Biya needs to stand up for what he really believes in

The politically motivated arrest of some public figures who may have diverted CFA billions of public funds for their own selfish personal interest was a humiliation for the Cameroon most conservative political party. 

It is a humiliation for Paul Biya as the leader of the party. It is so disastrous that party spokespeople are not even pretending there are silver linings in their dark clouds of despair.

Paul Biya still enjoying public support while deceiving voters

 The question now is whether the leadership is learning the lessons of this crushing humiliation. If it fails to do so, then some voters may have to rethink twice before making their choice.
Since the launch of the politically and directly motived and orientated " Sparrow Hawk Operation" under the scrutiny and pressure of the International Community, the government has failed to provided any official figure about how much have been saved by the country in terms of recovering these CFA billions of public funds diverted by his own acolytes. Nothing has being said and government ministers when facing journalists always avoid to mention the subject or simply hide the so called " the respect of the independence of the judiciary system".

 Annoyed and angry voters have to term by just saying " The conservatives failed here because traditional CPDM voters look at Paul Biya and they ask themselves, Is he a conservative? and they conclude No he`s not". Strategically and politically motivated, youngest contenders of Biya`s leadership have been jailed for embezzlement of CFA billions of public funds under the " Sparrow Hawk Operation" and before by his own political cleansing of any declared challenger of his leadership.

Paul Nana, a Human Rights activist for more transparency said "Cameroonians have no idea where the money is and the country is going through some financial difficulties and economic crisis where the Banks still enjoy having CFA billions in cash in their treasury and not lending enough to customers"

There is a tendency in politics to get overexcited by the drama of events that rapidly fade into the distance.  Voters protest against governing party at every single arrest of a public figure. As one influential Conservative    told me last week, the party " Cameroon People Democratic Movement" is not just fighting to win the next general election but for survival in a volatile world.

Right-wingers from inside the party protested that, under Mr Biya the party had lost its rapport with its natural supporters over such issues as the Sparrow Hawk Operation, Youth unemployment, Economy recovery and financial boost for small businesses . He is out of touch with the party and his own people, said former Education minister, Prof Joseph Owona.

Paul Biya needs to offer voters authenticity, competence and consistency, which means being true to himself as an optimistic modern Conservative rather than listening to siren voices of the misanthropic right and undecided centre left opposition leaders. 

If voters want the opposition, they choose the real thing. It is time for the Conservative to focus on the electorate`s daily concerns above all, the economy, but also the cost of living, housing shortage, the greedy behaviours of some bankers and salvaging the education and health system.

We know now the opposition cannot be written off and will still be in the game. Indeed they might well still hold the balance of power in a next general election. There`s a long way to go yet, but i wouldn`t bet against it.

Mr Biya had a sensible strategy that united the party at the last party`conference in Yaounde couple of months ago since. Biya must face the future and not the past, governing in the name of the hard-pressed majority rather than seeking to win over a shrill disaffected minority.

12.5 million people are living in extreme poverty in Cameroon

Some 12.5 million people, including 5 million children are living in poverty in Cameroon, an independent compiled report claims this week.

The independent report to be made public and commissioned  by several different church groups and non governmental organisations working with children and disadvantaged people around the country, says evidence and statistics have been misused, misrepresented and manipulated by politicians to create myths that blame and stigmatise the most vulnerable in society.

" It would be comfortable for many if we live in a society where poverty only visited families that were lazy or made bad decisions" said Jean Bosco Talla, one of the author of the report. " That is the story these myths lead us to believe, but that`s not the Cameroon we live in today. It`s convenient to believe that government handouts are too generous. It`s convenient to believe that job seekers, unemployed, self-employed, pensioners and farmers are on the fiddle or even more absurdly caused our economic troubles. But it`s just not true"   

Aliou Salim`s story, included in the report is typical. A long standing Biya`s supporter from the Far North in Cameroon in Mora for over 20 years and father of four struggles to find money to send his children at the only public school in the area. 

There is no public funding or even government grant available for him and his family as nothing in the actual budget has been planned for it.

 In the same time down South the border, bonkers and greedy public officials are diverting CFA tens of thousands million of public funds. People like Aliou have lost total confidence and trust in the  government and now only rely on private donations from foreigners. Thousands of children don`t have access to a simple free public school. In the Northern part of the country most of these children spent more of their valuable time learning from their parent`s aptitude as farmers and labourers.

Pr Akam, coordinator of the report warms " The very least the most vulnerable in our society deserve is to be spoken of truthfully and with respect. Anything less is to be complicit in a great injustice". Once against the government is failing to provide simple basic and primarily necessity to his own vulnerable people.