Employees of parliament lined the corridors this week to wish the Prime Minister a very passionate “Happy Birthday” to celebrate his fifth year in office.
Philemon Punji Yang, former ambassador to Cameroon Canada, was appointed Prime Minister by the Head of State, Paul Biya on June 30, 2009, replacing the now imprisoned Ephraim Inoni.
While Mr Yang has enjoyed some bright times during his time in office. The last several months have been a nightmare to say the least. Those who have recently met him speak of a smiling man, but one that hides a "malaise."
He perhaps has still not digested the last humiliation he experienced at the Omnisport stadium, during the farewell match of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, where players refused to take the flag of Cameroon and was forced to rely on the coach, Volker Finke.
For some, "members of the staff were well informed and did nothing to save him the humiliation." He holds nothing in because of that Because it is to him that the head of state entrusted the inquiry into the fiasco of the Indomitable Lions in Brazil. But does he have the means to carry out its mission? Nothing is less certain.
At the end of 2012, the Prime Minister disappeared abroad for several weeks and presentation of greetings to the Head of State was fast approaching sparking speculation of resonation.
But the citizen of Jiketem-Oku, in North West Cameroon, knows that with few exceptions, no one resigns under Paul Biya and he returned to the fold to attend the ceremony vows on January 3.
Ishmael Paul Biya pushed the plug further in his speech to the nation, on December 31, 2013, by publicly engaging his prime minister.
He said: "But where does it come so that the action of the state in some sectors of our economy, sometimes seem to lack consistency and readability? Therefore, in many cases, delays in decision-making they are still bottlenecks in the implementation of projects?
“How to explain any part of our territory cannot see a public investment budget execution rate of greater than 50 percent? Finally, it is permissible to question the usefulness of some trailing commission’s projects, which lead to no decision."
Philemon Yang, replicating the attitude of Isaac in Bible verses when his father Abraham wanted to deliver a sacrifice, did not move any finger. He already excludes the hypothesis of a resignation. But for how long will he still resist?
The question needs to be asked because it is well known that he has been politically weakened after he lost the elections in his stronghold in Bui in Northwest when he was the national campaign manager for the candidate CPDM.
Moreover, the latent conflict he has with his secretary general, Louis Paul Motaze and the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh does not help matters.
He knows his feverish power. As an illustration, it is indeed Louis Paul Alamine Ousmane Mey Motaze who spoke at the last minute to financially address the issue of the Lion’s premiums, on instructions from the Presidency.