Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh left Maroua on Sunday February 16, 2025, on the airport tarmac, he reassured key figures of the ruling party from the Far North region who had come to see him off: “I have heard, I have seen.” Amid laughter.
The Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic (SGPR) promised to relay all the concerns he had witnessed firsthand during his two-day field visit to President Paul Biya. “Rest assured, I will pass on everything you told me,” he said before heading back to Yaoundé.
This is likely the version of events that Paul Biya’s close collaborator wants the public to remember from his mission.
According to sources familiar with the visit, Ngoh Ngoh arrived in Maroua by plane on February 15 and was scheduled to travel by helicopter to Yagoua, Maga, and Kousseri three northern towns that suffered severe flooding last year.
While the first two visits went smoothly, the stop in Kousseri, in the Logone-et-Chari department, took an unexpected turn.
Local sources report that elected officials from Logone-et-Chari compelled Ngoh Ngoh to stay overnight in Kousseri to ensure he listened to their grievances.
Several amateur videos show angry residents trying to dissuade the SGPR from boarding the helicopter back to Maroua. In the end, he remained in Kousseri overnight, meeting for hours with local officials, traditional leaders, and security personnel in this border area near Chad.
The Kousseri incident has generated significant public debate, with opposition figures interpreting it as a sign of cracks forming within the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC) just months ahead of the October presidential election.
Some opposition figures believe the frustration in Kousseri reflects broader dissatisfaction across the Far North, a region that has historically been a stronghold for Paul Biya.
Some, like former Social Democratic Front (SDF) official Parfait Mbvoum, see this as the beginning of the end for Biya’s regime.
However, Ngoh Ngoh was quick to counter this narrative. As he left Maroua, he insisted that he would reassure the president of continued political support from the Far North.
He pointed to public statements from Logone-et-Chari officials who expressed regret over the Kousseri incident and pledged a “100% vote” for Paul Biya in October even though the long-serving president has yet to formally announce his candidacy.
For some insiders, the controversy surrounding Ngoh Ngoh’s visit is unfortunate, particularly as his mission took on the appearance of an early election campaign.
“The SGPR is not a politician but a statesman,” one power circle regular remarked. “Traditionally, the SGPR conducts unofficial and discreet field visits on behalf of the president. He then submits a report to Biya, who can either visit himself something he never does or send the Prime Minister.”
Courtesy Business in Cameroon/ KNews
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Secretary-General of the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh
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