks in the wake of his stepping down. This is unprecedented, given that in the past new governments have had to investigate ill gotten gains of past leaders and pursue legal action even for the Swiss to admit the presence of assets on Swiss soil. The world is watching to see what other countries will do.
I also hope that Mr Paul Biya has taken time to reflect on his own guardianship or the lack of.

[Davis]

Mr. Biya, you are out of touch with the problems of Cameroonians given the fact that you spend most of your time abroad. You have been telling lies for the past 20 years so how can you convince the youth to ever trust you again. You surround yourself with morally rotten intellectual giants who are working hard to help you cripple the nation. If you did not make a change 10 years ago then the best option for you is to leave now in dignity and save the country.

[Davis]

Biya must go. The time is near. No people can give freedom and democracy to another nation. Camroonians should not think that America will one day force Biya out of power. The power to outs a dictator lies in the hands of the victims of the opressed system so only Cameroonians can chane Cameroon.
To do this Cameroonians must defeat fear, focus on ousting the rigime, have faith and act as one keeping aside plotical and tribal divides.

[Davis]

Cameroon arm forces must learn from the Eygtian army that their role is to defend the country and state institutions and not to shoot the very people they are paid to protect. They should not support any political group be it the ruling party or not.

The Police, BIR, Gendarmes and the Army for the past have been using a cruel strategy to stop people from carrying out peaseful protest by killing, toturinng and arresting protesters. We are telling the gvernment and it's forces that when the right time will come, no one will be afraid of bloodshed. They will either kill or arrest all Cameroonians who want change or they will provide the change that Cameroonians need so desperately.

For the Masters (France), This is the time for them to speak out or forever stay silent. They should not chain the economy, freedom and democracy of Cameroonians for their personal interest. They should start by abolishing the colonial pact between France and Cameroon because when the time comes, they will not be able to stop the people from taking their freedom from the brutal regime that France support so dearly.

[kumbaboy]

Events of 11th February unite Cameroonian and Egyptian Peoples for ever. 1961 and 2012. Paul Biya MUST go. The over $30m of SNH cash lost in the Albatross saga shall be repaid by Paul Biya.

[Felix]

11 of Febuary is the Day for Africa Democracy.
Let those who still think they are demi gods or Lion as they call themselves know that the year is 2011.
Next door is Algeria..... We must build momentum in Cameroon and show them how the Egyptians Defeated the Mighty of USA tyrant.France Tunisian fell within days and USA Egypt fell within 18day. Just only one week of strike in Cameroon will send paul Biya to seek Refuge in Gabon.
Biya's time is now, we must act now.

[one on one]

please mr paul Biya,leave Cameroon now. do not run for elections.

[MOHAMNED ABBAS]

The contents of Biya`s Message to the Youths are just sterotypes and rhetorics akin to what drowning dictators and demagogues who are completely out of touch with the realities on ground. After almost 3 decades as Head of State,and being Prime Minister since 1972, Biya will go doen in history as the laziest Head odf State. someone who bequethed absoulutely nothing for his people except poverty, deprivation, misery, underdevelopment,institutionalisation of corruption, tribalism, and the collapsed of all the Govt parastatals he inherited.
Fonader,SOTUC,CAMAIR, CAMSHIP,MARKETING BOARD, CAMBANK ETC.
WHAT HAS BIYA AS LEADER DONE FOR THE YOUTHS. CAMEROON EVEN THOUGH HAS THE CAF PRESIDENCY SINCE 1988, IS YET TO HOST ANY CAF COMPETITION TO BOAST THE MORALES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE YOUTH.WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANCE AND THE ROLE HOSTING SPORTS EVENTS PLAY IN THE DEVT.JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE DOULA INTL AIRPORT, THE GATEWAY TO CAMEROON. IT IS NOW A RELIC AND OUTMODED.
THE ELCTIONS ARE HERE AGAIN.THE EMPTY PROMISES ARE COMING FAST AND THICK...BIYA IS SUPPOSED TO TELL US HOW INTENDS TO CREATE THE JOBS, NOT DIRECTING THE PRIME MINISTER.THE PM WAS NOT SELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
CAMEROONIANS SHOULD STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.ALL DIE BE DIE...WE SHOULD STAND UP AND START THE PEOPLES REVOLUTION.PLS NOTE THAT, THE REVOLUTION WILL BE PAINFUL BUT GOD WILL ASSIST US.
CAMEROON IS THE MOST RESTRCTED COUNTRY IN THE WORL IN TERMS OF FREEDOM..EVERY TWO POLES, YOU ARE STOPPED AND REQUESTED FOR A PASS OR ID CARDS. THE ID CARDS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE A CIVIL DOCUMENT TO ENABLE YOU TRANSACT BUSINESS OR CIVIC FUNCTIONS, NOT A COLONIAL PASS.HOW WILL YOU ATTARCT INVESTORS, WHEN IT WILL TAKE AN INVESTORS OVER 12 HOURS TO TARVELL FROM DOULA TO BAMENDA WITH PRACTICALLY OVER 30 INTERNAL IMMIGRATION/ POLICE POSTS.TO GAIN ACCESS TO YDE THE CAPITAL IS LIKE A JOURNEY TO THE MAGGI.EVERYONE MUST BE SEARCHED, BECAUSE BIYA LIVES THERE...
SADLY ENOUGH, BIYA HAS NEVER VISITED MORE THAN 12 TOWNS IN CAMEROON SINCE BEING PRESIDENT.HE IS THE ONLY PRESIDENT WE KNOW WHO DOESNT CAMPAIGN. YET THE SDOS, DOS, JUDICIAL OFFICERS AWARD HIM OVER 90% OF VOTES..WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH...EVERYTIME BIYA WILL SAY THERE IS PEACE IN CAMEROON. DID HE INHERIT CAMEROON AT WAR? THERE IS NO PHYSICAL WAR IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE LOOK LIKE THAT OF SOMALIA.90% OF THE ROADS ARE ONLY PRACTICABLE DURING THE DRY SEASON. THE RAILWAY LINES HAVE NOT BEEN EXTENDED SINCE 1972. NO STADIA HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED SINCE AHIDJO LEFT.
ALL THE SO CALLED REGIONAL UNIVERTIES WERE VERTIGES OF AHIDJO...THIS IS THE LAZIEST PRESIDENT THE WORLD WILL EVER EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE WITH CODE AND THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF ALL CAMEROONIANS IN THE WEST COAST

[Ronald Suh]

For 29 years today,Biya has been filling Cameroonians with lies, torture (mental and physical). He speaks everyday of freedom but what goes on in the country is the complete opposite. People who are bold enough to speak up disappear without a trace. He is surrounded by gullible, intellectual illiterates who claim to be helping him build the country while mounting stolen wealth for themselves without even thinking of their own children. The rule by decree is something dictators of the past used to achieve their cruelty. Its time for a change and the wind has started blowing up North and its south bound. Its time for a change in Cameroon and Africa as a whole.Biya, its time for you to take your leave. You have overdue your welcome. Cameroon is not a dynasty and don't even think of putting in your son to take over from your.

[me.yahoo.com/a/_L27wp42xYXbvsWzSZtKPei_B8SfIhVi]

Mr paul are not yet tired? na wa oh. who put you for this purnishment? you better go rest.

[Coach Outlet]

Thanks writing! The reason for your article is always to document your lifetime and deliver your own personal thoughts. Some notion tend to be unique with me but really different. What you long for to offer to the modern society, I think I have already been known that. So long as most of us do well and believe that.

[EGNA]

A leader who does not have the future of the people heart is not worth the respect due a leader. God is not as slow as some think he is, in the fulness of time, He will call us to account. When He does, all men shall say " you are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, u rule and control all the nations of the earth.

[Puka]

President Paul Biya’s addresses to the nation always have a purpose and are not just for style. Our country needs to be an emerging nation by 2035 and we need to get to work very early. President Paul Biya knows, only the youths will develop Cameroon tomorrow and in his Youth day message called on them to be conscious and bear in mind that they should take more initiatives, be more ambitious and pointed out the domains they should embark on in order to help our country develop at a good pace, and he insisted on agriculture.