Investigative Report |
By Emmanuel Darlington – Special Correspondent
When Cameroon’s Biya regime unveiled the “Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North-West and South-West” (PPRD-NOSO) in 2020, it came with lofty promises of healing and renewal.
With more than 89 billion CFA francs pledged, the government assured a grieving, war-torn Anglophone population that homes would be rebuilt, roads restored, schools reopened.
But five years on, the people of Ambazonia remain displaced, their villages in ruins, their trust betrayed.
What unfolded was not reconstruction — it was organized looting, and at the center of it all stands Paul Tasong: a man whose rise, duplicity, and role in this scandal epitomize the rot within La République du Cameroun.
A Man of Many Faces and One Agenda
To those who knew him at Sacred Heart College Bamenda, he was Paul Njukang — a boy known more for academic struggles than brilliance.
He repeated multiple classes in an environment that fostered excellence. But somehow, he landed a spot at ENAM (École Nationale d’Administration et de Magistrature) — not through merit, but through tribal lobbying and corrupt backdoor negotiations that bypassed national exam protocols.
ENAM, widely derided as the epicenter of elite manipulation in Cameroon, became the launchpad for a man who would learn early that loyalty to power was more valuable than service to people.
But perhaps more telling is how he changed his name to match his ambition. To his schoolmates and the people of Libialem, he remained Paul Njukang, a Southwesterner.
But to his Francophone masters, he became Paul Tasong — a surname carefully selected to rhyme with his region of adoption in the Ouest, a tribal camouflage that made him more palatable to the Bulu-Beti inner circle of Paul Biya’s regime.
Looting Disguised as Development
As “Minister Delegate” for reconstruction, Tasong was entrusted with a nation’s pain and a people’s future. What he delivered instead was a tragic performance of corruption in plain sight:
• Ghost Companies were awarded multimillion-CFA contracts.
• Projects were either abandoned or never initiated, especially in high-impact zones like Bafut, Muyuka, and Kumbo.
• Inflated invoices turned potholes into million-dollar expenses, with kickbacks allegedly routed to Tasong’s network.
• Funds were selectively allocated to safer, politically-aligned localities, while the heartlands of destruction remained untouched.
When independent observers demanded transparency, the regime cited “security issues.” When opposition leaders called for audits, the state responded with silence.
UNDP’s Silent Role
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), included in lending credibility to the reconstruction process, now faces mounting criticism.
Though technically an “implementing partner,” the UNDP failed to enforce any meaningful oversight. Instead, its presence served as a veneer of international legitimacy, while billions disappeared behind closed doors.
A System Designed to Fail the People
The theft of NOSO reconstruction funds is not an isolated crime. It is the logical consequence of a governance model built on tribal patronage, impunity, and organized theft.
Tasong’s rapid rise, despite a background of mediocrity, is a testament to a regime that does not reward talent — it rewards obedience and duplicity.
His very identity — name, ethnicity, origin — shifts depending on who is watching. He is a political chameleon, mastering the art of survival in a dying dictatorship.
Conclusion: When Reconstruction Becomes Racket
The people of Ambazonia were promised dignity and development. What they received was Paul Tasong — a man who turned tragedy into profit, and healing into hoarding.
While villages remain ashes, he cruises Yaoundé’s boulevards in luxury, shielded by a regime that thrives on betrayal.
Unless justice is done — unless this system of deception is dismantled — there will be no rebuilding. Only more plans. More press conferences. More lies.
Editorial Note:
To clear the air, The Independentist calls for a full, independent, international audit of the PPRD-NOSO funds. All reconstruction efforts must henceforth be community-driven, locally monitored, and free of Yaoundé’s political corruption. Real healing begins with truth and accountability — not with ribbon cuttings and ghost budgets.
