2025 Presidentials: Biya jabs opposition in Youth Day speech!.

The issue, he conceded on Monday, has unfortunately made "some frustrated" youth "to wander off the beaten path, and to go astray. Others, in desperation, choose the perilous and devious route of illegal immigration, with often tragic outcomes, as we are aware".

The CPDM regime has often been blamed by the opposition and other independent articulate commentators for not providing equal opportunities of employment, and an educational system that creates jobs, so there is the mass exodus of young people going abroad for greener pastures.

The regime is criticised for the absence of youth in key political appointments while retired people in their eighties and even nineties are recycled to keep them in employment at the expense of talented youth.

In his Monday evening speech to the youth, President Biya hit back at the opposition without mentioning names and at the same time glossed his speech with campaign sound bite.

"I urge you not to pay heed to the siren calls by some irresponsible individuals. Do not let them use you to achieve their evil plans of wreaking chaos in our beloved and beautiful country,” he cautioned. 

He continued: "Also, do not be swayed by the false and often unachievable promises they try to lure you with".

After reminding the youth that: "This year, once again, our country will hold important elections", Biya then urged the youth to participate in choosing their leader in peace and tranquility.

In a concluding segment of the speech, he campaigned: "...I assure you that I will continue to stand by your side in addressing the challenges you face".

"Some pessimists chose to focus on the fact that one thing or another had not been done, or had not yet been done, disregarding the real and verifiable constraints I mentioned. Whatever the criticism, I will always speak the language of truth to you. And the truth is that, despite the multiple and complex obstacles to our development efforts, we have achieved very much together,” Biya stated.

He then the promise: “I will not relent in the fight I have been waging for years against unemployment, particularly youth unemployment".

In the speech, the Head of State wants the technologically savvy youth "to create self-employment opportunities and to address the challenges of your time".

In self-praise, Biya added that "the commendable efforts made by the government to address these constraints and to actively continue to improve the living conditions of our fellow-citizens, based on strong economic growth and the need to maintain peace and security", will continue.

Concretely, he said the ongoing Green Jobs Promotion Programme “will ultimately help to create over ten thousand jobs through income-generating activities in areas such as sanitation, waste recycling and organic farming".

The only scoop from the Youth Day speech was the mention of "important elections" this year. 

The presidential elections are due in October and while an important faction of critics led by some Catholic Bishops want him to take a deserved rest on grounds of old age and longevity of over four decades in power, others with traditional and Muslim leaders on the forefront want President Biya, 92, to take a record eight term.

President Biya has been equivocal on whose advice to take. His end-of-year speech left Cameroonians and the democratic world where a third term is considered a taboo, watching in awe.

Reading the president's Youth Day address on Monday between the lines should leave no one in doubt that the various campaign jingles of self-praises, problem solving, achievements and promises blended with jabs as the opposition could just be preparing the ground to accept another "the peoples' call!

As President Biya told the youth who are often flattered as leaders of tomorrow, the coming presidential election "will afford those of you who meet the legal requirements, the opportunity to freely exercise your civic duty. When the time comes, it will be up to you to make your choice responsibly, in peace and quiet". 

The Guardian Post, while appreciating the Head of State to encourage youth to freely decide who governs them through the ballot, he should nonetheless ensure that the loopholes that have been pointed out in the electoral law are corrected as a prerequisite for credible and free elections.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3363 of Wednesday February 12, 2025