Actualités of Saturday, 10 January 2015

Source: The Post Newspaper

Biya failed to present a clean 2014 balance sheet - Fru Ndi

Social Democratic Front, SDF, National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, has, in a reaction to President Paul Biya’s 2014 end-of-year speech, said there was very little substance in it.

Describing the speech as rigmarole, Fru Ndi stated: “In his end-of-year speech in 2013, Biya attracted a lot of sympathy from Cameroonians, because, we saw him virtually in tears; crying or mourning how his Ministers and Directors have failed in realising development projects. He lamented how corruption continued to eat deep into every fabric of the society.

“As such, I expected to hear Biya tell us how much money he recovered from those he arrested and detained. I also expected to hear how many roads have been constructed; how many referral hospitals have been constructed and equipped, how many rice companies have been revamped, and many more. But he failed to name his achievements and instead started a rigmarole on what he has been saying all the time,” Fru Ndi asserted.

He said Biya should not be reminding Cameroonians of things he said since 1992 and has not been able to accomplish.

“He talked of roads; but look at the roads late President Ahidjo constructed, he has been unable to maintain them. I am thinking of the Bamenda-Mbouda Road, which is in a very bad state. I am thinking of the Ring-Road that has been a sing-song.”

To him, Biya spent the whole of last year only to transform Buea, as fallout from the Reunification celebration, but the rest of the Region hasn’t basic necessities like water, electricity and health facilities.

Fru Ndi said Biya said malaria treatment to children below five years is free, but retorted; “which is not true.”

He said, for over 32 years, Biya has failed in processing Cameroon’s agricultural products.

On the anti-terrorism law, Fru Ndi said Biya said the law does not limit the civil liberty of Cameroonians, and quipped: “Which means people can demonstrate if they want to express their indignation about wrong-doing, but I hope his SDOs and DOs will not give a different interpretation to this, as usual.” He asserted that law must be reviewed and Cameroonians educated enough so that the nuances therein can be clarified.

He, however, congratulated the Cameroon Military for doing their best to stem Boko Haram activities, particularly in the North.