Marafa’s Cabinet: A Sabotage Ploy

The French Language tabloid L’Anecdote Newspaper last week published in one of its editions what it purportedly referred to as the cabinet of Marafa Hamidou Yaya that was in gestation should the former Secretary General at the Presidency, former Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, took over the reins of power as Head of State of Cameroon. The newspaper did not end at citing the names of those it considered cabinet ministers in Marafa’s government but flagrantly published their pictures o the front page of the paper. L’Anecdote newspaper went forward in the story to state that the Marafa cabinet that had been in gestation had been forwarded to political lobbyists and foreign donor countries and chancelleries for approval. In the sideline L’Anecdote newspaper indexes those found on the list of what it considers a ‘conspirator cabinet’ as having a common homosexual background with Marafa Hamidou Yaya.

The purported Marafa cabinet has former Minister of Public Works, Messenge Avom as Prime Minister. Jules Doret Ndongo who actually is the current Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation is ascribed the portfolio of Delegate General for National Security in the Marafa cabinet. Former Director General of Credit Foncier, Ekindi Camille is given the portfolio of Director of the National Hydrocarbon Company, SNH while Yves Michel Fotso, former DG of the defunct CAMAIR who is actually incarcerated in SED is attributed the portfolio of Secretary General at the Presidency in the Marafa’s cabinet. Jean Louis Beh Mengue who is serving as the Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, ART is appointed by L’Anecdote newspaper in the Marafa’s cabinet to the post of Secretary General in the Prime Minister’s Office while Fai Yengo Francis, former Littoral Regional governor now on retirement occupies the post of Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation. Other names occupying various portfolios in the famous Marafa cabinet include, Juimo Monthe, Didier Edoa, Christophe Mien Zok, François Marc Modzom, Youssouf Adidja Alim, Jean Emmanuel Pondi, Yaou Aîssatou, Joshua Osih, Maurice Kamto, Célestin Bedzigui, Amadou Sali, business magnate El Hadji Baba Danpullo who is ascribed the post of Minister of Mines, Emmanuel Ngafesson and Dr Raphaêl Okalla Abodo.

A  glance at the names published by L’Anecdote as belonging to Marafa’s cabinet smacks of a sabotage ploy to paint the personalities black in the mind of the Head of State and Cameroonians and destroy their reputation. This is more so as most of the names on the Marafa cabinet do not remotely or overtly have any relationship with Marafa Hamidou Yaya. However, the publication is not surprising to many Cameroonians who have been abreast with the art of media manipulation in Cameroon. It is common knowledge in Cameroon that some personalities use the media to settle their scores with others. In this wise if they notice that your are in the good books of the Head of State or that you are a popular figure they destroy your reputation by imputing unfounded allegations, lies and fabrications about you in pages of newspapers. This trick has often worked, especially about appointments as the Head of State hates to be dictated to by the media. Thus when detractors sense that an individual could be appointed, they either leak or published the said appointment or they fabricate some wrongdoing and impute on that personality to diminish his chances of any appointment. Even some cabinet ministers resort to this tactics to put aside potential rivals.

In the Marafa cabinet, there are names of current ministers and Directors of State Corporations. This could only be a sabotage ploy to destroy their career or settle scores. Equally there are names of former state functionaries who have served the nation with patriotism and devotedness and are now enjoying their deserved rest on retirement. To ascribe ministerial portfolios to such personalities in a cabinet led by Marafa who is now viewed as the number one enemy of the state is to crucify these personalities for no crime committed. It is a sabotage ploy to paint these personalities black in the eyes of Cameroonians and the Head of State.

First and foremost, the Marafa cabinet is either a piece of fabrication to poison the Head of State’s mind about some of his close collaborators or it is a sabotage attempt by Marafa to destroy some personalities who are enjoying or who enjoyed the Head of State’s confidence by indicating that they are sympathetic to his diabolic cause of destabilising republican institutions. If the cabinet was anything to be taken seriously, then it has much to be desired as a cabinet meant to serve the interest of Cameroonians. It is just a piece of fabrication because in a normal cabinet, General Managers of State Corporations are not appointed alongside cabinet ministers. The mere fact that the purported Marafa cabinet does not have important portfolios like Education, Agriculture, Regional Planning, Housing, Forestry, Environment, Tourism, Culture etc makes it less credible. Did Marafa intend to govern the country without thinking of education, agriculture and the rest of the sectors that are vital to the wellbeing of a nation state?

The Case Of Fai Yengo Francis

Cameroon has and has had several refined civil administrators but Cameroon has had only one Fai Yengo Francis with unparalleled administrative prowess. This epitome of press freedom like President Paul Biya has had several occasions where he could have allowed the agitation pot to boil over, but he has always stem trouble in the bud. But for his tact the February 2008 strikes and the agitations spearheaded by Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu against the modification of the 1996 constitution would have degenerated and compromise the peace of Cameroon. The test of civil administration in Cameroon is not only to rise through the rungs of the profession to higher heights but to have administered the North West, Centre and Littoral Regions and come out blameless. This is just the feat the level headed and patriotic Fai Yengo performed before going on retirement as a civil administrator. To link his name to a cabinet belonging to Marafa Hamidou Yaya who is in prison on charges of embezzlement is sheer wickedness. Fai Yengo Francis has served Cameroon as an administrator with unreserved zest, commitment and patriotism. And the Head of State, H.E Paul Biya allowed him to go on retirement at 57 years, which is having at least two years bonus because of his administrative prowess. Fai Yengo Francis was readily at hand to ferry President Paul Biya via road from Douala to Yaounde when the Head of State’s flight developed some problems in Douala. How could such a man who has always championed the ideals of President Paul Biya and who has the love of fatherland at heart be suddenly linked to Marafa Hamidou Yaya if not only to stain his shining reputation?

The Patriotic El Hadji Baba Danpullo

The mere fact that the name of the business magnate, El Hadj Baba Danpullo is included in the Marafa cabinet discredits the whole ploy. El Hadj Baba Danpullo is a business magnate that has a conglomerate of businesses that he is finding difficulties controlling all of them. What would he be doing in the ministry of Mines? Actually Baba Danpullo is interested in helping the state in solving the problem of unemployment. What he wants in Cameroon is peace and has been doing much to support the Head of State’s crusade for peace. Baba Danpullo supports the ideals of President Paul Biya and the ideology of the ruling CPDM party. It is on record that he championed the re-election of President Paul Biya in the North West Region where he personally contributed FCFA 5 million to facilitate campaigns. Putting his name as one of Marafa’s cabinet minister is simply a ploy to antagonize him with the powers that be, whereas he is a great architect of peace, loyalty and patriotism.

It could be concluded that detractors of Fai Yengo Francis and El Hadj Baba Danpullo have again swung into action. After failing to manipulate the Anglophone media to discredit these two personalities with sterling qualities and characters, their detractors have resorted to using the French newspapers for their diabolic aims. Unfortunately, Cameroonians in general and the Head of State in particular know these two personalities and know what they can or cannot do. The sabotage ploy by L’Anecdote has boomerang as the National Communication Council has issued a strong warning to the paper for what it calls violation of privacy and unprofessionalism.