President Paul Biya of Cameroon is not dead – What Difference Does it make?

By Innocent Chia

President Paul Biya of Cameroon has returned to his forsaken nation this Saturday, November 01, 2008.  It is exactly 43 days after hopping aboard the Presidential Jet on September 16th heading to New York for the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. But the absentee landlord’s return comes on the wake of a viral rumor that had the septuagenarian for dead at the exclusive “Clinique Générale-Beaulieu” in East Geneva.

If anything, the Cameroon press mill and other portals of information erred on the side of caution in order not to be fooled for the second time by suspect sources and for reasons unknown. How and why did the local press possibly arrive at the right conclusion that the cauchemar called President Biya still lives?

 

In June of 2004 a rumor spread like wildfire that President Paul Biya had “finally” resumed his mortal status – he was dead following an undisclosed illness at some undisclosed location. There is a shroud of secrecy over any and everything that concerns the health of President Paul Biya, as if the man is a deity and above death. No reporting is allowed; no digging for any information even if the President is sneezing his brains out his nostrils from a cold; no questioning whether the President has a persistent stomach ailment that has him going without cease…Veteran Cameroon Journalist, Pius NJAWE incurred the full wrath of the President and his institutions for summoning the courage to wonder about the state of the President’s health. This was after President Biya had had some heart issues in the course of watching the finals of the Cameroon football Championship in 1997. Njawe lasted 10 months in prison.

Ever since then, it is all hush hush when talking about the health of the President. But the anathema has not stopped the curiosity, or the prayers for the eventuality. So much so that at the last episode when it was suspected that the President was a coffin shy of six feet deep, his immortal highness declared to the people of Cameroon that he had at least 20 years more of life left in him. So, call it arrogance or whatever, but the man seems to be in God’s secret chamber and can see tomorrow. This leaves the press and the taxpaying Cameroonians, on whose dime the President expenses his health bills and who are in desperation mode for a new visionary leader, with no other choice than hanging on the lips of gossip mills by process of elimination.

 

By process of elimination therefore, eye brows were raised at the last Cameroon Football Cup final on October that was, for the first time in his 26 years as President, not presided over by Paul Biya. Sitting in lieu of the President was the Prime Minister, Ephraim Inoni presided over the 49th edition of the Cup at which Cotonsport Garoua beat Aigle Royal of the Menoua 4-2 in a highly disputed match at the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium on Saturday 25th October 2008.

His trip back to Cameroon, like the scores of others that he has done and will continue doing, falls just within the Constitutional provisions of 45 days that he is allowed to stay outside the country before losing his throne to the constitutional quagmire.

 

Whatever the case, President Biya’s voyage back home, whether in health or as a carcass, would have been verified in the upcoming days on November 6th, the day on which the nation celebrates his 26 years of raping them. His failure to appear for those celebrations would have been colossal. It is now left to see how he celebrates with the people. It is left to see whether there will be any appearances or all the ululations will be transmitted by the yes men to his royal throne.

 

The last time that rampant rumors of his death spread, he fired a few men in his entourage for violating the code of secrecy. This time around, rumor town has it that it was high ranking Anglophone officer that leaked the news of his ailment. Whether it is true or not, we can watch out to see if any senior Anglophone officer in the military is fired. But if it does not happen, who cares? What difference does it really make in the life of any ordinary Cameroonian whether Biya lives till the end?

 

It would seem that the only concern many are having has to do with the chaos that may ensue during the transition. The question is who? Who will take over Power? In case of death or any situation that incapacitates the Head of State, the latest constitution says that the Head of the Senate takes over. But there is no Senate in Cameroon. Anyone with half a brain knows that the Prime Minister and “Head of Government”, Ephraim Inoni cannot be allowed to dream of it. Why? Because Inoni is Anglophone and that makes him or any other Anglophone a distant pariah for the position of President. This leaves the Head of the National Assembly, Cavaye Djibril. You can bet your money that the Essigan close entourage of President Biya will only give Cavaye room to transition it to one of them at the risk of his own life.

Still, who is preparing to take over power in Cameroon? Better still, is Biya preparing anyone to take over? Does he care what happens after him? Is he preparing his son, Frank Biya to continue the rape? Is Frank prepared or preparing for it?

I wish that I had any answers to any of these questions. I do not. What I know is this: Biya has really taken his title of Fon of Fons to heart. In my native village of Kom in the Northwest province, no one is allowed to ever say that the Fon has died. We say that the Fon has disappeared; or that the torch of the land has gone out. This information is supplied to the people even as the Kingmakers are in process of picking the new leader. This may be Biya’s exit strategy. But he also is known as "lhomme Lion" (the Lion Man), and you never can rule out anything with the man who famously said "le Cameroun c'est le Cameroon - If the price is right, anything is possible in Cameroon.

Comments

[Francis Jum]

This is a guy who intentionally faked his own death a few years ago.This creature can't be trusted or relied on even in death.He springs surprises when people least expect them.Are you sure it wasn't his ghost that returned to Yde yesterday? We all can't deny the fact that dead people, even though dead, are never actually dead.
No one wishes him dead all the same but one thing we know is that you can fool some people some time but won't continue to fool some people all the time.He has fooled us for more than a quarter of a century but one day he shall meet his end.
My opinion

[Patrick Yong Fangyong]

I totally agree with your rhetoric question - what diference will it make? After the horrible strikes in February that seemed as if Cameroonians had awaken from their slumber and were taking a bold step to oust Biya from their collective consciousness,Biya emerged not only stronger but pushed through the most contested bill in Parliament that modified the constitution to give him another opportunity to stand for election as President.Cameroonians looked on dazed and helpless and did not even jostle when Lapiro was convicted for taking part in the strike that finally compelled Biya to increase salaries a thing he had never done since he became President.So what difference will it make with Biya dead or alive.Cameroonians are Cameroonians.Please give me a bottle of 33 Export
Until Cameroonians become aware of the fact that they must take their destiny in to their hands and wield the change they desparately yearn for they will continue to smile while suffering.

[FAHLOH ALFRED GONDHI]

CAMEROONIANS REMAIN CAMEROONIANS.WHETHER NVONDO BATHELEMY BIYA - BI PAUL IS DEAD OR ALIVE, IT REALLY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.I HAVE BEEN SO MUCH DISAPPOINTED BY MY FELLOW COUNTRY MEN THAT RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE THAT FRANCK - ROGER BIYA (DROGUE DEALER) CAN RULE CAMEROON AFTER HIS FATHER. WE SHAL ONLY SPEAK AND REMAIN IN OUR COCOONS.
THE ONLY QUESTION I ASK MYSELF IS FOR HOW LONG WILL HE CONTINUE TO DRAG HIMSELF AROUND AS PRESIDENT?A MAN WHO CAN BEARLY STAND ON HIS FEET NOT TO TALK OF MOVING AROUND.
MY DEAR BROTHERS NOW THAT HE IS BACK, LET US JUST ALOW HIM TO TASTE THE FILES THAT WERE WAITING FOR HIM TO CONCLUDE: ENS - MAROUA, BAKASSI FREEDOM FIGHTERS, LIMBE ATTACK, 6 NOVEMBER, epervier, ALBATROS ETC.
MAN NO RUN E WORK.U CHERCHA YOU TROUVA U TROUVA U SUPPORTA...........(H.E. LAPIRO)
LONG LIVE CAMEROON