Cameroon Communication Minister and Government Spokesman Attacks Paris Based News Magazine Jeune Afrique

By Nfor Hanson Nchanji

Cameroon communication minister and government spokesman has fired at the famous international news magazine Jeune Afrique describing its recent publication on Cameroon as unfounded and an attempt to destabilize the nation. TCHIROMA Bakary raged at the magazine in one of his press conferences held in Yaoundé Monday, after it published on its front page edition of December 14, Cameroun Le Peril Jeune, meaning Cameroonian youths have nothing to gain in a country where everything is controlled by old men who are supposed to be on retirement. According to the communication boss, Cameroon has put youths at the center of business with about 240 000 constituting the public service. The Minister said for the past ten years over 150 000 youths have been integrated into the civil service and youth programs geared at improving status of Cameroonian youths.

Mr Tchiroma said Jeune Afrique is out to incite the youth to revolt against the government. Said Minister Tchiroma: “The weekly newspaper, « Jeune Afrique », is therefore of the opinion that Cameroon, our country, is sitting on an active volcano, whose eruption is more than ever eminent, as well as being on an over-heated powder ked whose explosion is ahead; owing to the age and longevity of our top leaders, starting with The President of the Republic himself, and the socio-economic management imposed by the authorities to marginalized, ostracized and hard-pressed youths. In the absence of any credible statistic reference, pertinent indicator, or even a mere factual criterion, the author of this article only serving us with a kaleidoscope of approximations, all coarse and futile, based on some scattered opinions, collected on the basis on an unknown methodology”. The spokesman of the Biya regime said, prophets of doom and gloom are in the haste to witness Cameroonian youth engaging in popular insurgency and driving away the current country leaders, which almost all Cameroonian – including these youth themselves – have freely chosen to manage the institutional powers of their country.

The Minister of Communication observed that Jeune Afrique has recently targeted Cameroon with loud sounding headlines such those of April 24, 2011, in which Jeune Afrique noted: « How is Cameroon doing? Again in October 10, 2011 the paper reported that « Cameroon. Paul Biya, till when? » In 2012, it was against the first lady through the title: « Chantal Biya, an invisible woman » and in November 12, 2012 the Head of State was himself the prey of the jackal: « Cameroon: 1982-2012, from Biya to Biya »