CAMEROON 2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION STRATEGIES USED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO LURE STUDENTS TO VOTE FOR PAUL BIYA

 

Few days ago Cameroonians were fed with lies from the 34 year old government that head of state Paul Biya, ‘creator’ of Higher Education Minister Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo has approved a deal to donate 500,000 Chinese laptops to University students in both Public and private institutions.

When the government through national media trumpeted the call, one was sure that Mr Biya was going to cough out the 75 billion francs, cost of the 11inches laptops.

On the contrary, tax payers will have to toil to pay back the loan from China Exim bank for 20 years, who knows if Mr Biya will still be in Power.

Cameroonians are still to digest these lies told by disciples of Mr Biya when some youths posing as students of Universities of Yaoundé and Bamenda marched on streets to say thank you to Paul Biya for pledging 500,000 laptops. They parade radiance when the laptops are still to be handed to them, so what will happen if they are finally given?

To my greatest surprise, Policemen who are always ready to brutalize opposition party of civil society were happy walking beside the students, no water cannon, no tears gas.

The message is clear, we do not need an old man to interpret what is going on, underground campaign for the next election is on the move, the ball and the knife is in the hands of Mr Biya. Only Paul Biya, knows when they will take place and who will win.

Let’s come back to the thank you street march and attempt some questions;

Who was able to bring the youths together when we know that students are on holidays?

Do the youths know the modalities for the distribution of the computers?

The answers are hanging in the air, of course like motions of support to Mr Biya to stand as candidate in 2018 Presidential polls, we have seen how regime bigwigs have been able to gather youths, pay them some cash, and gave them worn out T-Shirts thus buying their conscience with a plate of food like the biblical Essau.

I have unconfirmed but reliable information that each youth who marched in Yaoundé was paid the sum of 2500FCFA.

So it was a plan act, as those of Yaoundé were marching, some youths in Bamenda who are claiming to come from the state university marched to the governor’s office and handed him a thank you letter to North West governor, Adolphe LELE L’Afrique to send to Etoudi, thanking the Yaoundé regime for stealing their fruits of their labor.

University of Bamenda newly created is suffering from chronic infrastructural problems, with halls sparsely distributed in Bamenda , English system of education is receiving deadly blows in the Teachers Training college, the university has limited equipments to smoothly function, yet, the students have remained silent over these salient issues often raised by CATTU, teachers trade union.

One thing is certain, the manipulating mechanism of Biya regime is moving and in politics anybody and anything can be used to pass a message, but I pity those youths who marched on streets today, they will have a sad story to tell their children because they have just been used and will soon be dumped.