Is Biya's rule a continuation of that late Ahmadou Ahidjo

It is often claim that, Biya’s rule is the continuation of that of his predecessor, late Ahmadou Ahidjo. While it is not entirely wrong, I am nevertheless of the opinion that, the 90s were the years, when Paul Biya, took a distant from his predecessor and began stamping his own rule or ideology in Cameroon. Hence, by nominating Peter Mafany Musonge as Prime minister in 1996, and this, to replace Mr Simon Achidi Achu MP, who was holding the post since April 1992, and who was/is a native of the north of Anglophone Cameroon, otherwise known as North west province, Paul Biya did not only put an end to his predecessor’s Anglophone Cameroon politics, he also heralded the genesis of his as own independent political policies, which as already mentioned, started in the 90s. Therefore, in my humble opinion, it was only after Paul Biya survived the social and political upheavals of the 90s, which rocked the foundation of the country, that, he began to lay the ground works of his political policies, which was to be fundamentally different from those of his predecessor. Paul Biya’s change of policy, especially in the way the governing majority French-speaking Cameroonians, dealt with Anglophone Cameroonians, was appreciated in the south or coastal region of Anglophone Cameroon, otherwise known as the South west province and this by some of her elites.

Ironically, the change or cosmetic change of Anglophone policy, which was in reality design to divide the unity of Anglophone Cameroonians, did not change the frustration and mistrust that, Anglophones from the South west province, the same as their kith and kin from the north or North West province, harboured or still harbours toward the central government in Yaoundé, which is predominantly French-speaking. The appointment of Mr Musonge as Prime minister as already started was pleasant to some elites of the South west province, but it also sparked a simmering intra coastal Anglophone or South West provincial rivalries. For some elites from power broking centres of the South west province, such as Mamfe, Victoria, Kumba, Mundemba and Mienji, frowned at the fact that, whenever there was any prestigious post earmarked to elites from their region or province, the chosen persons are/were almost always from Buea. The disappointment with the appointment of Peter Mafany Musonge as prime minister, from a section of the elites of the South west province, stems from the fact that, prior to Musonge’s nomination, there were already two elites of the South west province, who were warming up on sidelines, waiting to exploit the spoils of the announced end of the love rapport, that bounded the French-speaking dominated central government in Yaoundé with elites of the North West province.