Biya’s former ally urges him to quit power!.

 Prof Titus Edzoa, who is a surgeon, ace university don and former member of government, made the appeal Sunday October 8.

He was guest on the popular magazine programme, La Verite En Face, on Douala-based Equinoxe Television.

The erstwhile Secretary General at the Presidency, Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Public Health, shared his thoughts on key issues affecting the polity and was firm on the view that President Biya should deliberately step aside as Head of State.

Edzoa insisted that Cameroon’s challenges are many, requiring a fresh start on several fronts for things to work out in the interest of the citizenry. 

He claimed that time is running out for the powers that be, particularly the Head of State, to open avenues for change at the helm of State.

“If we do not solve the problems facing us quickly, there could be an explosion of the existing implosion. It is only a transition that can restore order in all of these. We should have this transition in non-violence. That is my wish, but it could as well happen in violence,” Prof Edzoa posited.

Challenges necessitating change

In the thinking of Prof Edzoa, Cameroon’s challenges have lingered for too long without a way out. He cited the over six-year conflict in the North West and South West Regions, the Anglophone Problem, the Boko Haram terrorists incursions in the northern Regions, economic woes, other political problems alongside several other constraints. 

He shared the view that time is running out and if nothing is done, and urgently too, the regime in place could collapse, resulting in challenges for all. 

He stated that it is imperative for the Head of State to quit power, give way for a non-violent transfer of power and ensure the survival of what he said is “triumph of democracy”.

“Handing over power is not failure”

Recalling that he had made such a call in the past, Prof Edzoa thundered: “I maintain that he [Biya] should hand-over power now. That will pave the way for a transition. That way, it will be good for everyone. Handing over is not failure. Rather, it will be the triumph of democracy in Cameroon. Transition should be led by honest and patriotic Cameroonians who will step aside at the end”.

“I am ready to lead transition in Cameroon”

Beyond appealing to Biya to quit power, Prof Edzoa argued that what is best for Cameroon now is a transition government. Such a government, he argued, must be led by people of integrity who must be ready to put the interest of the nation and the people first and step aside when the transition period is over.

Without mincing words, the former Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, expressed readiness to lead a transition government. 

He declared his readiness to take up such an exercise to put Cameroon on what he believes is a way out of the multiple challenges facing Cameroon. 

While maintaining that he lived the creation of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, resigned from government and not the ruling party, Prof Edzoa gave to understanding that, even as head of his proposed transition government as a way out of challenges facing the country, nobody will influence his thoughts. 

He also remarked that he remains a supporter of the CPDM and is not yet ready to resign from the party.

Adjustments needed to jumpstart Cameroon

In the eyes of Prof Titus Edzoa, what Cameroon needs in a transition government is an overhaul of the current system. He talked of the need to revisit the form of State. 

“The first thing to do is to overhaul the governance system of the country, reform the State and give credibility to its foundation. There is also the urgent need to revise the judicial system from the justice of force to the force of justice, take into consideration the diversity of the country and uphold national unity on certain clear and transparent foundations,” he stated. 

“I resigned from gov’t to propose something new”

Revisiting his decision to resign from government and declaring his intention to be a candidate at the 1997 presidential election, Prof Edzoa, said he opted for that path to propose something new to Cameroonians.

He said though things did not go in his favour, he has established that medicine and politics have a similarity in that, both are meant to serve people. On this score, he argued that any leadership that is not at the service of those being governed is out of place.

He disclosed being in contact with people of different walks of life within and without Cameroon as he continues to pursue the kind of politics that is non-partisan but people centered. 

He recalled that even while serving in government, he encountered people across the political divide like the late Ni John Fru Ndi, with whom they exchanged on several political line of thoughts.

Revisiting university reforms of the 90s 

On the changes in the university education system that came into being between 1992/1993, when he served as Minister of Higher Education, Prof Edzoa was adamant that circumstances provoked the adjustments. 

He, however, said changes then, which also resulted in the suspension of bursaries for students, were long overdue. 

As higher education boss, the former physician of Biya said the population of university students had spiraled then to 45,000. 

This, he said, was at variance with the lone university in Yaounde, that was constructed initially to serve 700 students.

Besides that, he said the curricular did not align with the demands of the job market at the time. The former higher education boss also said a lot of things were not working as it should have been then. 

He talked of having had to apply his skills as a surgeon to diagnose and analyse the situation before coming out with reforms then. 

For bursaries in particular, he said most students had taken the taxpayers’ money, were living off campus and giving birth to children. This, he said, defeated the purpose for the support, and so he had to put it on hold.

Prof Titus Edzoa in brief 

Born on January 4, 1945, in Bonaberi-Douala, this former classmate of the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso, served in several medical facilities in Yaounde. 

He later became close to the corridors of power; given his professional prowess. He served in government as Technical Adviser at the Presidency, Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency, Minister of Higher Education, Secretary General at the Presidency and later Minister of Public Health. 

Things however turned sour for the medic and scholar when he resigned from government on April 20, 1997, to seek election for the highest office of the land. 

He was arrested on July 3 of that same year and was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. Prof Edzoa was again slammed a 20-year jail term on December 17, 2013. 

He regained freedom on February 24, 2014, thanks to a presidential pardon. This was after 17 years behind bars.

Today, the scholar, surgeon and politician, says he spends time in the sports of karate and does consultancy with his former students. He also disclosed that one of those he carried a surgical operation on after leaving prison, was his wife.