Who is Paul Biya? 32 Years in power but still a mystery to Cameroonians

Paul Biya has been president of Cameroon since 1992[/caption] There should be no mystery about him after 32 years in power. But Cameroon’s president remains difficult to pin down. Now as he ages, will we begin to see through Biya’s heart? Can we finally lay hold of him? Or is he perpetually at it, calculating, trying to hold on .EUGENE N NFORNGWA* After 32 years in power shouldn’t we already know more than enough about the man who rules us: who his friends are; what he believes; where he will take us next? When was the last time President Paul Biya had a toothache? Did his wife Chantal really runaway? What truly happened to the late first lady Irene? And the next government. When is that? Who is in? Who is out? What does he mean when he says “within the next few months, the right conditions should be in place for us to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our reunification”? How come all we ever know about the president after all these years is at best speculative? At one time Biya is candid, publicly shaming his failures, admitting he has not led. Another time, with a straight face, he takes us back, further back than we have walked with him. He is a charming man, once said former US ambassador Janet Garvey, according to leaked US diplomatic cables. He can also praise you today and jail you tomorrow. The truth is, Paul Biya’s presidency has thriven on brutal gamesmanship. He relishes his breastplate of secrecy. He can be unpredictable, even manipulative. He is nicknamed “The Prince”. His ministers are often as lost as we are. They find comfort in those discretional powers, a constitutional prerogative that reduces the legislature and judiciary to rubber stamps. But as he ages, will we begin to see through Biya’s heart? Can we finally lay hold of him? Or is he perpetually at it, calculating, trying to hold on. His speeches of the past few years have portrayed him as a man intensely concerned about the future of the country, desperate to receive credit for holding Cameroon together. More recently, he is willing to distance himself, to punish or disgrace his own men. “We are an individualistic people, more concerned with personal success than general interest. Our administration remains susceptible to private interest, which is most often in conflict with national interest.” He built it. He nurtured it. He watched it grow into a monster. Now he is lost. “We have abundant and diverse natural resources as well as modern and democratic institutions. Our country is peaceful and stable. What then do we lack?” Maybe a leader. It is hard to see Biya’s style as sustainable. He needs to lead not rule. He needs to walk not talk. He needs to be the President of Cameroon. Maybe he needs to be seen. Cameroonians don’t know their president. They cannot feel his pain. They cannot grasp his genuineness. They don’t take his air pounding seriously. He is a stranger, after 32 years Published with permission from Standard Tribune]]>