From this side of the Sanaga, we entertain no qualms whatsoever about Mr. Iya’s never-ending tenure being re-vivified for another century. There is one thing about this man that commands respect : he likes power and he is apt at keeping it. Granted, the jury is still out as to whether he will ultimately cling to power this time around, but whichever way you look at it, Mr. Iya is far better than all of the declared candidates for the top job and has, above all, legitimacy on his side. He wins at the ballot box.
Trying to determine whether Mr. Iya is fit for the job is a red herring. The question that matters at this point in time is why this man, who is widely vilified, who has openly shown contempt for corporate accountability and who has failed many times to deliver on his mandate, is still there winning and winning again. A good answer could be that he is very good at securing his position. The right answer, I believe, is that, save Mr. Joseph Antoine Bell’s failed bid to the job, there has been no bona fide attempt to wrestle power away from Mr. Iya. That says a lot about the whole country.
Mr. Bell, articulate with great credentials and goodwill, has never, for reasons unknown, tried again. That is unfortunate for all of us, because the Bells of Cameroon, who would have a legitimate claim to top jobs at public institutions, routinely decide to stay outside and be right all the time. Staying outside looking in, I am sorry to say, is not good politics. No matter how right you can be, you never make a difference if you do not have power. Power in this game is everything. You can therefore understand why people like Mr. Iya will never relinquish it without a mighty fight. And why, pray tell, would they?
I believe that Mr. Iya has overstayed his welcome long ago, but I respect his resolve and his right to fight for his job. Even though he got it for the first time by accident, through a unique Cameroonian thing called « ad hoc committee », without fighting for it. The plight we live through, the sorry governance situation of the game of football in our country could well be explained by the possibility that power got thrust upon a reluctant soul who never asked for it and who never knew what to do with it. That is why, again from this side of the big river, we are dead against any angel getting the top job through a special or ad hoc committee.
