"The Biya Code " used to rally support For The Cameroonian President

By Christopher Ambe Shu
Senior officials of the ruling CPDM party and some Members of Government, who double as university dons, Friday July 24, at the University of Buea, used the presentation of The Biya Code or Le Code Biya, to the Southwest Public to rally massive support for President Biya, apparently in his alleged bid for re-election in 2011 presidential.

They took turns to describe The Biya Code as a must-read for everybody (and not only for Cameroonians.)

These officials who spoke on the occasion included Professor Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Minister for Forestry and Wild life; Professors Fru Angwafor and Leke Tambo, Secretaries-General in the Ministries of Public Health, and Secondary Education, respectively; Dr Fuh Callistus Gentry, Secretary of State for Mines and Industrial Development and Dr Dion Ngute, Minister in charge of Commonwealth.

Professor Fru Angwafor moderated the discussions. Neither the author of The Biya Code, François Mattei, nor the subject (protagonist) of the book, Paul Biya, was present at the public presentation, which was massively attended among other top-ranking personalities by Hon Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, deputy speaker of Cameroon’s National Assembly.

However, at the end of the book presentation, the repeated calls for support to President Biya started yielding fruits as some pro-CPDM mayors such as Charles Mbella Moki of Buea, chiefs, and other elite of the Southwest Region, instantly signed and issued a statement styled Buea Declaration, in which they reiterated their unconditional support to President Biya and urged him to stand for reelection at the 2011 presidential election

The Biya Code is a biography of the Cameroonian president, written by Francois Mattei,a French journalist and writer.

The 344-page book, published in English and French, sells at FCFA 16,000 per copy. Mostly senior civil servants and CPDM partisans bought the book, which reportedly sold over 200 copies during the presentation

The author in his book observes that, President Biya has accomplished a Herculean task in nation building, succeeding where many of contemporaries and peers in the African Vineyard have failed.

According a reviewer Hon. Ray Peter Ikundi, the author’s aim in the book is “to break down wrong ideas and provide interesting reading on the true story of the extraordinary life of a head of state that is different from the rest”

He adds, “Although the book focuses on Biya as President of the Republic of Cameroon, the author flashes back to give the reader a gist of the environment, home and education backgrounds that nourished Biya to become this giant of Cameroon politics in the 21st century”

The author brings out clearly the innate characteristics of the president, the rigorous discipline he went through in the institutions, his vision, and his world view; in short the President’s nature

Mattei describes Biya as “serious, discreet, modest, always meticulous, elegant and unpredictable”; qualities, which he says, have been “the rock on which his marvelous achievements as statesman stand”

Drawing inspiration from The Biya Code, the book presenters such Ministers Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Dion Ngute,and Fuh Callistus Gentry reduced themselves to praise-singers as they spent time citing the socio-economic, political, diplomatic as well as other achievements of Biya.
In his remarks, Southwest Regional Governor, Eyeya Zanga Louis, likened the book to a bible.
“The Biya Code is like a bible. It is through this book that we know who Biya truly is to Cameroon”, he said.

Chief Esoh Itoh, president of Southwest Chief s’Conference (SWECC) described Mr. Biya as a Godsend president who should be allowed to rule Cameroon until such time that God deems it necessary to remove him from power.

Professor Vincent P.K Titanji, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of University of Buea, in his welcome remarks said, “The University of Buea feels honored to be the first campus to host the presentation of this important book that highlights the political philosophy of the head of state, President Paul Biya”.

The VC also used the occasion “to thank the Government for providing resources for the development of the university’’