As new gov’t in “coming days” not coming: Biya petitioned over prolonged cumulation of ministerial positions.

Dr Fouda decried that the Ministries of Employment and Vocational Training and that of Tourism and Leisure, are under the control of compatriots who are heading other ministries.

Dr Fouda, in the letter, argued that Mounouna Foutsou, already serving as Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education and Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, have been running two other ministries on interim basis for too long.

According to him, eight months since the October 12, 2025, Presidential election is more than long enough for the Head of State to have appointed two other persons to serve as ministers of vocational training and tourism.

The author of the piece said he is aware other known names within the academia who have shown their worth across generations would be mobilised to challenge his argument but insisted that what is happening is illegal.

Dr Fouda said beyond potential arguments such as continuity of the State, administrative practice and functional substitution, “interim leadership is not a form of government.” 

He hangs on the provisions of Article 10 of the Constitution, which empowers only the Head of State to make military and civilian appointments. 

He also adds to his line of thought, Article 8 of the Constitution, which stipulates that: "The President of the Republic defines the responsibilities of the members of government.”

The scholar insisted that a minister can’t be assigned for such a length of time to head another Ministry without a decree of the Head of State. “The decrees governing the organisation of the government are explicit: one minister per ministry, an interim appointment limited to the duration of the annual leave, never tacitly renewable, and never extendable beyond what the law stipulates,” he said. 

He further shared the point of view that Cameroon can’t exist in “a State of permanent exception.” 

Given the length of the interim, Fouda said decisions signed by the concerned ministers can be challenged in court.

Administratively, he posited that the chain of responsibility regarding the actions of the interim ministers is not clear. 

Politically, Fouda said, citizens are left to see “a State that is improvising, navigating without decrees, without a central authority.”

He insisted that he has nothing personal against Mounouna Foutsou and Gabriel Mbaïrobé, given that they remain in service. 

Dr Fouda said: “They are fulfilling the missions you have entrusted to them. But the Republic itself cannot be governed by prolonged interim appointments. It cannot be run by ministers without a decree. It cannot stand upright without your signature.”

Quoting Biya for always insisting that the State must always remain standing, Fouda said such can only happen if the President takes his responsibility.
In the case of the interim ministers with other portfolios, the situation, he insisted, warrants just decrees from the Head of State.

Context

To note that the Ministry of Leisure and Tourism and the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training were left without heads after Bello Bouba Maigari and Issa Tchiroma Bakary respectively resigned. This was in the buildup to the October 12, 2025 Presidential election. 

Mounouna Foutsou and Gabriel Mbairobe have since then been running both ministries on interim basis.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3910 of Tuesday September 15, 2026