President Paul Biya on July 4th and 5th in a presidential decree appointed 33 secretaries to work in the Prime Minister’s office. The officials included 11 Technical Advisers, 33 secretaries, 47 roving officers known as an attache, five Directors, and their deputies. PM, Philemon Yang, on July 11, 2016, installed them into their functions and called on them to be assiduous and expedient in carrying out their functions.

He, later on, urged them to be assiduous, hard working, determined and courageous as they carry on with their tasks. He reminded them of their role in assisting him to achieve the mission entrusted by the Head of State. “We are there to help the President of the Republic in his mission”, he stated while exhorting the newly promoted officials to shun all that can tarnish the image of the country such as corruption.

The Premier said they must give their opinion on each file that is sent to them while admonishing the senior officials not to keep files for too long. Philemon Yang insisted on hard work, stating that they must show their know-how in order to merit the confidence of the Head of State.

While BaretaNews thinks that though this is within the law and such appointments must have come from the PM recommendations, BaretaNews think it is ludicrous. These workers though worked in the PM office are answerable to the head of state because he is the one who appointed them. The system is so centralized and takes all powers from the hands of the PM. It virtually makes the PM a crying administrator. The system needs to change. The President alone appoints virtually everybody in the republic. Some of these secretaries are spies to follow up the PM. What a funny country?

God is still saying something.