By Prince Mundi Tanda*
As another year unfolds, Cameroon remains steeped in the tradition of extravagant New Year wishes ceremonies – a spectacle emblematic of the nation’s leadership but increasingly controversial in the face of widespread poverty and suffering.
The president Paul, and wife Chantal Biya have hosted separate events, followed by the National Assembly and Prime Minister’s Office. Ministries are set to follow suit. While these ceremonies are rooted in symbolism, they also starkly highlight the glaring misallocation of public resources in a country grappling with immense socio-economic challenges.
These gatherings, marked by imported wines, elaborate decorations, and lavish dining, stand in sharp contrast to the grim realities faced by millions of ordinary Cameroonians. Children in rural areas continue to study in dilapidated classrooms with mud floors, families rely on polluted streams for water, and health centers lack basic medical supplies. In urban areas, rising living costs force many households to make impossible choices between food and other essentials.
A staggering financial toll
The cost of these ceremonies is staggering. Citing unnamed sources from the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency, a sister publication reported that FCFA 25 billion was spent during the 2019 New Year wishes presentation to President Paul Biya. With inflation and rising economic pressures, the 2025 event has likely exceeded this figure. To put it into perspective, these funds could transform the lives of countless Cameroonians.
A single government-contracted classroom in Cameroon costs approximately FCFA 8 million. By this estimate, the 2019 ceremony could have funded the construction of 3,125 classrooms – enough to significantly reduce the nationwide shortage of nearly 31,000 classrooms reported in 2020 in a study by Scientific Research Publishing (SCIRP).
The average cost of drilling a borehole in Cameroon is FCFA 2.5 million. With FCFA 25 billion, 10,000 boreholes could be drilled – providing clean water to rural communities where preventable waterborne diseases claim lives daily.
Similarly, the construction of a state-of-the-art health center, complete with a borehole, costs around FCFA 55 million, as evidenced by the Bamengoum Health Center inaugurated in 2023 in the West Region of the country. This means that the funds from just one New Year wishes ceremony could build 455 of such health centers, bringing life-saving services to underserved communities.
These ceremonies, once meant to foster goodwill and showcase unity, now serve as a glaring symbol of misplaced priorities. The feasting and toasting of elites at the expense of critical social needs underscore the widening gap between the privileged and the impoverished.
Lessons from Tanzania
Tanzania offers a compelling example of fiscal prudence. In 2015, then-President John Magufuli canceled Independence Day celebrations, redirecting the budget towards building a road in Dar es Salaam, the largest city and economic capital of the East African country. He repeated this approach in 2020, allocating funds to medical supplies instead of festivities.
His successor, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has continued this legacy. In 2022, she canceled Independence Day celebrations and redirected the $445,000 budget (approximately FCFA 284 million) to build dormitories for children with special needs. Eight dormitories were constructed in primary schools across the country.
Cameroonians have called for similar measures from President Biya. A suspension of these ceremonies through a presidential decree would send a powerful message of fiscal responsibility and solidarity with the population. It would prioritize classrooms over cocktails, water over wine, and progress over pageantry.
A call to action
The moral imperative facing Cameroon is clear: Should celebrations take precedence over alleviating suffering? How many lives are lost to hunger, disease, and neglect while public funds are squandered on ceremonial extravagance? How many children remain trapped in cycles of poverty and illiteracy because basic infrastructure is ignored?
It is time for a national reckoning. Public resources must be redirected to address urgent needs, from education and healthcare to clean water and infrastructure. Leaders must rise above outdated traditions and embrace meaningful reforms that prioritize the well-being of the people.
Cameroonians are watching, waiting, and hoping for leadership that demonstrates genuine care for their welfare. This is a plea for justice, a call for action, and a demand for change. Let 2025 be the year when deeds replace ceremonies, and progress takes precedence over pomp.
*Prince Mundi Tanda is a journalist, news presenter and reporter with Vision 4 television in Yaounde.
This report was first published in NewsWatch newspaper No. 195 of Monday, January 20, 2025.
