Paul Biya and New Year 2009

The year 2008 ended with another presidential address to the nation from Paul Biya. Like for many before it, the speech had no take home message. It was all about generalities and wishes, and bereft of concrete plans of action for 2009.
Tazoacha Asonganyi
For example, for an African country like ours, the financial crisis currently rocking the world is far beyond stating that it started in the USA and spread to Europe, then to the Far East and finally rocked the whole world. Indeed, for us, the crisis is a clear signal that the Bretton Woods agreements that were meant to provide financial stability to the world’s financial market and the World Bank/IMF whose mission was to integrate newly independent nations (like Cameroon) into the world economy were not good enough.

This is because these financial systems were based on the now discredited theory of unfettered markets that are self-correcting; therefore the policies sold to us "newly independent countries" that ranged from structural adjustment plans (SAP) to the highly indebted poor countries initiative (HIPCI) inflicted enormous social and economic costs on our societies.

An African head of state on behalf of his people who suffered from what we now know to be misguided policies should firmly call for change, and propose the changes expected, rather than state meekly that if the crisis bring about "the reorganisation of the global financial system and the regulation of the globalisation, it could be expected that its effects would be limited in scope and duration..." . In other words, contrary to his utterance that "we have to count on our own strength", he is effectively resigning to our fate and hoping that the saving grace will come from the same people who formulated the Bretton Woods agreements in the first place!
When electoral fraud is used to obtain "large and homogenous" majorities, this is a sign of the maturity of the people; on the other hand, when the people rise up against "rising cost of living, water and electricity shortage and unemployment" the people are said to be politically exploited by quacks/apprentice sorcerers.

To these quacks of yesterday – leaders of political parties, trade unions and associations – we are told that their role "as intermediaries is to transmit to government the grievances of their constituents. .."; swearing with his hand on his breast that he will always have a keen ear to their demands! But the people remember that it is his "large and homogenous" majority that voted down the request of the opposition that mounting social problems be addressed before they got out of hand. He expects that when his "large and homogenous" majority indulges in such senselessness, the people should go down on their knees and beg him as if he is a gate-keeper of a private estate.

In any case, if Paul Biya becomes a keen listener in 2009, the better for all of us. But I doubt that there can be such an evolution because he expects political parties, trade unions and associations to be passive transmitters of information to him so he can determine if the grievances are "well founded"! If they give civic education to the sovereign people on whose behalf the government is supposed to act, this constitutes "political exploitation" by quacks and apprentices. ..!
Indeed, I doubt that he will lend an attentive ear, since he continues to claim that a majority of Cameroonians understand the meaning of the recent constitutional change. He knows very well that only his fabricated "large and homogenous" majority understands it, not the people who are anxious about the fate of the country after decades of this one man show.

I doubt that he will lend an attentive ear because, after filling ELECAM with stalwarts of the CPDM, he claims that it will "strengthen the credibility of our electoral system", as if their signing pieces of paper that they have resigned from the CPDM will remove their sympathy for the CPDM from their hearts.

It is only the government that through macro- and micro-economic policies can create conditions for substantial reduction of unemployment. So what is the level of unemployment in Cameroon? It is with respect to how many jobs are lacking in Cameroon that any government effort towards job creation can be described as "substantial" . However, in spite of his describing the impending recruitment into the army and the police as a "substantial" effort of government, he still says that our employment policy should be "more vigorous". How? Like for every sector addressed by him, we are left with only such generalities that cannot allow any scientific evaluation of the performance of government in the sectors in 2009.

During 2008 like for many years before it, our politics have centred on one man – Paul Biya. He has radiated like the sun, rewarding some loyalists and punishing some; crushing factions and ambition, and nurturing rumours about everything around him. He has shown us that power can outwait rumours; that power can trample on the rule of law; and that power can be ruthless. But he knows that power cannot outwait its end! It is to the interest of the country that he spends 2009 thinking about Cameroon after the end of his power. There will be a future 31 December that will not belong to him!