Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has been awarded the African Sage “Wisest African” award at the 3rd edition of the Les Awards de L’avenir (Awards Of The Future), an annual event that celebrates African achievement. The award was presented to Biya, who was absent at a ceremony in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. René Emmanuel Sadi, Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, stood in for him.
It should be noted that the Awards of the Future are a prestigious distinction, at the initiative of the Cameroon Communication Agency (ACACOM) and the Network of Cameroonian Press Patrons (REPAC), which have been running for three editions now.
Biya was given this award for his role in peacefully solving the Bakassi Peninsula conflict, which saw them reattached to Cameroon.
While many celebrate the successful claim of Bakassi from Nigeria, the inhabitants of that locality regret it. Many of them claim that they would have preferred to stay in Nigeria because their affiliation with Cameroon hasn’t been beneficial for them in any way, including increased crime rates, a high rate of unemployment, and government neglect and abandonment.
Biya Does Not Deserve An Award
The award has been met with widespread criticism, with many people questioning why Biya was chosen for such an honour. Biya has been in power for over 40 years, and his rule has been characterised by corruption, human rights abuses, and economic mismanagement.
“The award of the “Wisest African” award to Paul Biya is a travesty,” said a social media user on Facebook.
Biya is the second-longest-ruling president in Africa, the longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world, and the oldest head of state in the world.
“Biya is a corrupt and repressive ruler who has done nothing to improve the lives of the people of Cameroon. The award is a slap in the face to the millions of Cameroonians who are struggling to survive under Biya’s rule,” another social media user said on Twitter.
According to critics, Biya is the last person who should be honoured for his wisdom. They point to the fact that Cameroon, according to World Health Organisation data, is one of the poorest countries in the world, with widespread poverty, hunger, and disease. They also note that Biya’s government has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing dissent.
One critic, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “This award is a joke. Biya is the most corrupt and incompetent president in Africa. He has enriched himself and his cronies while the people of Cameroon suffer.”
Another critic, Jean-Pierre Ndo, said: “This award is a slap in the face to the people of Cameroon. Biya is a disgrace to the country.”
Biya Deserves it because of his Wisdom
The organisers of Les Awards de L’avenir have defended the decision to award Biya the “Wisest African” award. They say that the award is based on Biya’s “wisdom, experience, and leadership”. However, many people believe that the award is a sham and that it is a way for Biya to legitimise his authoritarian rule.
The African Sage Award is the latest in a series of awards that Biya has received in recent years. In 2014, the Pan African Lawyers Union Prize for “Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts” was given to the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, by former South African President Thabo Mbeki at a brief ceremony that took place at Unity Palace on Friday, June 6, 2014.
The Credibility of the Awards
The credibility of this award has been questioned, with many questioning who the organisers are, on what criteria they award African leaders, and who were the leaders up for the category in which Biya was awarded. Many have refuted the fact that Biya had anything to do with the Bakassi peace resolution, and the award should rather be given to Maurice Kamto, who fought tirelessly for it.
“40 years in power! No better roads, no employment for its citizens, no health facilities with thousands dying yearly due to poverty and lack of medical facilities and personnel, and no roads with thousands of deaths recorded on the bad roads the country has, and he is awarded? This just shows how useless the award is,” Monju Hilary wrote on LinkedIn.
