Unrepentant Biya kick starts SOCADEL with marginalisation of Anglophones.

It is a post-Papal visit start, which observers say makes mockery of the message Pope Leo XIV delivered at the Unity Palace, on April 15, 2026, at the start of his four-day apostolic visit to the country.

Among other things, the Pope had said: “...serving one’s country means dedicating oneself with a clear mind and an upright conscience to the common good of all in the name”. He added that “...this includes dedication to both the majority of the population and minorities as well as their mutual harmony”.

Despite such plea from the Holy Father, critics have qualified the complete absence of Anglophones within the SOCADEL’s leadership as telling of the Head of State being unrepentant in the face Anglophone marginalisation. 

Those who fault the situation, say it is the same presidential ‘stubbornness’ that plunged the North West and South West Regions into chaos, since 2016 and still counting. 

Among the pioneer Board Members appointed same Monday, and the management put in place yesterday, Anglophones are nowhere to be found. 

Critics have been quick to state, without mincing words, that the President’s choices in opening a new chapter for the country's electricity sector, could just be a strong indication of many dark days for Anglophones; in the highly-awaited appointment of a Vice President, new government and appointment of General Managers of State corporations.

Political watchers say for such a critical sector as electricity and given the country’s historical contentions that have remained along its linguistic divide of Anglophones and Francophones, the Head of State should have consciously considered appointing at least a single Anglophone among the new management team. 

The feeling among many Anglophones, as SOCADEL makes its baby steps in taking over from the Energy of Cameroon, ENEO, is that Biya has started off a whole new chapter of Anglophone marginalisation.

While many are voicing their discontent privately, prominent Anglophone rights lawyer, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla, in a statement issued yesterday has condemned the sad development in very strong terms. 

In his outing, titled: “Anglophones cannot continue to be ignored”, the award-winning lawyer and known Anglophone voice questioned how such a constitution of key SOCADEL organs was made without a single Anglophone.

The rights lawyer stated that: “This is not an oversight but a reflection of a deeper and persistent problem”.

He recalled that: “Cameroon was built on the coming together of two peoples; commonly referred to, today as Anglophones and Francophones, historically known as West and East Cameroon”.

Based on such historical foundation, he said; “...reality” imposes on leaders of the nation, “not only recognition, but a fair and equitable representation in national institutions”. He said Anglophones are once again in the face of exclusion.

‘Clear, dangerous message’ 

Beyond questioning the silence of Anglophone leaders, lawmakers, traditional leaders and those in the corridors of power, Agbor Balla said: “…we are often told that those appointed serve the entire nation. That may be true in principle. But in practice, representation matters”.

He further wrote that, the persistent absence of a people, “from decision-making spaces, sends a clear and dangerous message”. 

According to the prominent lawyer, “we are tired of being told that raising these concerns” is “complaining”. 

Agbor Balla, who has been consistent in decrying Anglophone marginalisation, added that; “...we are tired of being expected to remain silent in the face of systemic exclusion”. The person who is not at the table, Agbor stated, becomes the menu.

He insisted that leadership is not just about occupying a position, noting that the people are rather being served silence when they are expecting “courage” and “representation”. 

He challenged Anglophone leaders to rise to the billing and speak to “demand fairness”.

Women, youth absent

While Anglophones are decrying maginalisation, others have gone further to evoke that there is no woman or youth among the appointees into SOCADEL. 

This, they are saying, is contrary to the promise of the Head of State, while campaigning for his current mandate. He had pledged to prioritise women and youths in leadership.

ENEO becomes SOCADEL

The Monday, May 4, 2026 decree transforming the Energy of Cameroon, ENEO, to SOCADEL, was welcomed with pockets of blackouts in several parts of the country.

The transformation completed the nationalisation of ENEO. It is a process that went underway in 2025. 

Many have qualified the pockets of blackouts that marked the beginning of SOCADEL as telling of the hurdles that still abound in the country’s electricity sector.

Article 2 (1) of the decree creating SOCADEL states that besides being a public structure, its shares may be open to other public and private companies. 

Its functioning, share capital and conditions for buying shares in the corporation, Biya stipulated, will be laid out in the company’s Article of Association.

The decree also stated that the headquarters of the company shall be in Douala, with possibility of relocation to any other town nationwide; with the approval of the company’s Board of Directors and General Meeting.

Decree No.2026/163 of May 4, 2026, “to transform the Energy of Cameroon, ENEO, into a State-owned corporation”, also outlines the mission of SOCADEL. 

Chapter III Article 4 of the decree details that, it shall carry out certain functions at home and abroad.

Among the functions, the presidential decree makes clear that, the new company shall carry out, “all activities relating directly or indirectly to the production, distribution, import and export, purchase, sale and use of electric power”.

It also gives it power to engage I civil, legal, industrial, commercial, movable and immovable “property transactions that may be directly or indirectly related to its corporate purpose and to any other similar of related purposes…”.

Meanwhile, Article VI of the same decree orders the transfer of the concession agreement between the State and ENEO to SOCADEL.

Management of SOCADEL

Chapter IV of the creation decree spells out that the management bodies of SOCADEL comprises; General Meeting, the Board of Directors and Management. 

In chapter V Article 10, the decree elucidates that the General Meeting has a chairperson who is a representative of the Minister of Finance alongside representatives of the Presidency, Prime Minister’s Office, ministry in charge of electricity and the Ministry of the economy.

Meanwhile, its Board of Directors is composed of; a personality appointed by the President of the Republic, representatives of the Presidency, Prime Minister’s Office, ministries of finance, that in charge of electricity and that of the economy. 

Other members are the Directors General, DGs, of the Electricity Development Corporation, EDC, the National Electricity Transportation Company, SONATREL, and an elected staff representative.

Pioneer management team, Board members

The first meeting of the Board of Directors of SOCADEL was held at the Yaounde Hilton yesterday. The main agenda was to put in place the management team to kick start operations. 

Ace politician and former member of government, Antoine Ntsimi, was appointed pioneer Board Chairperson. 

Meanwhile, former Deputy Director General of ENEO, Oumarou Hamadjoda, was picked as pioneer Director General of SOCADEL, while Jean Basile Ekobena was appointed Deputy Director General of the new nationalised structure.

On Monday, Biya had through Decree No. 2026/165 of May 4, 2026, appointed the pioneer Board members of SOCADEL. 

Among them are; Ntsimi Antoine, as personality designated by the Head of State; Makonda Fidele, representing the Presidency of the Republic; Chameni Nemboua Celestin, representing the Prime Minister’s Office; Thome Adolphe, representative of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy; Edoa Gilbert Didier, representative of the Ministry of  Finance; Ahmat Tom, representative of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT; the Director General of SONATREL, Mbeumi Nyaknga Victor; the Director General of the Electricity Development Corporation, EDC, Dr Nsangou Theodore and a staff representative,  yet to be voted and communicated to the Board.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3781 of Wednesday May 06, 2026