Leadership (Abuja)
23 April 2008
editorial
Paul Biya of Cameroon is a bad example of Africa's sit-tight leaders. By 1975, he was the country's prime minister; he became president in 1982 and has not given up power since then.
Now he has got the country's rubber-stamp parliament, excluding members from the opposition who staged a walkout, to approve a third tenure for him. The 75-year-old will start the term in 2011 and conclude it in 2018. Perhaps he will influence another amendment of the constitution if he is still alive. Term limits, said Biya, conflict with "the very idea of democratic choice."
The opposition parties have described that act of political corruption as a coup d'etat. But it is worse than that: Protests sparked by Biya's perverted ambition and high cost of living claimed dozens of lives in February; several such demonstrations are likely before and during his third term.
Biya's generation has failed Africa as leaders. Lust for power has been the cancer grinding down the fortune of young people in countries like Cameroon and Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. Nigeria was lucky to have got rid of Olusegun Obasanjo last year.
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Paul Biya is a degress to all Africa's Presidents. There is high rate of unemployment, high cost of living, inflation and endless economic crisis in Cameroon. Why can't him give a chance to another person? In fact there is no security in Cameroon, how can there talk of safety and security where many cameroonians died during the February riots.Biya is not only self-centered but selfish, this is because president Ahijo resigned and gave him way, why can't him do the same thing.
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the above author must be on drugs. R u Frank Biya?
well my dear brother or sister. from what you have just written,don'tyou think you are actually insulting the entire population of Cameroon? May God have mercy on you.there is one thing I would like you to know .that a senile dog's death begin by making it mad .in your madness you can say and do thing abnormally; with out knowing you are dying .what ever is beeting the tune you are dancing to will stop soon and you will stand still and see .......................
There is no economic progress, no personal safety or security in Cameroon. your statement is totally the opposite way. you must be from another planet. If you didn't know, Paul biya is one of the top African leader with more money in Swiss bank.
This guy praising Biya is an Ignoramus. Very stupid comment. I won't promote him to primary 1 in my school. Do you think it is right to change the constitution against the will of the people? If it was not against the will of the people, why did they have to put soldiers, not even police, on the streets to arrest anybody who protest? Why did they arrest Lapiro for performing his right of opinion? I want to say, you should go to school. Don't be as stupid as the president Biya himself..His case is even worst because he "went to school" but learnt nothing. Nemesis will catch up with him. Good or bad enough, his children are still young. We shall squeeze from them all that one can squeeze from an orange. It will be like Britain/France against Germany after WW1.
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What is required in any country whether developed or developing is PERSONAL SAFETY, SECURITY AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS. In the Cameroon under the leadership of Paul Bya, there is relatively reliable personal safety and security. The economy is not reported doing badly. The changes in the constitution are made legally. Unlike Nigerian politicians, Paul Biya is not stealing state money to hide in Europe or the US. IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT THE FORMER MALASIAN PRIME MINUISTER RULED THE COUNTRY FOR ABOUT TWENTY YTEARS AND PULLED THE COUNTRY UP FROM DEVELOPING TO THE LEVEL OF A DEVELOPPED COUNTRY. President Putin of Russia realises, and the Russian people do, that he should still be part of the political equation of Russia even after his term is over. People who really love their country and want to keep their countries move up to match the world progress DO NOT REALLY MIND WHO IS RULING AND FOR HOW LONG AS LONG AS THE COUNTRY IS PROGRESSING ECONOMICALLY AND THERE IS PERSONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY. Ruling a country is not an easy job and, as things are unfolding, IT IS NOT EVERYBODY THAT CAN RULE SUCCESSFULLY. A little more we shall see!