Asking the President to keep hanging on to power at 83, after 34 years on the throne and more than two decades of service to the nation in other capacities, may just be an indirect way of pushing him into his grave

As expected, written calls by elite of the ruling party are coming in their numbers.

In the different regions, the race for who to shower the most praises has been launched. In the hotbed of political fiefs, other motions and calls are in gestation, all meant to maintain President Paul Biya in power, after close to 34 long years on the throne!

Whether the President is behind all of this or not, he had never thought – be it in 1982 when he was handed power on a platter of gold or 1992 when John Fru Ndi almost threw his back on the ground – that in 2016 Cameroonians would be making such a call in their numbers. You can be sure that even in his wildest dreams, he never saw such a thing coming.

At the back of his mind, however, the Lion Man who wants to be remembered as the one who brought democracy to Cameroon knows only too well that somewhere along the line life was not a bed of roses for him and his CPDM party.

At the time of the 6 April 1984 coup and during the ghost town operation of the early 1990s, a stream of cold sweat kept running down his spine. He knew, especially during the latter event, that truly, very many Cameroonians hated him and his loathsome policies. He was being spat out even by those who used to be on his side. Jean Jacques Ekindi can tell you better.

But the strategist that President Biya is, held his ground. With the unflinching support of his Beti cabal and griots from the two Anglophone as well as other provinces/regions, he built his mound again, this time not with earthen walls but rather with stone bricks. Sooner or later former arch-enemies joined the fold if only to not stay permanently hungry. Issa Tchiroma has something to say here.

The ranks got swollen and the brick walls got stronger, fast transforming themselves into a fortress. Yes, the fortress that the Etoudi palace has finally become!

Today, while the objective majority stay famished, the tummies of the praise singers are bloated and their cheeks rounded. They have all the money, all the posh cars, all the baroque buildings and all the land; they savour the most delectable dishes, consume the finest liquors and mate the most mercenary mistresses. They clad themselves in the most exquisite and expensive clothing. Mebe Ngo’o can tell you better.

Then in their apparent selfishness and insanity, they jump out and quickly trumpet: “Mr. President, you should stay on the throne till Thy kingdom come! And you should hasten to precipitate the next exercise because we are itchy to legitimize your stay!” Again, while the objective majority groan and weep from pangs of hunger.

The cold truth is that those who are calling on President Biya to continue hanging on to power do not actually love him. They may just be having a hidden agenda to push him into his grave.

How on earth would they want a man who is 83 years old today and who has ruled the country for nearly 34 years, in addition to the more than two decades that he had served the country in other capacities, to keep working? Is this not a glaring example of where a willing horse is about to be ridden to death?

For one thing, the President is not the strong type that does not crack easily. He is a soft man. God is truly on his side, that is why he is still so energetic at this age. He should now go on a well-deserved retirement. Any attempt by him to prolong his years of work might produce some unpleasant results for himself, for his family, for his admirers and for the country. God forbid!