On Friday June 4, 2004, a wild rumour circulated all the streets of Cameroon that reliable news from the Corridors of the Etoudi Unity Palace have confirmed the death of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cameroon Paul Biya Bi Mvondo.
About three people called me on phone to relay the news, and their information was brief; "Paul Biya is death?.' 'You don hear Paul Biya he die.' 'Popol est mort. Mon oncle à la présidence vient d'appeler pour m'informer.' Lol trust Cameroonians with this.
It was funny how short their calls were, with no salutation nor courtesy, but with concision and precision, and more especially speedily delivered. More funny was the fact that immediately after the calls, they deleted the numbers they have dialed, and switched off their phones.
I tried calling everyone, but none of their lines were going through. I went to our office canteen, and met some colleagues, but the look on their faces told me that they too had probably received the same news, but no one dared to comment on it, for fear of what I could not tell.
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| President Paul Biya Still Has SEVEN More Years + To Live According To His Personal Prophesy Of 2004 |
There was a mystery behind this news, and nearly all telephone lines that made calls to announce the news, had automatically been switched off by their users, who were mostly Yaounde city dwellers and civil servants.
I called a closed relative of mine in Yaounde of blessed memory, and fortunately, her phone rang. As she picked it, she just answered me in the dialect calling my name 'Nshan, tieh i jeh nakeh' 'Nshan speak in the dialect'. Lol.... I summoned courage and asked her if the news circulating was true. Her answer was a question; 'who told you?', to be sure I don't call her name when the consequences came hitting. I told her I heard from colleagues. She warned me seriously not to discuss it anywhere, and also made me swear that I will not say she discussed it with me as well. Hum!
Wow! I said 'I promised' then she said; 'yes, it is true. Yaounde is in a dead silence because of the news'. That was all and she dropped the call without waiting for me to ask any further question. All attempts to get her on phone again the whole of that day failed. She too had joined the list of 'Abonnés absent', 'Absent subscribers' of Yaounde that weekend.
I went to my computer and googled 'Paul Biya Dead or Alive'. and a cheekish smiley answered me 'ALIVE'. I smiled and felt comforted within me, thanking God, and trusting that the news was a HOAX, which definitely proved to be. (after all what will I gain if he dies? or what will change if he dies?) But truth is I didn't and don't want him dead.
That weekend was filled with speculations and doubt, especially as everyone automatically had uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, parents etc...who held positions at the Presidential Palace Etoudi, and who gave them first-class information.
To worsen matters, the state-run television CRTV in its editions during that period, focused on the activities of the Head of State. At no time did the rumours disrupt the normal day to day activities of Cameroonians who were more focused on the match the Indomitable Lions were playing Sunday against Benin, as part of the 2006 joint World/African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Everyone thought it was normal that no announcement relating to that was made over TV or radio, because the government could not just announce that the Head of State is dead, for fear rebels might take advantage to destabilize the country.
On Monday June 7, 2004, the then Secretary General of the Presidency, Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara, during an emergency media announcement, categorically cancelled the rumors that President Paul Biya had died in Geneva, Switzerland, where he went a week ago with his family.
Atangana Mebara noted that Biya's death rumours were "devoid of any foundation, unreliable and malicious" and were likely to "sow disarray and doubt in the spirit and hearts of Cameroonians and the international community. "
The rumours were fueled by irresponsible individuals and groups "who care little about the future of Cameroon and its people," the then senior official and now sparrow hawk prisoner said.
Well, when the Lion Man himself returned from his Switzerland hometown, after sources say he was the one who arranged to 'Fake' his own death so as to know his level of popularity, he addressed the situation, saying those who were praying for his death, 'will have to wait for 20 more years' to see their dreams come true. So we started counting his remaining years on earth from that 2004.
It was written down in history that President Paul Biya of Cameroon himself prophesied that he will live to rule Cameroon, until after 2023, when he will be 91 years and above, and only then, will he be able to join his ancestors.
For this reason, all those prophets saying Biya will die come 2018, should revisit the sources of their prophesies, for even the bible says that God acknowledges and approves every word that comes out from our mouths.
