Atanga Nji Paul, one of Cameroon’s most-feared ministers overseeing the Ministry of Territorial Administration, has recently presented another side of himself that is unfamiliar to the public. This revelation unfolded during the recent ‘secret’ wedding of his daughter, Gloria Atanga. Despite efforts to keep the event under wraps, a short clip surfaced, likely leaked in defiance of strict instructions, capturing the minister proudly walking his daughter down the aisle, a smile and smirk on his face, revealing a glimpse of a more personal and private moment.
The secrecy surrounding the wedding was so intense that even MMI struggled to uncover the identity of Gloria’s husband. The lack of any available images or information only added to the mystery, leaving the public speculating about the undisclosed details of the ceremony.
MMI’s investigation revealed a couple of intimate images of Gloria Atanga and a young man during her university days, but with no image of the groom during the wedding, we are unable to tell if this is the same person or another.
How Private a Person is Gloria?
However, despite the secrecy surrounding her wedding, Gloria Atanga is no stranger to the professional limelight. As a Business Development Associate for the Pan-African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS) in Cairo, Egypt, she has played a crucial role in engaging with various entities within the PAPSS ecosystem. Managing a portfolio of over 30 FinTechs, Gloria has been actively involved in coordinating the implementation of PAPSS Memorandums of Understanding with strategic partners.
Before her current role, Gloria worked as a Financial Analyst at AXA in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and as a Credit Risk Analyst at the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). Her journey in the financial sector includes a stint as a Junior Bank Teller with the UBA Group in Yaoundé during her student years.
Gloria’s commitment to advocacy extends beyond her professional life. She has represented PAPSS at events such as AfCFTA Workshops for East African SMEs and the AfCFTA webinar on the Empowerment of Women and Youth. A graduate of the prestigious CASS Business School, she holds an MSc in International Business and a BSc in International Finance from the American University of Paris.
Silence on Women in the Anglophone Crisis
However, amid her impressive professional and academic achievements, Gloria Atanga’s silence on the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon raises questions. As the president and co-founder of Inspire Africa, a club dedicated to political and social engagements, her apparent lack of involvement in discussions about the crisis in her home country is conspicuous.
Gloria’s passionate views on women’s empowerment and opposition to enslavement, expressed during various events, stand in plain contrast to her silence on the atrocities in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. Gloria holds firm convictions on the empowerment of women, asserting that they should not be subjected to enslavement. In contrast to the belief held by many that progress requires letting go of traditions, Gloria, serving as the President of the Inspire Africa club, contradicted this notion. “I believe it is incorrect for women to be burdened by responsibilities,” she is reported to have said, highlighting that African women have familial and societal duties that they should fulfil without being shackled by them.
Despite these views, Gloria never advocated for women suffering as a direct consequence of the Anglophone crisis and her father’s involvement in its escalation.
Decrying the lack of humanity
At an event addressing Libyan slavery and human trafficking in 2018, she vehemently decried the lack of humanity. Gloria provided a detailed account of her initial reactions upon encountering news documentation on slavery in Libya.
“I saw on the one hand what was being shown. I saw people being sold as slaves for $400. I saw black migrants expressing and showing the proof of their torture that they are experiencing because of their black skin. I saw women giving testimonies about being sold as slaves, as sex slaves. That’s what I saw on the one hand. On the other hand, I saw 400 years of intense slavery. I saw the deconstruction of an identity, the construction of a new one. I saw our forefathers who fought, sacrificed their lives and died for our liberty. All for this. For us in 2018 to be experiencing slavery, in its’ crudest form, again,” she is reported to have said, adding “I see people with physical, human features but I see a complete absence of humanity.”
Gloria’s denunciation of a lack of humanity in Libya, evokes questions about the fact that her father was overseeing the Ministry responsible for the mismanagement of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.
Accomplice or gagged?
MMI’s investigation into Gloria’s activities as the President of Inspire Africa revealed a noticeable absence of discussions related to the crisis in Cameroon. This silence raises questions about whether Gloria willingly ignored her people’s plight or if someone silenced her to protect her father’s position within the administration.
For someone who has demonstrated a willingness to speak out on societal issues, Gloria’s silence on the Anglophone crisis and other issues affecting women in most parts of Cameroon speaks volumes. It suggests a deliberate choice not to use her voice on a matter so close to home, raising concerns about the role she may have played or chosen not to play in the face of her father’s controversial actions.
It is therefore unsurprising that Gloria Atanga celebrated a wedding, which is meant to be the happiest day of her life, but there is very little information anywhere about the event or who her husband is.
