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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Cameroon:Biya’s former in-laws tell of abandonment

Former commander of presidential guard given the task to convey message

By CHIEF BISONG ETAHOBEN
Since the death of President Biya’s first wife Jeanne-Irene Biya 19 years ago, her name has hardly come up for mention; not with the predatory influence of Biya’s new wife Chantal Biya.

However, with the presidential election less than two months away, the worms are crawling out of the cans.And hardly an opportunity is missed to let Biya know the pound of flesh each one of his hitherto “home” constituencies want in exchange for their vote.The late first lady was from Endom village, in the Nyong and Mfoumou Division of the Centre Region. While she lived in the presidential palace, the division received favours, which most other administrative units of the region saw as undeserved.

“She had a sort of silent and unspoken force over the president that could clearly be seen in the favours that her kith and kin enjoyed by way of appointments to senior positions in government, social amenities as well as business opportunities for her kinsmen.

Since her death, Nyong and Mfoumou division has been on a downward slide in all aspects of national life”, opined political activist Egolan Engome.

A visit by ruling CPDM Secretary General, Réné Sadi to the division’s chief town Akonolinga {recently} gave the Nyong and Mfoumou militants of the party a chance to openly express their discontent over what is happening to their division since their daughter died under mysterious circumstances in 1992.
Former presidential guard commandant, Colonel Titus Ebogo was the man chosen by his people because of his courage, to send the message to President Biya that his former in-laws are not happy with the way his administration is treating them.

“Lest we forget, let the message be sent down from generation to generation that Nyong and Mfoumou division in the past harvested the fruits of the nation by way of roads, schools, hospitals etc.”, Col Ebogo (retired) said adding that residents of the division had in the past been nominated to high positions of responsibility in government.

“It should not be because she (former first lady) is no longer there that Nyong and Mfoumou should be forgotten”, Col Ebogo warned and went ahead to remind the head of state that “during the sombre moments in April 1984 (when Biya was almost killed in an attempted coup d’etat by former President Ahidjo’s clansmen) it was a son of Nyong and Mfoumou (himself then Commandant of the presidential guard) who contributed in a decisive manner in bringing order in Yaounde, the political capital”.

He finally cynically referred to the single minister that the division now has in government in the person of Prof Robert Nkili, junior brother to the late Jeanne-Irene Biya
-Daily Nation

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