Why Former National Coordinator Of PPRD – NW / SW, Paul Tasong, Met With National President of PCRN, Hon Cabral Libii Ngue

Why Former National Coordinator Of PPRD – NW / SW, Paul Tasong, Met With National President of PCRN, Hon Cabral Libii Ngue

Meeting Came After Hon Libii Called For Investigation On How The 11.6 Billion FCFA Of PPRD – NW/SW Fund Was Spent

Hon Libii had referred to Tasong’s report to parliament on how the 11.6 billion FCFA was spent, as a scandal. He titled it, ‘PPRD: LE SCANDALLE’

According to the MP, Minister Tasong among other things, said in the report that part of the 11.6 billion FCFA for ‘reconstruction’, went to MEDIATORS, INFLUENCERS and COMMUNITY RADIOS. No All these items were not in the original plan.

There is need for real transparency and accountability in the management of PPRD – NW / SW funds, as well as in the execution of the projects

A prominent member of Cameroon’s National Assembly, Hon Cabral Libii Ngue, who is also the National President of PCRN, in a video which he put on social media two weeks ago, made damming remarks about how 11.6 billion FCFA (Eleven billion, six hundred million francs CFA) was managed in the first phase of the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, PPRD – NW/SW, by the then National Coordinator, Paul Njukang Tasong, and his team. Worth noting that Paul Tasong is as well the Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development.
It should be noted that Hon Cabral Libiii Ngue, his youthful age notwithstanding, is currently one of the major political figures in Cameroon. He was 3rd in the last presidential election in the country that came up in 2018. His young party, PCRN, also shares the 3rd position in the National Assembly with the SDF party, with each having five seats each. Libii is one of the PCRN MPs. Worth noting that PRCN comes ahead of the SDF as regard the number of councils that each party runs.
Also worthy of note that the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions which was created by President Paul Biya in 2020, is being officially considered as a major part of the implementation of the recommendations of the so called Major National Dialogue, MND, that the Biya Government organized in Yaounde from September 30 – October 4, 2019.

Huge Embezzlement Of Public Funds By People Without Honour

Meanwhile it should be noted as well that Hon Cabal Libii in the aforementioned video, talked on four major issues, which included the OLEMBEGATE, the COVIDGATE, the ‘PPRD SCANDAL’ and the GLENCORE SCANDAL. In the first two, Hon Libii briefly revisited what is commonly known in the country today as OLEMBEGATE and COVIDGATE. These are scandalous issues the PCRN leader has raised a number of times before, denouncing what he refers to as “vast embezzlement of State funds in broad daylight by people without honour”. Hon Libii in the recent video said the OLEMBEGATE and the COVIDGATE are the worst financial scandals that Cameroon has known, since independence.
As for the OLEMBEGATE, it is about the project for the construction of the Olembe Sports Complex at Olembe, Yaounde, which Hon Libiii said has so far swallowed State funds to the tune of over 169 billion FCFA, far more than what was initially estimated, but is still far from completion. Hon Libii pointed accusing fingers for the scandalous state of the Olembe Sports Complex Project which is almost an abandoned project, to the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Mouelle Kombi Narcisse, and the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, and their mafia groups.
As to what is commonly known as COVIDGATE, it has to do with the alleged embezzlement of funds that Cameroon hastily borrowed twice in 2020 from the International Monetary Fund, IMF, supposedly for the fight against the COVID – 19 pandemic. It would be recalled that the first case of the COVID – 19 also known as Coronavirus, was diagnosed in Cameroon in March 2020. Hon Cabral Libii said more than half of the 138 billion that was allocated to Government to fight the COVID – 19 pandemic, was embezzled. He lashed out at the scandalous ceremony that was recently organized at the Presidency to award medals to members of the so called Task Force in the fight against COVID -19, describing the medals as, “Medals Of Shame”.

PPRD – NW / SW Fund Of 11.6 Billion FCFA

Meanwhile, the main focus of Hon Cabral Libii Ngue in the video he put out two weeks ago, was on the alleged mismanagement of the 11. 6 billion FCFA, being funds that was raised for the implementation of the First phase of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Northwest and Southwest Regions. In a nutshell, Cabral Libii presented on one side of a board, a list of the earmarked projects for the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW that the then National Coordinator, Paul Tasong, presented to the National Assembly. Then on the other side of the board Hon Libii presented the list of projects that were actually realized in the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW, as contained in a report that Minister Tasong sent to the National Assembly.
In what Hon Libii termed, ‘PPRD – LE SCANDALLE’ (PPRD – THE SCANDAL), he pointed out that there was a big difference in what Minister Tasong presented before the start of the first phase of the PPRD – NW/NW as earmarked projects, and what he presented at the end of that first phase in terms of realizations. More so, Cabral Libii said the former National Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW who gave details of what had to be done as regard earmarked projects, in his report at the end of the first phase did not give any details on what he claimed were realized.
The MP said for example that as regard the earmarked projects, 10,000 building kits were supposed to distributed, 300 new classrooms were supposed to be built, 150 startups were supposed to funded, hundreds of hectares of land were supposed to be developed for agriculture, and so on, and so forth.

Lack Of Transparency

But Hon Cabal Libii cried out that most of the earmarked projects for the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW were not realized, yet the 11.6 billion francs CFA was all spent. He pointed out for example that nothing was said in Tasong’s report at the end at the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW, about the 10,000 building kits that had to be distributed, or the hectares of land that has to be developed for agriculture. He also noted that as regard the 150 startups that were supposed to be funded, the report that Minister Tasong sent to the National Assembly simply said that startups were funded, without giving any details as regard the identities and number of persons that benefitted from the funds, as well as the projects for which they were provided the funds.
Hon Libii said Minister Tasong’s report at the end of the first phase of the PPRD – NW/SW, showed that part of the 11.6 billion francs CFA for the first phase of the Presidential Plan went to MEDIATORS, as well as to INFLUENCERS to counter messages of SECESSIONISITS on the social media, That part of money also went to assist COOMUNITY RADIOS for them to carry messages in pidgin and in the dialects.
The MP pointed out that the projects of giving money to influencers and to community radios, were not on the lists of earmarked projects for execution in the first phase of PPRD – NW / SW, that the then National Coordination, Paul Tasong, presented to the National Assembly. He said more so, there were no details. That, the report just simply said for example that money was disbursed to assist community radios to carryout messages in pidgin and vernacular languages, without stating the number and names of the community radios that received the funds, as well as the messages they had to propagate. So also were there no details given about the 60 trained mediators and a network of influencers that were said to have grabbed part of the PPRD – NW/SW funds. The function of the so called mediators was also not stated in Tasong’s report.

MP Calls For Investigation Into The management of PPRD – NW / SW Funds

Suffice to say that Hon Cabral Libii ended up with a strong call for an investigation to be opened on the management of the the 11.6 billion francs CFA fund, for the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW. He recalled that when the PPRD – NW / SW was first presented at the National Assembly in 2020, he raised reservations. He said three years later, it has come to pass that he was right. Hon Libiii insinuated that there was embezzlement of part of 11.6 billion francs CFA funds that was allocated for the first phase of the PPRD – NW/SW, adding that there were also allegations on the social media that Paul Tasong was building houses here and there.
The PRCN leader also criticized 5th session of the Follow –up Committee for the implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue that the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, chaired in Buea last August. Hon Libii who pointed out that Prime Minister Dion Ngute does not only hail from the Southwest Region, but is also a traditional ruler, observed with regret that the declarations made at meetings of the Follow – Up Committee for the implementations of the recommendations of the MND, were different from the realities on the ground in the two Anglophone Regions.
Hon Libiii also criticized the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, for getting his Director of Cabinet, Balungeli Confiance Ebune, involved in the management of the PPRD – NW/SW. It should be noted when Minister Tasong was National Coordinator of the PPRD – SW / NW, little was being heard of the Chairman of the Steering Committee, Balungeli Confiance Ebune. But THE MENTOR has observed that since Motuba Tamajong Obase was appointed on November 4, 2022, which is one year ago, to replace Paul Njukang Tasong as National Coordinator of the PPRD – NW / SW, very little or nothing has so far been heard about him. Rather, it is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the PPRD – NW / SW, Balungel Confiance Ebune, who is also the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, that has been in the spot light or in the news as regard the PPRD – NW / SW. That is probably why Hon Libii was even confused as to whether it was Balungeli who replaced Tasong as National Coordinator of the PPRD – NW / SW.

Meeting Between Tasong and Libii

Meanwhile it is good as some media reports say, that the former National Coordinator of PPRD – NW / SW, Paul Tasong, met with the Hon Cabral Libii to make clarifications in the report he sent to the National Assembly, on the first phase of the Presidential Plan, even though the member of parliament, Hon Cabral Libii, on his part has not yet said anything about the meeting. Considering the gravity of the declarations that Hon Cabral Libii made in his recent outing on the social media as regard the management of the 11.6 billion CFA of the PPRD – NW / SW funds, it will be necessary that he makes another outing to say what he thinks after his meeting with Minister Tasong.
It should be noted that the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, is a programme that all has to be done to ensure that it is not tainted with the bad habit of embezzlement of funds, that has become like a tradition for those who are charged to manage government or State projects in this country,.
For one thing, the Government has been appealing to friendly countries and international organisations, as well as to major actors in the private sector in Cameroon, to contribute funds to the PPRD – NW / SW. If just in the first phase the international community and Cameroon’s private sector start hearing allegations of embezzlement of funds, it will certainly discourage some friendly countries as well as companies in Cameroon, from contributing to the PPRD – NW/SW.

PPRD – NW/SW Realizes 250 Projects?

Meanwhile, THE MENTOR understands the fact that it could not have been possible to realize all the projects that were were earmarked in the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW, because of financial constraints. The sum of 11. 6 billion FCFA that was raised for that first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW, was less than 50 % of the budget that was fixed for that phase, the reason being that contributions or donations did not flow in as expected by the Government. This issue will be the subject of another article by THE MENTOR.
However, this does not rule out the fact that there are a lot of controversies or questions surrounding the way the 11.6 billion FCFA of PPRD – NW / SW funds was managed. Eleven billion, six hundred million francs CFA is no small money. French language newspaper, Actuels, in its edition of April 17, 2023 quoted Balungeli Confiance Ebune, of having declared in an interview over CRTV, that a total of some 215 projects had by then already been realized by the PPRD – NW/SW. 215 projects! Where? Cheiiiiii!. What does Balungeli call projects? Which are the projects? Have the 215 projects been realized in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, or in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of another country?
At the same time that Hon Cabral Libii is pointing out that a majority of the projects that were earmarked for the first phase of the PPRD – NW / SW were not realized, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Presidential Plan is claiming that 215 projects were released. There is no doubt that it is really necessary to open an investigation into the management of the PPRD – NW/SW.

The Story Is Not New

Minister Tasong‘s claim that part of the PPRD – NW / SW funds went to mediators, Influencers and community radios as Hon Cabral Libii sated, was not new. He made the same claims earlier, precisely at the end of the meeting of the Steering Committee of the PPRD –NW / SW in Yaounde on July 8, 2022.
Talking to the media at the end of the meeting, Tasong among other things said that the PPRD – NW / SW reconstituted lost documents, trained 60 peace mediators, put in place a network of influencers for Peace, organized cultural events to foster peace in the communities among others. He also said that PPRD – NW/SW rehabilitated a number of schools and constructed a number of water points. He as well said that the PPRD – NW/SW was already working with as many as 40 out of the 65 councils in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. This was rather surprising, considering that most of the mayors, especially in the Northwest Region, had since the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis ran away from their municipalities, and have since been living out of their municipalities.

What Is However Surprising In The Report

But if the story that the former National Coordinator of PPRD – NW / SW, Paul Tasong, claimed mediators and influencers were hired was not new, what is surprisingly is that it came out of Hon Cabral Libii’s disclosures two weeks ago, that Tasong in his report to the National Assembly listed the hiring of mediators and influencers, and the disbursements of funds to assist community radios, amongst the few major realizations of the Presidential Plan during its first phase. When Minister Tasong made mention of these things in July last year, one thought they were just some small expenditures to be classified as part of miscellaneous in the report.
And when we are talking about major projects on which 11.6 billion FCFA was spent, many people would think that the network of influencers and the group of community radios that were given the ‘gombo’, each received a package of at least at least 1 billion FCFA to share. But of course THE MENTOR knows this can never be possible in this country. The tendency in this country is for ‘big Government people’, Directors of Communication, ‘‘CELCOMs’ as well as NGOs, to go to the field and give chicken feeds to journalists, and then go and lie in their reports that millions of francs CFA were given to journalists.
It is very likely that the real total amount of money that was given to the community radios from PPRD – NW/SW funds, was not more than 10 million FCFA. Perhaps even less! How many community radios even received money from the PPRD – NW / SW, and which are the community radios? No details in Tasong’s report that was sent to the National Assembly., according to Hon Cabral Libii.

PPDR –NW/SW Funds Goes To Influencers

Also, a number of other questions still come to mind on the issue that part of the 11.6 billion francs CFA funds for the first phase of the PPRD –NW / SW, went to influencers to counter what secessionists were saying on the social media. First of all, is that one of the missions of the PPRD – NW/SW? How would it sound in the ears of friendly countries, international organizations and major actors in the private sector in Cameroon, that are being requested by the Cameroon Government to contribute to PPRD – NW/SW, that part of the funds go to hire influencers to engaged in a propaganda war against separatists on the social media?
All Governments do engage in one form of PR or the other, but there are separate or special funds for such things. Everybody know for example that there are some international magazines like Jeune Afrique, that occasionally does PR for the Cameroon Government, but the public cannot pinpoint a particular source of the funds. There is even the ‘Black Box’ in the Prime Minister’s Office that could have conveniently handle the ‘gombo’ that was given the influencers, since no account is rendered on the use of the money in the “Black Box’. It is really a scandal to hear that part of the funds of PPRD – NW / SW, went as ‘gombo’ to influencers. If only it is true that part of the 11.6 billion francs CFA, was truly given to influencers.
Does Minister Tasong even realize that his report that money was given to influencers to counter what the secessionists are saying on the social media, can instead be exploited by separatists to their advantage. Because it suffices now for anybody to independently write something in favour or in support of ‘One And Indivisible Cameroon’ on the social media, to be tagged by pro – Ambazonia as somebody that has received money from PPRD – NW / SW. It is true that from the look of things, Minister Tazong did not think that the report he sent to the National Assembly on the management of the PPRD – NW / SW funds could leak to the public. But he would have also been wise enough.

Need For Transparency And Fair Play

Finally, there is also the need for the management of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, to exhibit transparency in their activities, to assure the public that there is fair play. That one region, Division, Sub –division or village is not favoured to the detriment of the other. That some Divisions, some Sub –divisions, some villages or some tribes are not favaored to the detriment of others. That partisan politics, nepotism and tribalism should be kept of the PPRD – NW / SW.
For example, Hon Cabral Libii said it was stated in Tasong’s report to the parliament, that that some startups received funds or support from the PPRD – NW / SW in the first phase, but no details were given. Which were the startups, that benefitted from the financial support, and what were the criteria used to select them?
There are a number of companies in Cameroon like Orange Cameroun, UBA, MTN Cameroon, Total, among others, that do support local startups. They are all quite transparent in the selection exercise. Announcements are made for interested youths that have development projects in some particular domains, to submit the projects for assessment. A jury is set up to assess the projects, and members of the juries select the winners, and the companies gives them the funds to start their projects.
But then when it comes to PPRD – NW/SW, people only hear from a report sent to parliament that funds were given to some startups.