Is Minister Paul Tasong Back As Coordinator Of Presidential Plan For The Reconstruction And Development Of NW/ SW?

There has increasing been the question as to whether the Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Paul Njukang Tasong, is back as the Coordinator of  the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of  the Northwest and Southwest Regions, PPRD – NW/SW.

It would be recalled that Paul Tasong was the Pioneer Coordinator of the PPRD – NW/SW, while the former Mayor of Kumbo, Njong Fonyuh Donatus (current Secretary General of the SDF Party), was Vice Coordinator. But on November 4, 2022, Motuba Tamajong Obase, who like Tasong is an ex-student of CCAST Bambili, was appointed to replace Tasong as Coordinator of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions. No official explanation was given to the public by the Prime Minister, for that decision.

Recent Visit To Limbe

But  the question as to whether Paul Tasong is back to the post of Coordinator of  PPRD – NW /SW, sparked off when he recently visited some projects under the PPRD – NW/SW in  the Limbe area in Fako Division. There was confusion even in the media, as to the capacity in which he visited those projects. That is, whether Tasong’s visit was in his capacity as member of Government, or as something else.

But it should be noted that since  PPRD –NW / SW was launched, members of Government have not been known to officially visit projects under the Programme, which is under the Prime Minister, who is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the PPRD – NW/SW, though it is  his Director of Cabinet that has been performing that function.

Why Tasong Was Removed

The Mentor has gathered that the main issue that caused the removal of Minister Paul Tasong from the post of Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW, was the public standoff he had with the then French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guihou. This was over the issue of 40 billion FCFA that the French Government promised to give the PPRD – NW /SW, but apparently failed to respect the promise.

The French Government initially made a promised that with France having a long and historic tie with Cameroon, the Government would certainly stand by the Cameroon Government with support, during the reconstruction of the Northwest and Southwest Regions. But the French Government through the then Ambassador to Cameroon, explained that would be when the armed conflict between Government troops and separatist fighters that has caused so much destruction in the two Anglophone Regions, would end. Following the Cameroon Government’s repeated calls and appeals that friendly countries should contribute to the PPR – NW, the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guihou, re-echoed the position of the French Government in an interview he granted a local Tv  station. He said there was no doubt that France would assist Cameroon in the reconstruction of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, but that it would be at the end of the conflict, because reconstruction cannot effectively take place when an armed conflict is still on.

                                                Change Of Position By The French

However the French position apparently changed, or so it was said, during the visit of the then French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Yves Le Drian, to Cameroon. He was received in audience by President Biya, who was said to had raised the issue of French support to the PPRD – NW/SW. The President succeeded to get the French Foreign Minister to promise that the French Government was immediately going to  contribute 40 billion FCFA to the PPRD – NW/SW.

It should be noted that all contributions to the PPRD – NW/SW, especially foreign contributions, comes in through the Cameroon Office of  the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, which is the implementing partner of the PPRD – NW/SW.

France Failed To Respect Its Promise

Meanwhile the French Government apparently did not in respect the promise that was made by the Foreign Minister, that 40 billion FCFA was going to be donated to the PPRD – NW/SW. That would have been the biggest single contribution to the PPRD – NW/SW, and the management of the programme which was anxiously waiting for the big contribution by France, had already adopted a plan for the utilization of the funds. But then France did not allocate the funds as promised, or so it seemed, and the PPRD – NW/SW was facing huge financial handicap.

So it was probably out of frustration that then Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW, Paul Tasong, at one of their meetings in Yaounde came out publicly to remind the French Government that Cameroon was still waiting for the 40 billion FCFA that was promised.

But the French Ambassador, Christophe Guihou, instead go irritated, and put up a disclaimer, saying that France is a country that respects is promise; and that France has already given the 40 billion FCFA it promised for  the PPRD – NW/SW. To the Ambassador, there was an attempt to sully the image of France, and such a thing was inadmissible.  There was no doubt he was referring to the Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW, Minister Tasong.

Tasong And Guihou ‘s Stand  Off

But by tacitly accusing Minister Tasong of lying, the Ambassador also put the image of the Lebialem son   at stake. Tasong would not let his image be tarnished, and repeatedly insisted that France had not respected the promise to contribute the40 billion FCFA to the PPRD – NW/SW. But the French Ambassador on his part repeatedly insisted that France had honoured its promise.

But the fun was that the French Ambassador, Christophe Guihou, did not give any details on how the 40 billion FCFA was allegedly given to Cameroon. As aforementioned, such money was not supposed to be given directly to the Cameroon Government or to the PPRD – NW/SW. France was supposed to give the money to Cameroon or the PPRD – NW/SW, through the Cameroon Office of the United National Development Programme, and France knew that so well. But the Cameroon Office of UNDP had neither received the money nor any words from the French Government about the funds.

                                      PM Dion Ngute Was Not Happy With Tasong

Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, was reportedly not happy with Minister Tasong, on his standoff with the French Ambassador on the issue of the unfilled promise of 40 billion FCFA by France. The Prime Minister feared that the issue could have sparked off a diplomatic crisis between France and Cameroon. Suffice to say at the end, Tasong had to be removed from the post of Coordinator of PPRD –NW/SW. But it should be noted that up till date, it is not clear whether France disbursed the 40 billion FCFA or not, and the Cameroon Government as well as the French Government have since been silent on the issue.

 Tasong Is Back As Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW

The Mentor has gathered from some dependable sources in Government that Minister Paul Tasong has actually bounced back to the post of Coordinator of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction of the Northwest and Southwest Regions. Apparently, Prime Minister Dion Minister Ngute has not been able to bring himself to the point of having to put out an announcement that Tasong who was replaced as  Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW, is back.  Also, the fact that the Presidency instructed that Tasong should be reinstated in the post of Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW, is probably a proof that Tasong did not lie that the French did not respect their promise. It is also probably proof that the Presidency was in reality not angry with Tasong over the standoff with the former French Ambassador.

                                    Partners And Donors Complained To The Presidency

The Mentor has learnt, that the decision of the Presidency that Tasong should be reinstated to the post of Coordinator of PPRD – NW/ SW, follows complaints by donors and partners of the PPRD – NW/SW, that they were not happy with the removal of Tasong from the post of Coordinator of the programme. The donors and partners made their position known to the Presidency that they prefer to work with Tasong.

For one thing too, it was also no secret that Motuba Tamajong  Obase that was the official replacement of Tasong, was  in reality more of a figure head in that post. Rather, it was the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Balungeli Confiance Ebune, who was seemingly calling the shots. It was for example the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, who is also  the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the PPRD – NW/SW, that was going down to the field to inspect projects under the PPRD – NW / SW, while Motuba accompanied him looking more like his Secretary.

That was not the case before, when Tasong was Coordinator of PPRD –NW/SW. Tasong, probably because he is member of government could not be treated that way. Of course he wouldn’t have condoned that.  Partners and donors prefer to work with somebody like Tasong whom they say acts with authority in the post of Coordinator of PPRD – NW/SW. More so, Tasong is Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, which is like the technical ministry of the PPRD – NW/SW, though the PPRD – NW/SW is under the Prime Minister.

                                            PPRD – NW/SW

Worthy of note that the PPRD – NW/SW is a programme put in place by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, for the recovery, reconstruction and development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions; most parts of which have been hard hit by the armed conflict between Government troops and separatist fighters. The armed conflict sparked off following the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis in late 2017.  A conflict that has seen thousands of people, especially civilians killed, tens of thousands of people displaced, thousands of private houses, public buildings, including infrastructures at schools, hospitals and markets destroyed. Many road infrastructures in the two Anglophone regions have also either been destroyed or seriously affected by the armed conflict, which a times have seen bridges and portions of roads deliberately destroyed.

Worthy of note that the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, PPRD – NW/SW, is in three phases. That is, Recovery, Reconstruction and Development phases.

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