Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communication cum Government Spokesman, has said that aging ministers cannot be blamed for the country’s economic, social and political ‘backwardness.’

Tchiroma made the assertion in Yaounde on Saturday, October 17, during a press briefing on the recent cabinet meeting with President Biya.

Responding to questions from reporters, the minister said some 65 ministers between the ages of 50 and 60 cannot be solely held responsible for the stagnation in the country because “majority of staffers in various ministries are less that 50years old.”

According to Tchiroma, the criteria for the selection and eventual appointment of ministers is the exclusive preserve of the head of state and if the president chooses to work with old people like himself, so be it. He challenged critics to propose to the president better ways of scouting for ministers, adding that the head of state will reward them if their proposals are worthwhile.

Tchiroma flatly refuted claims that the Biya government is full with members of government with duplicate functions and those who lack a definite job description. He said such setup is the choice of President Biya to decentralize the government and make administration more effective.

The government spokesman also used the occasion to announce that any minister, who disrespects the prime minister, should be ready to face the consequences. He made allusion to the fact that some ministers were fired for being headstrong to Yang. “If you disobey the head of government, you are directly disrespecting the president who appointed him,” Tchiroma affirmed.

Much earlier, he used the press conference to make public the level of execution of the tri-annual emergency development plan as discussed in the cabinet meeting of Thursday, October 15 with the President.

Tchiroma announced that some 350 companies which demonstrated interest to execute projects of the emergency development plan have been already pre-qualified.

In the health domain, Tchiroma said rehabilitation work and upgrading of technical infrastructures of the Yaounde and Douala General Hospitals as well as the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital will commence in November 2015. The construction of health structures in the Regional Hospitals of Bamenda, Ebolowa and Bafoussam have been programmed for January 2016, while those of Maroua, Garoua, Nagoundere, Bertoua and Buea are also in view.

Some 900 boreholes and 19 water catchment projects are ongoing across the ten regions of the country and the projects are expected to be complete latest six months from November 2015.

Amongst the roads to be constructed whose feasibility studies have been elaborated and are awaiting funding, Tchiroma mentioned the Ekondo Titi-Kumba road, Mandjo-Batouri road, amongst others.

As concerns security, the government spokesman disclosed that contracts have already been awarded for the construction of 20 police stations and 18 Gendarmerie posts in the northern regions of the country.

Amongst other sectors where the first phase of the emergency plan for development will touch is agriculture, sports and infrastructure.

Tchiroma indicated that Paul Biya is bent on seeing that ministers realize the needs of the masses.