A brief but colourful reception in Yaounde on November 6, 2015, drew curtains on celebrations marking the 33rd anniversary of President Biya’s ascension to power.
The Yaounde Conference Centre’s hallway for once proved rather small at dusk last Friday, November 6, 2015 as it hosted the reception to mark the end of festivities organised to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of President Paul Biya’s ascension to power.
The brief moment of conviviality reached its climax when the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Cameron People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, Jean Nkuete, mounted the rostrum to recall that the celebration was to honour a man and a vision - President Paul Biya and the New Deal. Paul Biya’s rule, he added, has enabled not only peace, unity, solidarity and justice to reign, but also permitted Cameroonians to build a prosperous country for which their children will be proud.
“Cameroonians trust President Paul Biya and still need him. We reaffirm our loyalty and fidelity to Paul Biya. We have a bond with him. We will be by his side for as long as God wants,” he stated. While saluting the support of development partners, Jean Nkuete requested a minute of silence for fallen heroes and victims in the fight against Boko Haram; and also for the souls of compatriots who died in the recent Mecca stampede in Saudi Arabia.
During the cocktail that followed, music by the CPDM “Rallying Voice” orchestra was enjoyed by the crowd including the conspicuous presence of President Paul Biya’s close aides such as the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the Director of Cabinet, Martin Belinga Eboutou and the Chief of State Protocol, Simon Pierre Bikele. Besides Senate President Marcel Niat Njifenji, past and present cabinet ministers, CPDM party officials, diplomats and representatives of international organisations, ordinary citizens felt no restrictions blending in the celebration to wine and dine, taking time to view pictures of President Paul Biya’s achievements exhibited in the hallway by the National League of Photograhers.
