Yang Vs. Biya

Worldwide cheap calling cards

By Innocent Chia
For those of us that have lived long enough to endure the ineptitude of 27-plus years of President Biya, palpable frustrations in his inability to manage the country star in reminders such as the recycling of the Ebolowa Agro-Congress that was scheduled to hold on the aftermath of the Bamenda Congress of 1984. Injecting the Ebolowa Agro-Pastoral Show in his year-opening 2010 address to the nation is a painful reminder of projects that have either been abandoned on the sole premise that they were part of Ahidjo’s Five-year Development plan, or because the regime has never ever had a clear agro-pastoral vision for Cameroon. Whatever the case, Biya’s regime hardly can showoff more than a palm-full of projects it has initiated and completed successfully. Most everything is copy-work from the haunting ghost of Ahmadou Ahidjo, the Post Master.
The purpose of this piece is twofold: the first is to fact-check the mining projects that Biya has outlined in his 27th consecutive speech to the nation on December 31st, 2009. By the end of the day we conclude with absolute certainty that his speech writers either failed in their research work or that Biya warned them to include misleading falsehoods as to the beginning dates of projects in the Mining sector. Seccondly, we attempt a lopsided comparison of Yang’s six months in power to the 27 plus years of Master Biya bi Mvondo. Our conclusion does not fail you either – P.M Philemon Yang has been absolutely brilliant in comparison to the F grade score of his boss.

During the last six (6) months, most of Paul Biya’s grand ambition projects- Geovic, Sundance, Rio Tinto Alcan etc have been delayed until 2012 by the very least. The Chiareport made a one-stop-shop to cross check the veracity of President Biya’s claims:
Biya myth:President Biya stated that construction work will be starting in 2010 at the Nkamouna cobalt plant.
FACT: According to Forbes.com, Geovic said in early 2009 that “production would be delayed until 2012 and investment…cut to $250 million from $370 million”.
Biya myth: The President lists some other mining projects without specifying what the start dates are. The logical deceitful implication - since they are listed in the same sentence as the Nkamouna project which he claimed is beginning in 2010 – is that these projects are lumped together to begin at or about the same time.
FACT: The construction timeline for the Canadian Rio Tinto Alcan Aluminum smelter project in Kribi is 2015-18.
The Cameroun Alumina Limited (CAL) - a formation of U.S firm Hydromines, the United Arab Emirates’s Dubai Aluminum (DUBAL) and India’s Hindalco Industries – has its start-up planned for 2013.
FACT: Australia’s Sundance Resources – which has an exploration permit for the Iron Ore deposits in Mbalam – has been delayed till 2013. According to Forbes.com, “Sundance was scheduled to begin exporting iron ore from its $2.46 billion project by 2011 but the firm is involved in tax wrangles with the government…”

We could go on and on, but you get the drift. Biya’s talk of job creation is nothing but inflated fabrications designed to mask the 40% unemployment rate, a number that has steadily grown over the course of his reign and is, unfortunately, not going to change dramatically by the time of Presidential campaigns. More important, it can only be inferred from the delays by these multinational corporations that they too are weary to commit in a volatile political atmosphere. There is growing understanding in the international community that the absence of war in Cameroon is far from a reigning peace. The parts to the whole are crackling like in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”.

Prime Ministers have been appointed in some instances with the delusion of finding the magical glue that will hold together the crumbling parts. Achidi Achu is a case in point. Some others are appointed to draw the dagger ever so deep into the perceived Northwest Vs Southwest abscess so as to perpetuate the reign of the ruling junta.

Whichever the case, Philemon Yang is the first P.M to whom his boss has publicly said there will be a performance evaluation after six (6) months in the job. While it is customary to institute checks and balances in a democratic system between the executive and legislative branches with the arbitration of an impartial judiciary, Paul Biya’s unilateral performance review of Philemon Yunji Yang’s six months job training is a diversion from the 27 year history of absentee autocratic rule, election fixing, embezzlement, corruption, poverty and indebtedness of a former prosperous nation.

Over the last six (6) months, Paul Biya has over-stayed all official business related trips abroad by more than 100 days including a multi-million dollar “brief vacation” at La Baule, a luxurious resort in France.

Over the last six (6) months, Paul Biya has failed to chair the Supreme Magistracy Council to punish corrupt members of the judiciary or a simple Council of Ministers meeting to oversee the actions of his cabinet.

During the last six (6) months, Paul Biya’s magical wand to generate additional energy resources and limiting power outages has failed thereby dragging economic growth and accelerating more than 300, 000 additional households into poverty.

During the last six (6) months, Paul Biya’s self-appointed ELECAM is yet functional, therefore, no voter registration or distribution of voter’s cards have been processed in the reign of “advanced democracy.” But even Mr. Biya must have been laughing his majestic ass off at the claim that die-hard CPDM Central Committee members – including Madam Dorothy Njeuma, who lost to becoming Prime Minister in lieu of Ephraim Inoni because of premature celebrations by her fanatics – would, in their overwhelming majority at ELECAM, become impartial arbiters.

Conclusively, should current trends predict future outcome of events, Philemon Yunji Yang’s tenure as Prime Minister will be renewed for another elastic six months when the measure of performance will be the Indomitable Lions’ participation at the World Cup!

Comments

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

Excellent work!

[AKUM AZIZ]

i am very happy with your write up, keep it up

[mettaboy]

The most fact-checked piece I've read on cameroon in recent times.

[Paa Ngembus]

Innocent,

You are just brilliant man.

I hope other journalist babbling in the hell on earth called The Cameroons will indulge in your insatiable propencity to check FACTS.

More grease to your elbows bro.

Paa Ngembus
THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS SHALL BE INDEPENDENT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY

[Va Boy]

They think no one is listening.

[Prince Nyenty]

Apt and succint writeup. Keep up this great job and keep contributing to clarify this blanket of blindness that this regime wants to keep going for another 7yrs, to gain 1/3 of a century in power(world history).