Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info (Editor)
Published on 2024-03-09 18:58:31
Surprise and disbelief have spread among Cameroonians as revelations surface about former President Amadou Ahidjo’s financial decisions during his time in office. He reportedly took an overdraft from the bank to construct a house in his native Garoua, instead of stealing from the state treasury as some African leaders of his time did.
Excerpts from the book titled, “A decade with President Ahidjo,” have revealed that Ahidjo asked his bank for an overdraft when he ran out of personal money to complete his house. The 175-page journal, published by L’Harttan, was authored by Ahidjo’s close ally and erstwhile Secretary General at the Presidency, Samuel Eboua.
In the journal, Eboua discusses who the man Ahidjo was. The former President, who was Cameroon’s first leader upon independence in 1960, was known for his firm grip of power and persecution of his opponents. But behind this savage character lay a genuine statesman, according to Eboua’s journal.
A section of the publication recounts a conversation where Eboua updates Ahidjo on the progress of his personal villa construction. Ahidjo, in response, discloses that he had faced a similar situation when building his own house in Garoua, leading him to take an overdraft from the bank.
Cameroonians, upon learning of Ahidjo’s financial decisions, expressed shock and disbelief, considering that, as president, he could have accessed state funds for such personal projects. The journal glorifies Ahidjo for being a noble statesman in this scenario.
Amadou Ahidjo, who served as Cameroon’s first President from 1960 to 1982, is renowned for overseeing the development of various public infrastructure projects during his tenure. Many of them today appear to be in shambles, especially the road infrastructure and the national airline Camair-Co, which is barely surviving.
Although literacy and public freedoms were relatively very low under Ahidjo’s rule, the former leader is credited for spurring growth in various sectors, especially infrastructure. His legacy has been a subject of both praise and criticism, but more of criticism.
He surrendered power to the current President Paul Biya in 1982 and was later involved in a failed coup to overthrow Biya two years later. President Ahidjo died in exile in Senegal on November 30, 1989, and was buried there. Comparisons with the current state of the public service, reports of corruption and embezzlement by state officials have fueled public discourse on governance and financial practices in the country.
In conclusion, the revelations about Ahidjo’s financial decisions shed new light on his legacy and spark discussions about governance and financial practices in Cameroon. His story serves as a reminder of the complexities of leadership and the importance of transparency and accountability in public office.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
