In first official outing: Akere Muna vows 2025 presidential election won’t be like others!.

Akere’s warning is the content of a strongly-worded declaration. It is the first official outing of the candidate of Univers political party for the forthcoming presidential election.

Akere was on September 28, 2024, endorsed by a coalition of opposition parties, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and other opinion leaders. 

In the declaration, the 2025 presidential aspirant made proposals that would proffer solutions to burning issues that touch on the living conditions of Cameroonians. 

Akere was categorical that power struggles are aggravating ethnic, social antagonisms at a time marginalization and exclusion is threatening social cohesion. 

He was firm that signs of wear and tear of power are visible with the economy in doldrums, corruption worsening and institutions crumbling.

The revered Cameroonian used the outing to unveil emblematic measures to build the foundation of a new Cameroon in eight pillar vision, expressed the conviction a non-renewable transition period essential to rebuilding state institutions and pledged to lead with integrity, compassion and unwavering dedication to the well-being of Cameroonians if elected. Following is Akere Muna's declaration in full.

Declaration of candidacy by Bâtonnier Akere Muna for the 2025 presidential election in Cameroon

My Fellow Cameroonians, 

On September 28, 2024 the “Univers” Political Party, through the voice of its leader Professor Prosper Nkou Mvondo, proposed me as their candidate for the next presidential election. It was during a press conference organised by the Popular Action Party (PAP), which saw the participation of other political groups, led by our country's oldest party, the “Union des Populations du Cameroun” (UPC), as well as several civil society organisations. 

The next presidential election in Cameroon will be unlike any previous one. The election will take place in a context marked by the persistent deadlock over responses to the socio-political crisis in the North-West and South-West regions. Other threats to stability hang over our common future: power struggles are aggravating ethnic and social antagonisms. No one knows when or how the practices of exclusion and marginalisation that continue to threaten social cohesion will end. Today, the economy is in the doldrums, corruption is worsening and institutions are crumbling. All the signs of the wear and tear of power are there before our very eyes: a lack of new blood, cynicism in the face of the demands of the people, immobility in the face of the challenges and issues of the future, and the inability of the current system of governance to reinvent itself. 

I was touched and honoured by the call from political and civil society leaders, grouped together in a coalition, to work with them to find the answers to these challenges. A new dawn awaits our country. Every beginning is a moment of anxiety. It is also an opportunity to gain new momentum. The time for commitment has also come: that is why, without a shadow of hesitation, I have agreed to stand as a candidate for the next presidential election under the banner of the Univers Party. 

My fellow Cameroonians, 

I invite you to join us so that together we can build a country where all citizens have the same rights, without favour or discrimination, where democracy thrives, the rule of law prevails and every voice is heard. 

Our conviction...our profound conviction is that a non-renewable transition period is essential to the process of rebuilding our institutions and in fact our nation. The vision we are proposing is anchored in a Cameroon built on new foundations, which will lead us to the New Republic we seek.

This vision is based on eight pillars and on emblematic measures that I will have the opportunity to present to you in more detail in the coming weeks. 

1. Strengthening democracy and governance. 

-Adopt a new constitution that incarnates the present and future aspirations of the people of Cameroon. 

- Promote free and fair elections. 

- Strengthen transparency and accountability within government. 

- Establish a truly decentralised form of government within a federation where the leaders are chosen by the people. 

- Establish an appropriate legal framework for the declaration of assets to ensure an effective fight against illicit enrichment. 

- Support civil society and media freedom. 

2. Economic development and job creation. 

- Invest in infrastructure and technology. 

-Rethink our strategy as regards railways, air-transport and road networks.

-Promote agricultural innovation and food safety. 

- Build a favourable environment for the business climate and investment protection.

3. Make Cameroonians living abroad a key element in our country's development process. 

In 2023, the total amount of remittances was around 400,000,000,000 (four hundred billion) CFA francs. Formal channels should be explored and opened up to give Cameroonians living abroad their rightful place in our economic architecture. This must inevitably begin with the recognition of dual nationality. 

4. Education and skills development. 

-Reform the education system so that it meets the needs of the 21st century by better matching the same to the needs of the modern job market. In particular, the working conditions of teachers at all levels must be improved. 

- Increase access to vocational training and higher education. 

- Promote STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

- Protect the dualistic nature of our colonial heritage in order to preserve diversity and enable Cameroonians to make their own choices. 

5. Health reform. 

- Increase funding for public health services and ensure that each department has modern technical facilities, the ultimate aim being to stop the financial drain caused by medical evacuations. It is also imperative to improve the working conditions of doctors, nurses and all other staff in the health sector. 

- Make universal health coverage effective and accessible to all. 

- Tackle mental health and well-being will be a priority. 

6. Social justice and human rights. 

- Guarantee the rights of all citizens, regardless of gender, ethnicity or origin. 

- Promote policies to protect vulnerable populations. 

- Strengthen laws against discrimination and violence.

7. Security and peace-building. 

- Tackle the root causes of conflict and insecurity.

- Promote dialogue and peace-building efforts in regions affected by conflict. 

- Defence, security and law enforcement forces remain the guarantors of our territorial integrity and national public safety. We must make them more professional and ensure that fairness, excellence and integrity are the basis of all promotions. 

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our defence and security forces for remaining republican. 

8. Sports, culture and tourism. 

These three areas are the glue that binds our people together. Nobody can ignore the unifying force that football represents in our country. In football as in other sports, players and athletes must be at the centre of all reflection. We need to improve our national training facilities to avoid losing our young talent to unscrupulous headhunters. 

An appropriate framework for the protection of artists, musicians and other performing arts professionals must be put in place. 

Fellow Cameroonians 

The eight pillars that I have briefly outlined above form the backbone of a programme for the transition in governance practices and the passing of the baton to a new generation of leaders, which will include four levers for acceleration: 

1. Integrity, transparency and accountability in the management of public affairs; 

2. Inclusiveness so that no Cameroonian is left behind; 

3. Institutional reforms to support the structural transformation of our governance mechanisms and our economy; 

4. Innovation and digital transformation. 

Fellow Cameroonians 

We envision a Cameroon where justice is accessible. We will reform our judicial system to ensure that justice is not a privilege for the few but a right for all. We will strengthen the judiciary and fight corruption at all levels. We must empower our judges and magistrates, protect them from political manipulation and professional blackmail, and make integrity and probity the pillars of their careers. These reforms must reinforce and protect the bi-jural character of our country. 

Unity in diversity is crucial. Our strength lies in our diversity, and we will promote national unity by embracing our cultural differences, promoting dialogue between all regions and communities, and working for reconciliation and healing in areas affected by conflict. 

Economic empowerment and transformation are essential. We will create an inclusive economy that empowers all Cameroonians by investing in education, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and exploiting our natural resources sustainably for the benefit of all. 

We need to move quickly to manage and industrialise our mining sector and make local processing a priority. 

Our country's economic transformation will be accelerated by deliberate policies to provide essential physical infrastructure to connect markets and move people and goods faster, safer and cheaper. We will ensure a dramatic increase in the supply of reliable electricity, water and telecommunications, set firm targets for electricity and internet access, and invest in an aggressive pursuit of external markets. We will create the conditions for widespread access to finance for start-ups and established businesses, and work to transform our agriculture into a powerful engine of growth. Our approach to environmental policy must be guided by the priorities of our own development imperatives.

Reforms to the education system will focus on the acquisition of practical skills, particularly in new digital technologies, for all children, with genuine bilingualism that gives all the linguistic components of our country equal opportunities. The future of Cameroon lies in the hands of our youth and our women. We will implement policies that promote education, entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities for these vital segments of our society, and we must vigorously promote the teaching of our national languages by putting in place a specific framework for this purpose. 

Fellow Cameroonians, 

Cameroon is at a crossroads. The choices we make today will shape our future. As President, I pledge to lead with integrity, compassion and unwavering dedication to the well-being of all Cameroonians. Together, we can chart a new course towards a prosperous, just and united Cameroon. The fact that a group of political parties, civil society organisations and independent personalities have honoured me with their choice is just the beginning. In the days and weeks to come, we will endeavour to meet and discuss with other political leaders and independent personalities. Putting this nation on a new footing requires the involvement of all of us. I am deeply convinced that we can do it together.

More than 25 years ago, I realised that at the rate at which corruption and impunity were progressing, no significant development would be possible. I devoted most of my time and resources to raising awareness of this scourge that was gradually devouring our society. I have been involved in major anti-corruption initiatives at global, regional, sub-regional and national levels. 

Today, I want to put this experience of more than a quarter of a century at the service of my country. The situation in our country is very worrying. National institutions are being singled out for their level of corruption, yet everyone continues to act as if nothing had happened. Foreign courts and international institutions have exposed cases of corruption involving senior government officials, and we remain indifferent in the face of this serious situation. We must reverse the monarchical pyramid that our country has become; where a large base serves a very small minority at the top. The people must be at the centre of everything we fight for. 

The exaggerated shadow of our failed attempts at a perfect union is beginning to obscure the essence of the quest for a true republic that is for the people and about the people. It has bred division, fostered incompetence and robbed our people of a better life and hope. 

The level of depravity in which our country finds itself has plunged us into a state of lethargy. The republic is under threat, our society is under threat, even our churches are under threat. The existential question facing us all is: who are we serving? Our personal interests or those of our country? 

Hope is a formidable weapon against a repressive and corrupt system, and only hope can bring us perfect unity. We must draw our strength from the hope that the future holds and not be weakened or defeated by the trials of the past. 

Tonight, I implore you to join us on this journey. Let's build a Cameroon we can all be proud of. Together, let's make a difference! 

LONG LIVE CAMEROON!

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3254 of Wednesday October 09, 2024