AFCON 2016: Biya calls on gov’t to get to work

The head of state, in his address to the nation on December 31, 2015, emphasized the imminence of the government to continue with preparations for the 2016 Women's African Cup o Nations (AFCON).

In the middle of his spiel, Paul Biya spoke about the impending hosting of the female African nations cup at the end of the year, and the men's competition in 2019.

"Our nation is challenged by specific projects that must be met. We must welcome women AFCON in 2016 and male AFCON in 2019. For this, we need adequate infrastructure. I have asked the government to actively work towards that," he emphasized in his speech.

This is nothing based on the above phrase. Instead, it sounds more like a refrain. Paul Biya has only put the ball in the camp of his staff to whom he has entrusted in organizing such major events, starting with the female AFCON women planned from November 19 to December 3 of this year.

For this purpose, Biya signed on October 3, 2014, a decree establishing the organization and functioning of the national preparedness of African nations Cup in 2016 and 2019 (COMIP-Can).

This was entirely under the leadership of Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, responsible for defining the strategic direction and the action plan to be implemented within the framework of preparations for such competitions.

The committee was composed of 40 members of the government, public organizations and even parastatals. Resolutions arising from the work of this body remained secret and has not been published in the media, although, in truth, it has not been very active since its inception.

Paul Biya, nonetheless, trusts his employees that make up this committee and prefers to enjoy his background activity as a chief supervisor.

The President thus urged his government for the effective preparations for the sports high masses whenever the opportunity arises.

On October 15, 2015, during a rare cabinet meeting he chaired in recent years, Biya again entrusted the projector to his prime minister, conductor of COMIP-CAN.

This was with the idea of taking the pulse of preparations on the ground, including the construction of infrastructure.

Even though there has been some improvement in the development of sports facilities, the fact remains that contingencies exist in achieving other related projects, including highway construction of the Douala- Yaoundé highway which is regularly swallowed up by compensation concerns of people affected by the track layout.