Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
“What is happening in Cameroon is sad, and what may happen later, may be sadder. When one examines what is happening in Cameroon, there is good reason to be disturbed, to be worried.”
“It is a revelation of dysfunctional governance. We have a serious problem of governance. Norm means nothing to anybody, it is not respected both at the levels of individuals and institutions. It is sad. I am really afraid. We have passed the limit”.
The renowned expert on good governance and an entrepreneur, Prof Viviane Madeleine Ondoua Biwole, who is also a lecturer at the Yaounde 1 University, has decried the scandalous number of Cameroonians, that is, 82, that from July 11 – 21, 2025, deposited the files of their candidacies at Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, for the 2025 presidential election. She says the situation was worsen by the fact many of the files were reportedly incomplete, and those who deposited the files knew so well that the files would be rejected, yet they went and deposited them.
Prof Biwole also indicates there were cases of persons who are below the minimum age limit. She pointed out that according to the Cameroon Electoral Law, the minimum age of a presidential candidate is 35, yet there was somebody of 31 years of age who went and deposited his file. It should be noted that there is even the case of a 26 year old student of the Ngaoundere University, who went and deposited his file to be candidate at the 2025 presidential election, scheduled to hold on October 12.
“What Is Happening In Cameroon Is Disturbing”
Prof Viviane Biwole’s reaction to what unfortunately happened at the stage where candidates for the 2025 presidential election had to deposit or submit their files to ELECAM, is contained in a video massage that she posted on the social media. She cried out that what happened was very sad, and that she was really disturbed. “What is happening in Cameroon is sad. When one examines what is happening in Cameroon, he has a good reason to be worried, to be disturbed. In fact what is happening in Cameroon cannot leave a normal citizen, unconcerned”, she stated.
The university don and entrepreneur said the fact that as many as 82 Cameroonians deposited files to be candidate for the office of President of the Republic, which is the highest office in the land, is a big embarrassment and a shameful situation for Cameroon, in the eyes of the international community. Then there is the issue of the several irregularities reportedly concerning some of the files. “How can one imagine that the minimum age of a presidential candidate in Cameroon is 35 years, and somebody who below that age, goes to ELECAM and deposit his file to be a presidential candidate? How can one explain the fact that there are political parties with two, three candidates! How can one explain the fact that an independent candidate has less than 300 signatures as required by law, yet he goes and deposit his file, and worst still, the file is received by ELECAM, adding to the disorder”, Prof Viviane Biwole, questioned.
No More Respect For Norms In The Society
The expert on good governance asserted that what is happening in Cameroon is a revelation of dysfunctional governance. She regretted that nobody cares about norms, that nobody has respect for norms in the society. “We have a serious problem of governance. Norm means nothing to anybody, it is not respected both at the levels of individuals and institutions”, she sadly pointed out. Prof Biwole noted that there are people who are supposed to be in office for a maximum of nine years, but who have been in the in the post for 20 years, 30 years, and nobody cares. She was at pains to point out that she has talked about this issue several times, yet nobody seems to care.
Prof Viviane Madeleine Ondoua Biwole was understood here to be referring to the issue of General Managers and Board Chairs of State corporations and State owned companies that have stayed in office longer that the Law states. The expert in good governance has personally taken on this fight against General Managers and Board Chairs of State corporations and State companies that have stayed in office much longer that the law or text requires. As Prof Biwole has repeatedly said, the text states that the mandate of the General Manager of a State corporation or State company is 3 years, renewable twice. This means that somebody can only be in office as General Manager of a State cooperation or company, for a maximum period of 9 years. As for the Board Chair, the mandate is 3 years renewable only one. This means that the maximum period for somebody to be the Board Chair of a State corporation or State company, is 6 years.
The Courageous Lady, Who Also Teaches By Example
Prof Viviane Biwole, the expert on good governance and respected member of the civil society, is also reputed for her courage and for teaching by examples. She is known to have made bold quite a number of times, to carryout research and publish articles that are always relayed by several media organs, citing or exposing several cases of General Managers and Board Chairs of State corporations and State companies, who have long served their maximum period of time stated by the Law, but who continue to hang on in the posts irregularly.
It is worth recalling that Prof Viviane Madeleine Ondoua Biwole, was at one time the General Manager of a State corporation. When the lady was close to nine years in the post, she in an unprecedented move in Cameroon, wrote to the Presidency to remind the authorities concerned, that she was close to the end of the maximum period that she could legally stay in that post. The Presidency which was definitely taken by surprise that a Cameroonian could act this way, stayed silent. When it got to the exact end of her mandate, she handed the keys of her office and left, and went back to the Yaounde 1 University where she used to be a lecturer, and resumed her work. What a lady! That is why when Prof Viviane Biwole talks about good governance, she talks with moral authority, and the Government knows that.
Total Disorder In All Sectors
Meanwhile going back to the case of several Cameroonians who deposited the files of their supposed candidacies for the 2025 presidential elections, when they knew so well that they were not in order, and that their files would thus certainly be rejected, Prof Biwole said it was just the reflection of the total disorder or non – respect for norms that has spread to all sectors of the Cameroon society. Just as the General Manager of a State corporation or State company that is supposed to be in the post for a maximum of 9 years, stays on for 20, 30 years without anybody bordering. So does it happens that somebody who is supposed to be an independent candidate at the presidential election, does not bother to ensure that his file has to in order with the 300 signatures and all other requirements, before going to ELECAM to deposit it.
Also, though the Law is clear that a candidate for the presidential election has to pay a deposit of 30 million FCFA at the State Treasury, there were many cases of persons who went to drop the files of their supposed candidacies for the 2025 presidential election, without having paid the money, and, worse still, not looking bothered.
“What is really happening in Cameroon is sad, and what might still happen, may be sadder. I am really worried. I am afraid, we have passed the limit”, Prof Biwole said with much concern.
ELECAM Not To Be Blamed
Meanwhile, as aforementioned, Prof Viviane Madeleine Ondoua Biwole thinks that ELECAM would have reduced the disorder as well as the ugly and scandalous scenes that were observed, during the period for presidential aspirants to deposit the files of their candidacies, if ELECAM staff had rejected some of the incomplete files right away. She questioned the rationality for example, for ELECAM to receive the file of an independent candidate, who does not have the 300 signatures required by the Electoral Law, and which is certain to be rejected at the end by ELECAM.
It should however be noted that ELECAM at that stage of the reception of dossiers of candidates, acted in strict respect of the law. The Electoral Code at that stage obliges ELECAM staff assigned to receive the files of candidacies, to receive all files. What ELECAM staff, at that stage do, is to look at each file, and point out the documents that are absent, if any, to the person concern. That is noted, and signed by both parties. It is a different commission that is presently sitting, and scrupulously scrutinizing or examining each and every file. It is the commission that will decides what file or candidacy should be validated or rejected.
Worth noting, that at the 2018 presidential election, a total of 28 files of candidacies were deposited at ELCAM, and out of that number only 9 candidatures, were at the end validated by ELECAM and the Constitutional Council, to be candidates at the October 7, 2018 presidential election. Then art the 2025 presidential election, the number of files of candidacies jumped to 82.
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