On the 16th of January, 2011, President Paul Biya, Cameroons longest serving statesman and one of Africa’s long-term serving dictator launched the Agro-pastoral show in Ebolowa. During the launching, Mr. Biya shamefully pronounced the following words:
“In a country like ours where 60% of the population depends on agriculture, it should be the primary job provider. Yet, we know that many rural people – especially the youth – find it difficult to get employed and, attracted by the “glamour of the city”, fuel rural exodus. The time has come to resolutely put into practice the comprehensive agricultural policy which I have often wished for publicly. I enjoin the ministries concerned to move in that direction immediately and I want substantial results.I, therefore call on the various ministries and services in charge of our rural development to take up these issues and adopt measures to implement them as soon as possible….”
From when these statements were made up to this moment of this report, this regime of Paul Biya has done nothing concretely to boost the agricultural sector. Yet again, On 10th February 2016, five years after the launching of the agro-pastoral show in Ebolowa, Mr. President addressing the youth echoed same sentiments. Hear him:
“The development of our agricultural sector will be accorded a prime place. In this regard, I urge you to truly revolutionize your mindset. The soil has never betrayed anyone. Do not be afraid to take the plunge and become the agricultural entrepreneurs that Cameroon needs. It is a noble and rewarding trade in the so-called real economy. I, therefore I urge the elders to shoulder their responsibility: it is proper to urge the youths to work the land and it is unwise to dissuade them from doing so..”
We could clearly see how Mr. Biya shamefully plays with words. He is the master of words. He recycles these words from one event to another. After all, the Cameroons people are known to be his fools. This is a President who promises to develop the agricultural sector in 2011, bought tractors with taxpayers money and yet till date these tractors are abandoned in Ebolowa. The tractors were bought to score political points- recall it was a few months to 2011 elections. The Cameroons taxpayers money were wasted and the tractors could be seen abandoned with grasses all over the equipment. Nobody in Mr. Biya regime cares. There are no institutions where Cameroonians can turn to. There is nobody in the Cameroons who can question his rule. He seems to be the alpha and omega.
Even the so called ministries Biya blindly called upon during the launching in 2011 to provide his government with results have all gone comatose. Nobody cares about the tractors. There is no follow-up. They are all abandoned. It was shameful and disgusting seeing the President coming again and in a figure of speech made similar statements he did 5 years ago. His regime has not been able to set the ground work needed for agriculture to flourish. Corruption is at its apex, subsidies are not provided to those who need it, there are no market-to-farm roads, small start-ups for those who want to engage in businesses are not encouraged, bureaucracy is at it worst. Yet, the President is bold to ask Cameroonians to embrace agriculture. What happened then to the Ebolowa tractors? If Ebolowa was a success, that would have been a good ground to quote the Ebolowa experience. Yet, the regime has no clue on what they are doing. All they know is to score political points. The Cameroons people are fade up.
Yet, this is a President who leaves his country on a monthly basis for a trip abroad for weeks and sometimes a month, with a huge delegation and lavishly spends the taxpayer’s money and then returns home with decrees. This is a President whose daughter spends 13 million CFA just for house rents yet Cameroonians go without clean water, electricity, roads, healthcare. Teachers go for months without salary, doctors without adequate health facilities, the country begs for infrastructures. All sectors within the country are failing.
There are many other sectors we can enumerate. Look at Camairco-an area heavily invested by the government is a total waste. Look at the roads network etc
WHAT A DISHONEST PRESIDENT.
God is still saying something.
