Did the PM Miss Biya’s Return Due to Scheduling or Strategy?

President Paul Biya’s return to Cameroon on Monday, October 21, after spending 49 days abroad, keeps raising questions than answers. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Secretary General of the Presidency, welcomed him at the airport upon his arrival. However, notably absent from the reception was Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, who traditionally greets the President upon his return.

The Prime Minister’s absence, particularly in his capacity as the Head of Government, raises questions about whether he was deliberately sidelined. Some speculate that this could have been a calculated decision to minimize Biya’s interaction time at the airport, particularly amid reports that the 91-year-old president has been unwell during his time abroad.

PM Attending Commonwealth Meeting

Though there was no official announcement at the time, reports surfaced that the Prime Minister had left the country on Sunday, October 20, to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa. This meeting, which began on October 21 and runs until October 26, is taking place in the island nation located in the central South Pacific Ocean. The sessions for Prime Minister Dion Ngute are set for October 25 and 26.

PM’s Whereabouts Unaccounted for Two Days

The Prime Minister was absent upon Biya’s return to Cameroon on October 21 because he had already departed for Samoa the previous day, on October 20. Samoa is about 24 hours by commercial flight from Cameroon. So the PM should have arrived in Samoa on October 21.

However, a report from CRTV, shared by Star Building correspondent Christian Che Atam, revealed that the Prime Minister actually landed in Samoa on Wednesday, October 23. “The Prime Minister’s flight landed at Faleolo International Airport in Apia, the capital of Samoa, at 8:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday, corresponding to 8:45 a.m. Cameroon time,” Che Atam reported. CRTV Web confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) at 4:52 p.m. on Wednesday: “Prime Minister and Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute, has arrived in the island nation of Samoa, where he will represent President Paul Biya at the #Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting; #CHOGM2024.”

So, When Did He Leave Cameroon?

With the flight from Cameroon to Samoa taking 24 hours, and considering that Samoa is 12 hours ahead of Cameroon, the timeline raises questions about the Prime Minister’s exact departure. If Dion Ngute arrived in Samoa at 8:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday, October 23, this would be 8:45 a.m. Cameroon time. Therefore, it seems likely that the Prime Minister left Cameroon around 8:45 p.m. on Monday, October 21, the same day Biya returned to the country.

Interestingly, other leaders attending the CHOGM meeting, including King Charles of the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, also arrived in Samoa on Wednesday. Given that Biya arrived in Cameroon at 4:35 p.m. on Monday, October 21, this raises further questions: Why was the Prime Minister unable to greet the President at the airport before his departure?

Mimi Mefo Info