Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
The press review today begins with Yaoundé, which is still drowning in garbage. L’Économie, in its Tuesday edition, focuses on the unsanitary conditions in the capital city, which remain unchanged despite instructions from Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. Two weeks ago, he called for the implementation of a special emergency sanitation plan. See page 4.
Still on the topic of waste management, Défense d’Afrique questions the inaction of the city’s mayor and headlines: The scenery that pleases the Mayor. Nauseating odors, clogged gutters, degraded roads, and towering piles of garbage are now competing for public space with the residents. The political capital of President Paul Biya has taken on a new look, with Yaounde suffocating and has become a disgrace. The Yaoundé Urban Community, for its part, points an accusing finger at the Public Procurement Regulatory Agency, blaming it for delaying the signing of certain contracts with companies responsible for hygiene and sanitation. But what is the city’s mayor doing? This question troubles the population, who are crying out for help. The Prime Minister put on his “little show,” yet nothing has been done. Luc Messi has not made any field visits; instead, he remains powerless as the city continues to deteriorate.
The National Post reflects on the stinky situation and calls Yaounde a city of Shame. According to the paper, despite multiple initiatives introduced over the years to handle the capital city’s waste, Cameroon’s political capital, Yaounde, remains littered, eliciting shame and lamentation from denizens. Page 4 for more details.
2025 Presidential election: Ngoh Ngoh campaigns for Paul Biya in Douala. According to Expression Politique, the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic, under the pretext of inaugurating the identity production center in the economic capital on March 14, took the opportunity to gather motions of support from various communities and social actors in favor of the current occupant of Etoudi. See page 2 for details.
The Guardian Post on its part is focused on whether the projects inspected by Ngoh Ngoh shouldn’t be done by Prime minister Dion Ngute. The ongoing visits of the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency, so far to the Far North, Lekie and Douala; to inspect infrastructure projects, instead of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, has raised more questions about the functioning of the State apparatus, than provided answers. The screaming media headlines highlighting the visits of the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, to some project sites nationwide with more reportedly in the offing, have sent tongues wagging. Already, there are reports that the growing feeling among political watchers is that they are skeptical about the overbearing presence of the Presidency clerk, in the architecture President Biya’s bloated and complex government. Read their analysis on page 3.
Meanwhile, Cameroon Tribune headlines: Fight against terrorism: The new digital front. Faced with an ever-evolving threat that now relies on ICT, artificial intelligence, and social networks, the regular updating of prevention and response strategies has become a vital necessity for states. Likewise, developing and implementing a synergy of actions among affected countries, whether directly or indirectly, is essential. Read the focus of Cameroun Tribune on pages 6-7.
Continuing with Info Matin, the front-page headline reads: Towards new financing to transform the electricity sector. The ambitious program envisioned for Cameroon by the World Bank was announced on March 17 in Yaoundé during a meeting between the Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, and a delegation from the Bretton Woods institution led by the Director of Operations for West and Central Africa, Cheik Fantamady Kante. More details on page 3.
Let’s conclude this edition in the spirit of Ramadan with L’Actualité, which reports that in Maroua, Minister Célestine Ketcha Courtes has provided major support to the faithful. True to her humanitarian commitment, the Table Ouverte WAKECO Foundation, under her leadership, offered significant assistance to the Muslim community in Maroua on the occasion of Ramadan 2025. On March 16, in the presence of local authorities and a large crowd gathered in the royal courtyard of the Lamido, food supplies were distributed to help the faithful observe their month of fasting with greater peace of mind. This gesture of solidarity is part of an 18-year-old tradition that also extends to several other cities in the country, including Garoua, Yaounde, Douala, and Bangangté. Read pages 7-8 for more.
