At 92, Paul Biya is the oldest Head of State in the world, and in power since 1982. Cameroon just held elections, and Biya stood for his eighth term, never mind his four decades in power. Rumor is awash in Yaoundé that the “Dear Leader” is not in full control of his faculties. Walking is visibly challenging.
Listen to this : out of Cameroon’s 30 million people, sixty percent were not born when Biya took power.
Let me throw this in for good measure and perspective : Biya has out served 7 American Presidents, 9 UK Prime Ministers, and 4 French Presidents. And the brother wants to hang on.
He has seen much during his presidency (doubtful whether he is aware) : the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the September 11 attacks, the 2008 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the death of Queen Elizabeth.
It is rumored Biya’s net worth is over $200 million, but who is counting.
My investigation does not indicate how many properties Biya owns in Europe. But, let me explain why he is referred to as the” absentee president.” He is not fond of weather in Cameroon and prefers weather in Geneva, Switzerland. Between 1982 – 2018, he spent 1,645 days (4 years, plus) at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Geneva, at a whopping $50,000 per day for a handsome sum of $82 million. I wonder how many hotel points he has accrued!
I almost forgot to mention : In the last 5 years Biya has held only two cabinet meetings. I visit my neighbors more often!
The average salary in Cameroon is $75 per month. Cameroon’s GDP is $51.33 billion USD, as of 2024. The budget for the President’s office is a national secret, but it’s not rocket science to guess.
Paul Biya is in good company on the African continent, but that is a story for another day. See, presidential terms in Africa are often a mere suggestion, and that does not bode well for Africa.
Gone are the days of the visionaries like Leopold Senghor, Abdul Gamel Nasser and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Remembering these giants of years gone by brings tears to mine eyes— a sad commentary on how we have miserably squandered our independence with vagabonds, thieves and half-baked politicians masquerading as leaders.
And then we wonder why the Big Powers keep exploiting our resources with impunity under the guise of international cooperation. Every September, without shame or visible annoyance we flock to the General Assembly in New York where the five permanent members of the Security Council laugh us out of town, again and again since the founding of the UN on October 24, 1945, in San Francisco. — even though we are 19% of the world’s population.
I pray that Cameroon’s neighbors will step forward and put pressure on Biya to move on and enjoy the few years he has left before his Maker calls him home. Cameroonians have spoke, loud and clear: Paul Biya’s days are over. I hope the AU springs into action lest we, again make a mockery of African elections. How Africa addresses its crises determines how the rest of the world treats us.
Well said. This is a masterpiece any president over 70 should read.