The authoritative “Lettre du Continent” has revealed how President Biya runs state affairs from his hotel apartment in Geneva, Switzerland.  The  publication noted that before returning to Yaoundé on October 21, the President of the Republic wanted to make his return sound messianic by making public an official statement from the presidency which specified his time of arrival among others.

The newspaper reported that the restricted circle of personalities who accompanied the 84 year old to Switzerland had returned to Yaounde a few days earlier. In this small vicious circle, the newspaper quoted Mbella Mbella Lejeune (Minister of External Relations), Martin Belinga Eboutou ( Director of the Civil Cabinet), Luc Sindjoun (Special Adviser) and Paul Atanga Nji (National Security Council).

The French publication also pointed out that Biya usually stays at the hotel with his wife Chantal Biya, his children as well as his domestic and security personnel of aproximately fifty people. Biya holds regular working sessions in his suite at the hotel where only his aide des camp, Joseph Fouda has direct access.

Lettre du Continent”  noted that the staff of the President of the Republic constantly shuttles between Geneva and Yaounde and the paper cited in particular the cases of Jean Nkuete (Secretary General of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate and Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh (Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic) in early October 2017.

The French Cameroun dictator has always been careful not to exceed forty days of absence from his country at the risk of triggering the constitutional provision of vacancy of power.The newspaper that is very experienced in intelligence reporting indicated that during the absence of President Biya, the Prime Minister who is from Southern Cameroons is given standing instructions not to receive any high profile national or international official as Paul Biya prefers to work with his confidants including Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. This was also true in the days of Simon Achidi Achu, Peter Mafany Musonge and Chief Inoni.

By Chi Prudence Asong, CIR