Biya’s Vision 2035 is realistic – Prof Ngolle Ngolle

Renowned university don and political scientist, Professor Ngolle Ngolle Elvis has rated President Paul Biya’s vision of Cameroon becoming an emergent country by 2035 as being very realistic.

He made the declaration in an exclusive interview which he granted The SUN on the eve of the nationwide celebration of the 32nd Anniversary of President Biya at the helm of supreme magistracy of the country.

While underling that Cameroon is in the moving train of an emerging Africa, Prof Ngolle Ngolle Elvis called on all citizens from all walks of life to join their efforts to that of the Head of State in order to make this dream come true even before 2035.

“That means that it is not President Biya by signing the signature who will make that to happen but it is all of us Cameroonians who in our freedom, intelligence, wisdom will all work together in unity to make this a reality. President Biya has opened up the country for us, our minds, the horizon and he has created the enabling environment and conditions to make this come true.” The political scientist stressed.

Justifying why the event calls for nationwide celebration, the former minister said “On the eve of the 32nd Anniversary of President Paul Biya coming to power which ushered in the New Deal Policy and a New Deal spirit in Cameroon, we are quite optimistic that all the policy goals, at least most of them that President Biya set for this country as he saw the country would be attained by 2035 with our achievement of the economy emergent country status.

After all, we have to say that if we are celebrating the New Deal, 32 years after, it I not because people celebrate for celebrating sake. People keep forgetting the significance of celebrating an event such as this. It is not the worship of a personality cult.

Many citizens may be in their passion or their freedom do appreciate that something happened some 32 years ago that has never occurred again; that is, a peaceful democratic constitutional legal transfer of power in our beloved fatherland Cameroon after 22 years of leadership as an independent country.

It was the first time and what it brought in to the mind, spirit of Cameroonians was that you mean we have lived to see a second President and a second President whose sounds, looks and whose profile which is known is different from the first. So, you see why 32 years ago is full of significance in terms of history, constitutional education and politicking.”

Prof Ngolle Ngolle also remembers that “32 years ago, we never knew how constitutional legal transfer of power looks like, obviously you are well read, as you can recall, there were many Cameroonians who were even afraid because they were not sure of what was going on and what was going to happen. At that time, I was a PhD student in the United States of America but we were following up the news on BBC, VOA. That peaceful transition promised better things ahead for Cameroon.”

I think it is good thing to celebrate something that is good because what the 32 years ago announced a new Cameroon, a country that will change for better for everybody, a Cameroon in which policy will be different, economic and even the social life will be different.

It was a moment that instigated anxiety and made people to hope that a new Cameroon is in the making. If Cameroonians of all walks of life want to celebrate this, they have the right to do so because the New Deal and President Biya stewardship has changed Cameroon.

Today, the state is decentralized which was not the case before, economically, we are still growing with a lot of people doing business despite unemployment and poverty. Among other African countries, you can see that Cameroon is growing fast. The empowerment of women is a landmark achievement.

There is growth in terms of infrastructure, education (from 1 single state university to 8 now, from zero private universities to many today. There is a primary school today in nearly all villages while there is a secondary school now in all sub divisions. That was not the case 32 years ago.”

To me, Cameroonians ought to believe in President Biya because of the changes that have occurred. If those who want to be honest and of good faith, then they will see that indeed Cameroon has changed.

He concluded that despite challenges of poverty, infrastructural problems etc the future remains bright especially if “We are of the generation of Afro optimist not of the generation of Afro skeptic or Afro pessimist. If you are therefore of good faith to see that Africa is rising, emerging, changing then, you will not be blind to the fact that Cameroon is on the steady move to emergence under the tactful leadership of President Paul Biya.”