The Minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma Bakary who also moonlights as government spokesman hasn’t been seen in public since Thursday, June 29th 2017, when he appeared looking frail before his disappearance. Tchiroma, usually a controversial and conspicuous figure at press conferences has now been missing ever since the Bishop Bala affair amid growing incredulity.

A sister publication, Cameroon Info.Net reported that all attempts at getting to him via his Orange and MTN numbers have proven futile. Biya regime sources in the secretive political capital, Yaoundé say that Minister Issa Tchiroma is good in health, resting and well.

But more than one eyebrow has been raised at the reasons for his absence with suggestion that the Minister of Communication is on vacation recovering from an illness. Cameroon Intelligence Report understands that there has been a lot of ill-meant speculation about Issa Tchiroma’s health including numerous reports that Tchiroma traveled to Europe for medical treatment.

Political commentators say there is widespread confusion as to the fate of the government spokesman, even within the secretive ruling CPDM party. The Minister of Communication has not invited journalists to listen to him for several months. So, where is Issa Tchiroma Bakary?

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CIN