Progressive, Programmed Youth Promotion

Commentary

Sceptics who considered the old but recurrent assertion of youth as leaders of tomorrow being a mere political grandstanding seeking solely to cajole the youth to continually carry the bags of the old in government may need to rethink. Multiple gestures by the Head of State for quite some time now suggest that those who hoped against hope for the youth with regards to leadership as well as some who thought they could repeatedly control the youngsters and sit on them for as much as possible would need to sit up. Youth are increasingly in the limelight.

As a matter of fact, the March 2, 2018 Cabinet reshuffle likewise other previous Presidential actions clearly demonstrate the determination to give youth a chance to prove their mettle. Gone are the days when ascending a ministerial position or any high office in the administration had an unwritten age criterion-Half a century and above. Cameroonians of both sexes and from all social and linguistic backgrounds now conveniently rub shoulders with their seniors in all strata of the administration. Directors, General Managers, Board Chairs and Ministers.

From his position as Head of State, like he told the youth in his February 10, 2018 National Youth Day speech, President Paul Biya said he, “perceives signs of your growing interest in public affairs.” Actions on the ground thus show a programmed and progressive promotion of youth to contribute in shaping the affairs for a better tomorrow. For instance, 43-year-old Galax Yves Landry Etoga today commands as the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the  National Gendarmerie.

The Presidential act that lifted the product of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon on March 2, 2018 equally brought other youngsters to the fore. 46-year-old Oswald Baboke as Deputy Director of the Civil Cabinet and Elung Paul Che, in his late forties, as Minister, Deputy Secretary General, all at the revered and challenging Presidency of the Republic, are a clear pointer to the fact that age is no barrier in Cameroon’s administration, at least anymore.
Keen observers of the public administration can testify of the strides of the youthful Modeste Mopa Fatoing as the Director General of Taxation.

Ever since he got to the helm of the strategic Directorate General, successive reforms have been undertaken and fruits on the ground in terms of revenue collection for the State coffers are telling of what well-groomed and entrusted youth can do. The appointment of Malegho Joseph Aseh as pioneer Secretary General of the Constitutional Council is another glaring illustration of youth promotion.

These appointments are, to say the least, unprecedented. The promoted all got into the shoes of people who surpassed them in age by at least ten years. A strong indication that President Paul Biya judges youth not on their years on earth but by their chara...