Richard Kwang Kometa
6 July 2009
Following the cabinet reshuffle of June 30, 2009 by President Paul Biya that brought in Philemon Yang as Prime Minister, Head of government, the President found an immediate need to set the ball rolling after the new team took their ministerial seats. The Council of Ministers Meeting held at the Presidency on Friday July 3 set the tone and pace for Yang's team and the challenges ahead which are in effect enormous. The Council of Ministers meeting that lasted only 20 minutes centred on instructions by the Head of State on what he expects from those in government. He had an uncompromising picture of past shortfalls of the government and recalled the need for visible results in State actions.
By 10:14a.m when Prime Minister Philemon Yang arrived at Unity Palace, as the first in the team, it was clear that serious matters were about to begin. His arrival was immediately followed by a succession of ministers of State and ministers until 11a.m when President Paul Biya arrived in the Council of Ministers Hall to hand down instructions to the Yang team. Five key points emerged from the President's intervention namely: energy and water, agriculture, mines and industry, public works and social actions. While evaluating the achievements made so, Mr Biya was categorical that much was still undone. "Although some progress has definitely been made, the results obtained have fallen short of our expectations," the President stressed.
Many observers of the political scene in Cameroon could be right to say government has often been reminded of these setbacks including corruption, inertia, and cohesion in State action but as the national and international contexts change, the impact and perception that these shortcomings have over the wellbeing of the population obviously differ. This time around, not only did the President again recall his "greater achievements" project to the nation ahead of the last Presidential election, he equally set a deadline within which the Yang Government must deliver. Thus, the cabinet was given six months within which to produce results. Failure to revive the much heralded government roadmap at the level of each ministry therefore, will certainly be intolerable in the months ahead.
However, no one would deny that greater visibility in government activities within certain cardinal sectors in the economy is indispensable to getting the country out of poverty and instilling development and progress as expected by the Head of State. It is in the light of these often perceived setbacks that CT identifies 12 challenges that the Yang Government must tackle to make its mark.
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