Akere’s goal is to build a united nation with autonomous territories founded on solid moral, social, and cultural values; something he plans to achieve by “creating institutions that guarantee transparency, accountability, serve all Cameroonians and ensure their education and well-being.”
Meanwhile we are aware there exist a more than 100 page document that details out his program, we were unable to lay our hands on it; that document is not available for download on his website under the document tab where we were able to find other documents but not the one we most badly needed.
I will write based on excerpts of the said document which he refers to as the New Republic Program, published on his FB page, and from a document titled “FIRST 50 ENGAGEMENTS OF Akere T Muna” that can be found on his website. The later document was not easy to find as it is not directly under the documents tab on the website -just to say it is possible that he has already published his New Republic Program but we are just not able to find it.
That said, let’s dive in.
ON POLITICAL/INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Just like Cabral and Kamto who’s programs we have already visited, he is promising a to limit presidential tenures to 2 terms of 5 years each and add more checks and balances on the powers of the president. The above require changes in the constitution. To that he wants to evoke the execution and amendment of Act No. 96/06 of 18 January 1996 for the establishment of a truly independent Constitutional Council, with powers to sanction.
Meanwhile Cabral wants to totally eliminate the senate. Akere will keep it but all senators will have to be voted in, in contrast to the current format where some are appointed by presidential decree.
Akere if for a federation whose form will be decided by a referendum. I do not understand what he means by the from of the federation. Is it with regards to the question of two versus ten state federation? It gets more complicated where he states his plans of redrawing regions. I guess this particular question of how to organize the country is on of the biggest challenges for all candidates.
We all know many arms of government exist today but whose power has been relayed to the presidency. Akere promises to put back the powers where they are supposed to be. This he plans to achieve by creation of Regional Economic and Social Councils; and creation of a National Economic and Social Council. This is to have matters handled at the regional level and only forwarded to the national level if no solution can be found at the regional level.
To fight embezzlement, his plan is to introduce a system where elected or appointed public official will go through a process of asset and interest declaration. Interest declaration so we do not have public official in positions where there is conflict of interest - a gateway to corruption.
We can all lay testament in the unfair distribution of campaign funds just by looking at how much Biya is splurging on his campaign. Akere is promising a National Campaign Expenditure Control Commission.
“In the New Republic, the Ministry of Public Service will be replaced by a High Commission of the Public Service, which will establish a MERITOCRATIC, NON-PARTISAN, REPRESENTATIVE, PERFORMING public service for the citizens.”
We know all too well about the civil vs common law debate that was part of the inception of the now termed Anglophone Crises. Akere promises the establishment of a justice system that is accessible to all and effecting the two legal traditions of Cameroon.
Above all, and something which if of personal interest to me - he says with him as president we will have a truly FREE PRESS.
ON GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Here he echoes many of the things we saw in Kamto’s plans for the economy which we found to be very robust. Financial and technical support for small and medium size enterprises (SME’s), land reform and creation of an Independent Natural Resource Authority (INRA) are in the books. The INRA, “comprising of three departments: 1) Land Mapping and Register of Land Titles; 2) Geology and Mines; Integrated Water Resources Management; and 3) Forestry and Nature Conservation. lNRA shall lead the management of Cameroon natural resources which is composed of land, water, forests, mines and geology. It shall be entrusted with supervision, monitoring and to ensure the implementation of issues relating to the promotion and protection of natural resources in programs and activities of all national institutions.”
Establishment of an independence National Anti-corruption and Anti Money Laundering Commission with protection of whistleblowers, reduce the number and types of taxes, computerization and decentralization of tax collection, Streamlining the process and reducing the costs of starting a business (form and associated rights), support for the informal sector to greater integration in the national economy.
One of Akere’s strongest selling points in his experience in fighting corruption. In 2005, he founded the Cameroon chapter of the anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI). In 2004 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the organization. In 2005, he was elected Vice Chair of the board, served his three year term, got elected twice and stopped down in 2014 after serving the maximum number of terms allowed. 14 years with TI definitely informed his idea of creating a government agency in charge of monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the performance of public companies and State Investments.
ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
This is the most questionable part of Akere’s program. There is too much use of the word ‘GUARANTEE.’ Guarantee access to housing and, particularly social housing. Guarantee access to electricity, sanitation/water to 95% of Cameroonians in urban areas. Guarantee access to electricity, water/sanitation and self-management in villages of more than 50 inhabitants. I find the guarantees to be over ambitious given the state of the economy he is trying to take over.
here he promises construction of a train link between Yaounde and Douala. We already have a new highway linking Yaounde and Douala. there are other parts of the country that need connecting - we sure need more than just a train link between Yaounde and Douala.
He shares the same healthcare ambitions like Kamto and Cabral. The difference is in addition to having basic universal healthcare and a organized secondary healthcare system, he plans to implement a network of Emergency Health and Social Care facilities; and First Responders throughout the national territory.
For education, he and Kamto basically share the same vision. Overly ambitious but also visionary and necessary for the Cameroon that will be the envy of the world decades down the road.
As concerns Cameroonians in the diaspora, dual citizenship is a given and they get to have representatives in the National Assembly. He also plans to make it easy for people in the diaspora to invest back home and also create and environment that will attract back home our talent that is currently being deployed to the benefit of other countries.
CONCLUSION
Among the three candidates who plans we have visited thus far, Akere appears by all measured to the the one that can solve Cameroon’s problems at the political and institutional level. It should not come as a surprise to anyone of us because he is also the one with the most experience in that arena.
We are all aware that most of our current problems stem from the political and institutional level. Mismanagement, corruption, and a dysfunctional system that needs to be checked and reorganized.
I find his plan to be lacking on economic and social aspects but I want to believe as president, he will serve more in a transitional role - creating the laws and policies that will allow his successor to capitalize on for social and economic advancements.
With the current state of our country, we would be delusional to think that one president, even in two terms will bring us a complete overhaul. It is going to be a long process.
- Tino Foy