Paul Atanga Nji: My fight for Biya regime.

The Biblical Paul enjoyed spiritual depth, simplifying spiritual realities and raising giants in faith. 

But in the tale of Cameroon’s transition from the era of President Ahmadou Ahidjo to the coming to power of President Paul Biya, certain men have had and continue to hold special places in making leadership easy for the man of the New Deal since November 6, 1982.

Among these men, the one who has come out without fear or favour to recount the deadly battles and sacrifices he has made in support of President Paul Biya is Paul Atanga Nji. 

He is popular today as Minister of Territorial Administration, demonstrating unbending support to the Head of State and vigorous in insisting on the Respect of State institutions. 

He didn’t start today, it is part of his culture which he sees as patriotism, support for the one who incarnates the institutions of the State and service to nation.

Minister Atanga Nji, in his book titled: “Paul Atanga Nji: 37 years of flawless fidelity to the Head of State and State institutions”, has taken Cameroonians into a world of his, never told. 

Some at least may have been told or lived patches of his sacrificial support for the regime in place but in his memoir, the MINAT boss brings to the public space his immeasurable distance covered in standing hand-in-hand and toe-to-toe under all circumstances with the Head of State.  

At best, the author adds that the books is “…and understanding of his permanent fight for the respect of Republican legality”. 

Atanga Nji reveals in the book that he has for decades been tenacious and visionary in ensuring that the State remains strong and that President Paul Biya enjoys the highest level of support even when doomsayers say it is over, to continue guiding Cameroon.

Unlike opportunists and others who just found themselves in public offices and the corridors of power overnight, Atanga Nji’s story is a tale of a young man who has for decades running been showing a deep insight into why the State and Biya’s leadership in particular must never be brought to its knees.

Atanga Nji right from his days as a businessman has been viewing Cameroon from the prism of assuaging the plight of its citizens and supporting those in authority particularly the Head of State succeed.

His book brings to the limelight, accounts and pictural evidences of his uncompromising position in the most delicate moments in Cameroon’s democratic journey. 

At best, he is not known to be a man who always holds popular opinion, but one thing stands out in his accounts and what Cameroon is today,  Atanga has often gotten things right.

He presents himself as the man who has always been on the right side of currency and history especially when it comes to the last 43 years and still counting of President Paul Biya’s leadership.

Atanga Nji has across these decades remain a phenomenon. When he first got the impulsion to support President Biya, he was just a concerned Cameroonian, responding to the need for the country to function well.

His story, as told in his book typifies that Atanga Nji didn’t fight to be where he is today. Power and the call to serve at a higher level came after him. 

Atanga Nji, the man who saw today yesterday

As he crisscrossed the world doing business from his base in Douala, Atanga Nji, known for his convictions found enough space to power State institutions and read deep meaning into where President Biya was leading Cameroon to. 

He has not had his way easy. He has worked selflessly, putting his resources and life sometimes on the line to defend country and its leader Paul Biya.

Selfless support to State in times of despair

Having lived the transition period with President Ahmadou Ahidjo having asked compatriots to give their unwavering support to his constitutional successor, Paul Biya, Atanga Nji embraced the nation’s new chapter wholeheartedly.

Thus, records in his book show that from the early years of the Biya Presidency, especially in the trying moments of the 1990 post-election uncertainties, Atanga Nji was one of the pillars that put things back on rail.

On 18 August 1988, Atanga Nji offered to the government and the ruling CPDM, 57 million FCFA. Other of such selfless offers included;  donation of a Renault 12 vehicles, two Yamaha motorcycles and four IBM computers to one time Secretary of State  to the Minister of  State in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Ahmadou Ali.

Still in 1988, there is also the offer of a medicalised ambulance, 10 beds and matrasses to the Ministry of Public Health. Then, it was Minister Prof Joseph Mbede who received the donation. 

The Ministry of Social Affairs also benefited sewing machines, tricycles and other materials from Atanga Nji destined to the Etoug-Ebe Handicap Centre.

To the then Ministry of Agriculture, he offered a tractor and wheel barrows to support young farmers. He also gave other colossal sums of money to the CPDM party, offered financial support to the Ministry of Finance. 

Other State institutions that enjoyed his patriotic largesse in time past as recorded in his book are the General Delegation for National Security and the Yaounde Central Prison.

Aged around 27 years then, Atanga Nji said the donation were in response to appeals from President Biya for citizens to help cushion the effects of the global economic meltdown of that time.

Between 1990 and 2005, Atanga Nji disclosed that under the banner of the Association of Youths for Progress and Solidarity, he sponsored the training of over 1,000 young compatriots in diverse fields. 

From 1990 to 1995, Minister Atanga Nji was active in supporting scores of young people, whom he said, were manipulated by the opposition to pour out to the streets.

Through the association he headed, Atanga Nji said he invested between 50,000 FCFA and 200,000 FCFA on every beneficiary to ensure the rebuilt their lives. 

He recalls making several visits to the Etoudi Market and Marche Central in Yaounde and, Mbobbi Market in Douala to follow up on the young compatriots.

He also led social investment ventures such as clearing the streets of Yaounde, sponsoring free health screening for 1,500 persons. 

How Atanga Nji crippled ghost town in 1990

When civil strife took the nation, especially its major cities such as Douala hostage in the 1990s, many got confused. Even people in the corridors of power saw their backs against the wall. 

It was thanks to Atanga Nji whom, as a businessman saw the suffering of the masses, engaged authorities in Yaounde and invested to frustrate the operation.

Atanga Nji, going by his testament published in his book, invested at least 122 million FCFA to buy taxis that were put into circulation. He submitted the proposal and government at the time embraced it. 

That is how circulation resumed in Douala, a city that had come to a standstill, with losses for the nation. 

He noted that one Toyota KE70 in 1991 cost 2500 US dollars, asserting that he spent 250,000 US dollars to fulfil his mission to support the government.

While traffic was restored and life was returning to normal, Atanga Nji negotiated and convinced several diehard proponents of the ghost town operation and opposition supporters to turn republican. 

Romance with Lapiro de Mbanga against civil unrests

The then business mogul today MINAT boss reveals in his book how he laboured to convince musician, Lambo Sandjo Pierre Roger popularly known as Lapiro de Mbanga of blessed memory to dissociate himself from those fronting ghost towns.

Atanga Nji disclosed that it was thanks to him that Lapiro produced his album, titled “No Make Erreur” which warned citizens on the dangers of civil disobedience. 

He detailed having been aware of some actors such as Anicet Ekane then of the UPC party; activist Mboua Massock and Djeukam Tchameni as those who tried to enhance the ghost town in Douala but he succeeded to overcome their plan with his ingenuity. 

Kicked against sovereign national conference 

When the liberty laws came into place at the close of 1990, 1991 opened with the opposition pressuring government to organise a sovereign national conference. 

In his autobiography on his support for the regime in place, Atanga Nji reveals how he was the first among three persons who had been entrusted the duty to explain to citizens why such was not needed.

The persons who handled the task for the State, he disclosed in his book, marveled that he [Atanga Nji] delivered on the merits of not holding such a conference while intellectuals of high standing were afraid and wasting time on acting given the urgency of the time.

Punctured All Anglophone Conference 

While some Anglophones converted on Buea in September 1993 to state the All Anglophone Conference. 

Atanga Nji disclosed boldly how from his base in Douala, he made frantic efforts to get to the Head of State to dissociate the people of the North West and South West Regions from the meeting.

From organising contrary meetings in Douala, to moving to Yaounde and being received by President Paul Biya, Atanga Nji said he drove home the message to the Head of State that Anglophones have no problem.

He continues to insist that those who organised the meeting wanted to defy State authority and create division among Cameroonians.  

He quotes the Star Building occupant at the time, Simon Achidi Achu as having in turn received his delegation on Biya’s instructions, praising him for having saved Anglophones from an embarrassment.

The minister also recalled having created the Union of Anglophones Against Federalism to fight against the push for a return to federalism in Cameroon. 

This, he documented, was in 2003 when the organisers of the All Anglophone Conference wanted to stage another gathering in Buea.

Atanga Nji maintains the same narrative with the crisis in the North West and South West Regions. In the publication, Atanga Nji insists that President Biya has done more than enough to Anglophones. 

The MINAT strong man profiles top positions occupied by aborigines of the two English-speaking Regions in government, maintaining that the people need to continue supporting Biya.

This, is a position he has continued to hold even amid the hue and cry from Anglophones. He even published articles indicating that Anglophones who make up 20percent of the country’s population occupy 35% of important positions in the country’s administration.

Longest walk in support of Biya 

In 2005, Atanga Nji staged what he says till date remains the longest walk in support of President Paul Biya in contemporary history. 

Atanga Nji and a few others walked on foot from Bamenda to Yaounde, covering a distance of 405 kilometers. 

This was from August 12 to 20, 2005. At every stop, he addressed crowds, boosting support for Biya.

Architect of Biya’s life presidency project, 2008 constitutional amendment

When the story is told of the 2008 constitutional amendment that removed presidential term limits, the name of Atanga Nji is never mentioned. 

But the book detailing his undying support for Biya, the Minister revealed how he nursed the idea while serving as CPDM Section President for Mezam.

Atanga Nji said work went into effect on February 17, 2008 and by the time the CPDM was celebrating its 23^rd anniversary in March of that year, he said the likes of Minister Prof Fame Ndongo had bought his idea and other CPDM sections across the country were on the alert.

The author said they chose Bamenda in the North West Region, Monatele in the Centre Region and Bafoussam in the West Region to launch the project and ensured other regions keyed in. 

Atanga Nji argued that he had deemed it wise to remove such road blocks years ahead of time to ensure when the time comes, Biya’s re-election was not going to face any hurdle.

Today, the book typifies Atanga Nji as the man who battled to elongate Biya’s stay at the helm of the State which would have ended in 2011. 

Battle with regime barons to see through Constitutional modification 

Beyond the idea having been embraced at the level of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency, Atanga Nji recounts that within government circles, some regime heavyweights were reticent to join. 

He stated that their posture left him reflecting if everyone was working to give Biya flawless support.

The Minister recounted having received a message from then Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, through the Governor of the North West Region at the time, Koumpa Issa, warning against discussing constitutional amendment. He quotes Koumpa as having said his principal at the time had evoked fears of provoking the anger within the public space. 

This, he wrote, was on March 20, 2008 when he arrived Bamenda after having printed 30,000 gadgets to hit the ground with the project on the 24 during the CPDM rally.

On return to Yaounde, Atanga Nji said he briefed Biya on the reticence of some ministers in supporting the constitutional amendment project.

Sponsors campaign music production

Having opened the gates for Biya to seek re-election, Atanga Nji detailed having sponsored the production of a song “Paul Biya, ton mandate n’est pa fini a Etoudi” which in English is “Paul Biya, your mandate in Etoudi is not yet finished”.

The Head of State’s wife, Chantal Biya, he documents, wrote to him surprisingly, commending the song.

Untiring foot soldier of President Biya 

As thorough as Atanga Nji was in documenting his battle to support President Biya in the last 37 years, his contemporary actions are also archived in his latest publication.

He delves into actions in implementing presidential directives in stepping up security across the North West and South West Regions. 

The minister revisits his work as MINAT boss in delivering presidential relieve to victims of atrocities in the English-speaking Regions and elsewhere across the country.

As has been his tradition 37 years and still counting, Atanga Nji is yet to say his last in supporting the Head of State. 

He is the first member of government to get to the field following the October 12, 2025 presidential election to tour the country, take stock and drum the need for peace, living together and national unity.

Those who have read through the chronicle of the thorns, fire and raging storms Atanga Nji has overcome in support of Biya, say he remains an extraordinary political weathercock and matchless patriot.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3627 of Monday November 17, 2025