One Year After The Death Of Minister Gabriel Dodo Ndoke: What Was The Real Cause Of His Death?

One Year After The Death Of Minister Gabriel Dodo Ndoke: What Was The Real Cause Of His Death?

The NSIF Hospital In Yaounde Where Minister Dodo Ndoke Died, Talked Of Cardiac Arrest

But many in the East Region, including CPDM elites, thought he was eliminated by an elite, who wanted the ministerial post

Observers say the way President Biya appointed sons of the East Region into Gov’t, gave the wrong impression to the people of the region to think that two ministries belonged to them

The post of Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms has been in the hands of the East Region since the year 2000

The Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development was in the hands of the East Region from 2004, up to last year when Dodo Ndoke passed away

An illustrious son of the East Region, Dodo Ndoke Gabriel, who replaced another son of the East Region as Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development in the last cabinet shakeup on January 4, 2019, was one of the youngest members of the Cameroon Government.
Minister Dodo Ndoke went to work on January 20, 2023, and worked throughout the day as usual. He reportedly showed no signs of any health problem. In the night while back at home, he complained of a malaise and was rushed to the National Social Insurance Fund, NSIF Hospital in Yaounde. Bur unfortunately he reportedly passed away a few hours later, precisely in the early hours of January 21, 2023. Some sources say before minister got to the NSIF Hospital in that fateful night of January 20 breaking January 21, he was already more dead than alive. Hospital sources said Minister Dodo Ndoke Gabriel died of cardiac arrest or what is commonly known as heart failure or hear attack.
But during the funeral programme in Batouri on Saturday, February 8, 2023 in the presence of Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute and several members of Government, an allegation coming from the people of the East Region, floated around that Dodo Ndoke was allegedly eliminated by an unnamed elite of the East Region, who was gunning for the ministerial post. That is the post of Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. Even the leader of the elite of the East Region, Joseph Le, who is the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, in his eulogy at the funeral ceremony, insinuated that Minister Dodo Ndoke was killed. “There is place for everybody. You don’t have to eliminate your brother to climb”, he declared.
An allegation also floated around during the funeral ceremony, that the unnamed alleged killer of Minister Dodo Ndoke, would be treated accordingly in the traditional way, within a short period of time. It is not known whether that happened or not. But it is said that the East Region has some of the most powerful witch doctors in the country. They are the indigenous pigmies that live in the forests of the East Region.
Last month in Batouri, the wife of widow of late Minister Dodo Ndoke Gabriel, and family, organised a solemn memorial service in Church, to mark the first anniversary of his passing away, and to pray God that he should continue to rest in peace.

Two Ministerial Posts Monopolized By East Region For Several Years

Meanwhile, political observers and analysts think that President Biya shares the blame for the fight over two ministerial posts by some elites of the East Region, for having created a situation that gave the people of the East Region the misleading impression that they owned the two ministerial posts. Perhaps one of the dubious networks in Yaounde that deceive many elite that they would be appointed into Government, and drain them of huge sums of money, might have gotten in touch with an elite of the East Region gunning for a ministerial post, and made the person to believe that if Dodo Ndoke was not there, he would be the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. There is also the possibility that one of the witchdoctors in the East Region might have told an elite of the region that consulted him with his unbridled ambition to become minister, that, Dodo Ndoke had to be eliminated for him to climb.

Ministry of Public Service And Administrative Reforms

In the Cabinet Reshuffle of March 18, 2000, a son of the East Region, Rene Ze Nguele, was appointed Minister of Public Service and Administrative. Before then, Ze Nguele was Minister of Communications, No one could imagine then, that the post of Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, was henceforth going to be the property of the East Region.
In the reorganization of Government on December 8, 2004, Banjamin Amama Amama, a son of the East Region, was appointed Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, to replace Rene Ze Nguele. In the next cabinet reshuffle that came up on September 22, 2006, another son of the East Region, Emmanuel Bonde, was appointed to replace Banjamin Amama as Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms. Then in the cabinet reshuffle of December 9, 2011, Michel Ange Angouin, still from the East Region, was appointed Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, to replace Emmanuel Bonde. Then on March 4, 2018, yet another son of the East Region, Joseph Le, was appointed Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms in a cabinet reshuffle. Joseph Le, a journalist by training, is still Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, till date.

Ministry of Mines, Industry And Technological Development

As regard the monopolization of the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development by the East Region, a son of the East Region, Charles Sale, was appointed Minister of Industry, Mines and Technological Development in the reorganization of government on December 8, 2004. In the cabinet reshuffle of September 7, 2007, another son of the East Region, Ndanga Ndinga Badel, was appointed Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, to replace Charles Sale. Then in the cabinet reshuffle of October 2, 2015, Ernest Ngwaboubou from the East Region took his turn to occupy the post of Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. In the last cabinet reshuffle that took place on January 4, 2019, Dodo Ndoke Gabriel, still from the East Region, was appointed Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development to replace Ngwaboubou Ernest.
As aforementioned, Dodo Ndoke Gabriel, who was one of the youngest ministers in the present Government, unfortunately passed away in the early hours of January 4, 2023 at the NSIF Hospital in Yaounde. Medical sources said he died of heart failure, while in his East Region, it was widely alleged that he was eliminated by another elite or son of the region, who was gunning for the ministerial post. Worth noting that since the passing away of Dodo Ndoke Gabriel in January 2023, there has been no cabinet reshuffle. However the long serving Secretary of State to the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Dr Fuh Calistus Gentry, a Geologist by training, was designated Interim Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. Dr Fuh Calistus Gentry who hails from Donga and Mantung Division in the Northwest Region, entered Government as Secretary of State to the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, in the cabinet reshuffle of September 7, 2007. This means that as of today, he has occupied that post for over 16 years. Hummmmmm!

Elites Aspiring For Ministerial Posts Are Tagged As Enemies

Meanwhile as aforementioned, one cannot rule out the possibility that the impression that President Biya gave to the public, by appointing only sons of the the East Region to the posts of Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms as well as Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, in the last two decades, definitely made many people in the East Region to think that Biya has handed or ‘dashed’ the region with those two posts. This situation certainly left some elites of the East Region aspiring or gunning for ministerial posts, to come to the conclusion that they could only be appointed to head those two ministries. This thus led such elites to focus their lobbies on the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, and the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms. This thus probably left an unscrupulous elite who wanted to be minister at all cost, to come to the vicious conclusion that for him to achieve his selfish ambition, one of his brothers of the region occupying one of two ministerial post, had to be eliminated.
This situation created by President Biya that gives the misleading impression that some ministerial posts belong to some particular regions, creates a lot of unnecessary suspicions and tensions, as well as rumours, between the elites of those regions. For example, once a member of Government from such a region, suspects another elite of the region of having ministerial ambition or of lobbying for a ministerial post, he and his supporters or camp immediately draw the conclusion that the elite wants his post, or wants him dropped from Government, in order to be appointed. That is how the flow of bad blood will spark off between the elites, as the elite suspected nursing ambition to be appointed into Government, is tagged “an enemy in the house”.

The Case Of The Ministry Of Transport

On the other hand, the way President Biya ha for examples appointed successive Ministers of Transport for example, is such that no CPDM elite or observer, can at any time guess from which region the next Minister of Transport will come from. Almost all regions in the county have occupied the post of Minister of Transport. That is how things are supposed to be done. Also, President Biya cannot be talking of national unity and national integration, and at the same time making the appointments to some particular ministerial posts, look like the properties of some particular regions.

The Case Of The Centre Region (Ministry of State Property And Land Tenure)

Meanwhile, though the case of the East Region monopolizing two ministerial posts might have attracted attention following the death of Minister Dodo Ndoke Gabriel, President Biya has dome same to a few other regions, even if their own case has not been so pronounce like that of the East Region. The Centre Region for example, has monopolized the post of Minister of State Property and Land Tenure, for some 20 years today. In the Cabinet Reshuffle of March 18, 2000, the former Minister of Public Investment and Territorial Planning, Tsala Messi, of the Centre Region, was appointed Minister of Housing and Town Planning in charge of Lands. By then the Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure had not yet been created.
Then in the reorganization of government on December 8, 2004, the ministry was created. Abogo Nkono Louis Marie of the Centre Region was appointed to head the new Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure. In the cabinet reshuffle of September 7, 2007, another son of the Centre Region, Anong A. Dibeme Pascal, was appointed to take over the post of Minister of State Property and Land Tenure, from Abogo Nkono. Then followed the cabinet shakeup of June 30, 2009. Beleoken Jean-Baptiste was appointed Minister of State Property and Land Tenure to replace Anong A. Dibeme Pascal.
Then a lady came in after that to break the monopoly of men in holding the ministerial post. In the cabinet reshuffle of December 9, 2011, a lady from the Centre Region, Mme Koung a Bessike Jacqueline, was appointed Minister of State Property and Land Tenure. She was lucky enough to maintain her ministerial post in the next two cabinet reshuffles However in the last cabinet reshuffle on January 4, 2019, Koung a Bessike Jacqueline was dropped and another son of the Centre Region, Henri Ayissi Eyebe, was appointed to replace her as Minister of State Property and Land Tenure.

Ministry of Labour And Social Security

The Centre Region has also monopolized the post of Minister of Labour and Social Security in Government since the year 2000. By the year 2000, it was then the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security. In the cabinet reshuffle of March 8, 2000, a son of the Centre Region, Ondoa Pius, was appointed Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security. Then in the reorganization of the Government on December 8, 2004, Robert Nkili of the Centre Region was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Security. Robert Nkili aka ‘Dialogue Sociale’, held the post until the cabinet reshuffle of December 9, 2011, when he was appointed Minister of Transport, while another son of the Centre Region, Gregoire Owona, was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Security. Gregoire Owona who is also the Deputy Secretary General of the ruling CPDM, has been occupying that ministerial post since then. That is, more than 12 years today.

The Case Of The West Region (Ministry of Housing And Town Planning)

The West Region has on its part occupied the post of Minister of Housing and Town Planning for some 20 years now. Worthy of note, that the ministry, like a number of other ministries, have over the years, seen a number of restructurings. In the cabinet reshuffle of March 18, 2000 Mbafu Claude, a son of the West Region, was appointed Minister of what then was the Ministry of Urban Affairs. In the reorganization of government on December 8, 2004, Prof Lekene Donfack was appointed Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing. In the September 22, 2006 cabinet reshuffle, it was Tchatat Clobette’s turn as Minister of Urban Development and Housing. Then Jean Claude Mbwentchou replaced Tchatat Clobette as Minister of Urban Development and Housing in the cabinet reshuffle of December 9, 2011. Then in the last cabinet reshuffle on January 4, 2019, the then Mayor of Bangante, Celestine Keutcha epse Courtes, was appointed to replace Mbwentchou as Minister of Housing and Town Planning.

Minister Delegate – Ministry of Justice

The West Region has also held the post of Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, since 2004. In the reorganization of government on December 8, 2004, Prof Maurice Kamto, who is today the National President of the frontline opposition party, MRC, entered the Biya Government as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals. He held the post until 2011 when he claims he resigned or abandoned the Biya Government. On the other hand, the CPDM claimed that Kamto sensed that he would to be dropped from Government, and played a fast one by leaving. Whatever the case, in the December 9, 2011 cabinet reshuffle, Fuguil Jean Pierre was appointed to fill the vacant post of Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the seals. Fuguil held that post until the last cabinet reshuffle of January 4, 2019, when another son of the West Region, Barrister Jean de Dieu Momo, was appointed Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, to replace him.