THE BIG INTERVIEW
L’Hebdo Politique: How did you get into politics?
Hello Dear Guy. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address myself to my brothers and sisters through this interview. First of all, allow me to take advantage of the opportunity you offer me here, to present my best wishes for this new year 2023, to all Cameroonians. To all my brothers, sisters and friends. And finally, to the entire international community.
To come back to your question. I will simply say that politics is genetic and in my blood. For those who will have the opportunity and the chance to read my book which will be published soon, they will understand that the genes of a political heritage reside in my body and in my blood.
Exclusive representative of the LG brand and owner of the LUCKYGWET brand, the Cameroonian people discovered me very early in the 2000s, a dynamic businessman, very enterprising and above all patron of several sports activities, sponsor of CEPAS marathons, sports of President Paul BIYA, in Yaoundé, for several years. See some pictures in the following link: https://mpcc.be/album-photos/
Along the way, and seeing a very dynamic Cameroonian youth in search of support and sponsor, I told myself that through my person, God wanted me to help Cameroonian youths, instead of accumulating profits and researching profit staff. I had the pleasure of redistributing my money through the sports support of the young conquerors, which gave me satisfaction, because my pleasure was to see the young people succeed. And all the teams I’ve had to support have been winning teams. In turn, I sponsored: Dynamo Club of Douala, which won against the Canon of Yaoundé. The following year, I sponsored Canon de Yaoundé who won against Coton Sportif de Garoua, and the following year, I sponsored Kumbo Striker who also won the Cameroon cup that year.
In answer to your question, I would simply say that politics is above all for me, the taste and the pleasure of acting, of helping others, of thinking collectively for our people, especially for young people in search of benchmarks and for future generations.
Moreover, in the face of the problems and difficulties encountered by my brothers, my sisters and our children on a daily basis, the attachment of my heart to Cameroon, our people, has always obliged me not to remain unchanged and waiting for magic that will change their situation.
Faced with the suffering of my compatriots for decades, I turned my back on business and the search for personal gain, to prepare myself to bring about change in Cameroon, after the reign of President Paul BIYA.
It was necessary to take action by providing in October 2, 2009 my political party, the MPCC. I therefore decided to invest myself and prepare myself in politics to direct our future towards a favorable and mobilizing project which will give hope and chance to our people, rather than to remain immobile and continue suffering.
It is time with the MPCC, to do politics differently in Cameroon. A more humanist policy, a fairer policy, a policy for the general interest. At the MPCC, I am committed to putting in place a more democratic system in which each citizen becomes an actor of change, he will have to engage in politics with a single objective, that of working for a people and the future. Future generations. My duty and obligation will be to put in place the best conditions of education, health and safety for all, by improving the standard of living of every Cameroonian in general. It is a teamwork that excludes no one. I need every Cameroonian and Now.
The Politics Hebdo: Son of a former UPC activist, why aren’t you active in this party?
The primary goal of a political party remains the conquest of power and the struggle for the interests of the people. However, it seems to me that today’s UPC has moved away from this main objective and instead accompanies the friends in place in the quest to share cakes and a few places under the sun.
It’s time to open your eyes and face the truth. Each chooses a time. The MPCC was designed to breath new life into the UPC, you will notice that the Red of our LOGO represents the red of the UPC. I therefore invite all my brothers and sisters of the UPC to join us in this new political formation, to continue together the fight of our ancestors in another form, in peace, in dignity and only for the interests of our people.
The Politics Hebdo: Your name GWET means Warrior you consider yourself as such, do you believe you have a divine mission for Cameroon?
Contrary to my Name which means « War », I am a man of peace, love and tolerance. A man of a very calm, gentle and conciliatory attitude.
Am I invested with a divine mission? Maybe.
I will tell you an anecdote: In 2000, I was invited by an American-Israeli friend for a short stay in Israel. Stay at the desired course, I visited several cities, including Jerusalem, where I was priced at the tomb of Jesus. Along the way, I went to Bethlehem, Nazareth and several other towns in Israel. During this stay, I went to bath in the Jourdan, the river in which Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist.
Friday arrived, we decided to go and spend the weekend in the city of DIMONA: A city in which the community of Jews from Ethiopia and black Americans living in Israel live. Upon arrival in this city on Friday afternoon, accompanied by the Princess, my friend, who announced to the King of the Falashas my arrival in the city. As soon as, prayer sessions were organized in all the churches of the city of Dimona for my intention.
The next day, Saturday evening around midnight, the Falasha King had a vision and sent the princess to call me at such a late hour. I got scared and told the princess to go and apologize to the King for such a late hour, and if possible listen to him. When she came back, she said to me: Jean, I have good news for you.
The King has just had a vision that he wanted to announce to you personally: You will be the next President in Cameroon, after President Paul BIYA. I answered him that day, that I do not dream and do not play politics.
Returning from Israel, I started to see several signs: Appearances of light in my hands from time to time, the victories of all the football teams that I had to sponsor at the time etc… I understood that my mission on earth was other than the search for money, personal well-being and Wealth. But on the contrary, that it was necessary to prepare for the succession of President Paul BIYA, which I have been doing for 22 years, in the shadows and in silence.
What should we think ? I deeply believe that all power comes from God who entrusts each human being on earth with a mission from birth. Mine is to improve the well-being of Cameroonians by taking decisions at the highest level of the state in their favor.
The Politics Hebdo: Graduated in 3rd cycle in Diplomacy and Strategy, Graduated from the Higher Institute of Commerce and Administration of Paris etc. You have obtained most of your diplomas abroad. Is this an admission of the non-competitiveness of the Cameroonian educational system?
France is my second homeland, a country that has welcomed me since 1979 as a permanent resident with a 10-year residence permit, which I renew every 10 years. Had it not been for my political ambitions and my love for Cameroon, I would have taken French nationality, like many of my brothers and sisters. I am a patriot who loves his country, I will die Cameroonian.
As for the Cameroonian education system, there is indeed a problem of quality of education in our country.
A World Bank study highlights the sad quality of education in most schools in our country. One of the main causes is the lack of management capacities at the various decision-making levels. The study points out that this problem is closely linked to problems of governance, poor management and the lack of transparency in the allocation of resources.
It also highlights a worrying gap between rich and poor,
The sad reality is that in its policy of reducing unemployment, the government recruits and entrusts this sensitive side of education to young people recruited here and there without any required quality; only in search of matriculation for the public service. Unfortunately, today we find schoolteachers unable to write a sentence without fault and even less to produce a text which arouses the taste and the desire to read; chose inconceivable a few years earlier.
Many young people from poor families and those in rural areas leave school without knowing how to read, write or count and are unable to enter the labor market.
It is true that government policy is to provide each village with at least one school, however, high schools generally operate in areas without water and electricity, with classrooms with unfinished buildings, and even that in some towns and villages around Maroua and in the far north in general, students find themselves on the ground. In short, a framework not conducive to education.
And to top it all off, the lessons are given to young temporary workers, the vast majority of whom only care about making ends meet by any means necessary. In addition there is this phenomenon of the purchase of diplomas, decried for a long time by those who present themselves in universities as lecturers, university professors. How do you want the teaching to be competitive?
The Politics Hebdo: What is the origin of the MPCC, what is your vision for Cameroon and what are the pillars through which you want to change Cameroon?
The creation of the MPCC obeys my vocation, an almost divine mission that needed to go through the structuring of a political rally, in a way a tool to inoculate my vision in the heads and hearts of my supporters first, Cameroonian populations and the international community.
My Immediate Priorities will be: Reducing the cost of living for Cameroonians, giving every Cameroonian substantial purchasing power, Providing water, electricity, roads, health insurance, health, education, a HUB, a large International Airport in the far north for the United States, China, Europe, the World…, Boosting tourism, industry and jobs.
The Politics Hebdo: You are candidates for the 2025 presidential election, what is the difference between you and the other candidates? What do you offer Cameroonians, what is your social project?
Not having the right to announce a judgment on my own person and on my candidacy, I prefer to provide you with some elements of comparison on: My Birth, my History, my life, my Biography, my experiences, my project of society, my commitments for the people, in the links below. Everything about me is documented in photo and video. It is also easier to go to Google and type: Jean Blaise GWET, you will have everything about me and my social project. Do the same for each of the other candidates, who have no political party for some, and no elected for others.
My Biography: https://mpcc.be/jean-blaise-gwet-2/
Our 20 Commitments (Company Project): https://mpcc.be/nos-engagements/
MPCC Home Page: https://mpcc.be/
Photo Album: https://mpcc.be/album-photos/
Video Album: https://mpcc.be/albums-videos/
Moreover, there is a fundamental difference with several candidates who do not know the conditions for standing in the presidential election of 2025 because they do not have local elected representatives, an essential condition. At the MPCC, we have 3 local elected officials: a big difference that automatically qualifies us. Others will be forced to juggle with small political parties in the neighborhood to be able to claim to become president.
Another big fundamental difference is that I myself created the MPCC, my political party, which is my baby, with my heart 14 years ago. It is a party with a vision: that of bringing peace to Cameroon after President Paul BIYA, unlike several leaders who have bought or taken over existing political parties. For me, a real political leader is a man who has had the courage to create a political apparatus, which accompanies him to the Supreme Magistracy. This has been my case for 14 years.
And finally, I am a man, who has never participated in any government. An Accountant, a Diplomat, a Strategist, a Company Manager who knows how to draw up a balance sheet and analyze it. I come from the Business sector to straighten out a country, with our wealth without going to borrow. Unlike other candidates, who have worked in the current system, with others who think that we can straighten out a country with beautiful speeches, on TV and on social networks.
The Politics Hebdo: You have 3 Municipal Councilors in the Commune of BOT MAKAK and participated in the 2011 presidential election, what lessons do you draw from these different participations?
The Presidential election of 2011 was for me the beginning of learning the profession of politics which is, for some, an opportunity. Unfortunately, politics is a profession that requires passion, commitment, work, patience, sacrifice and conviction. I went to the political election in 2011 as a child entering primary school to learn. 2018 was for me the accomplishment of an apprenticeship that took me from primary school to University, a journey that gave me all the lessons of politics, all the tools that I needed to mobilize to conquer the supreme magistracy. Have at least one city councilor, luckily I had (3). I could in no way dream of boycotting this election as others have done. A future President means knowing how to anticipate, it’s also a strong network of friends and relations who believe in you and who accompany you, even if they are in the back office for the most part, whom we will never see.
A presidential election has been brewing for decades. I’ve been preparing it for 25 years and I’m ready.
The Politics Hebdo: What do you think of a coalition of opposition forces to hope to replace Paul Biya?
Since the days of President John Fru NDI of the SDF, coalitions have never worked in our country: there have always been traitors at the last minute. Even today when politics has become a business in our country, giving us the impression that politics has turned into business, instead of a struggle for the interests of a people and a Nation.
We are open to any coalition, to all those who wish to join us in our vision of peace. A vision of tolerance that leaves no room for all those who are waiting to hunt witches for Mr. BIYA and his teams. On the contrary, I will have a law adopted, which grants a special to any former President of the Republic and his family, as well as to all the great clerks of the State who have served the Nation with honor and a regime of dignity.
The Politics Hebdo: What are the keys from your point of view to defeat the regime of Paul Biya?
You have certainly seen yourself in today’s world, that despite the dominance of the ruling parties in the electoral games in Africa, candidates from opposition parties still manage to beat them and obtain the supreme magistracy.
This will be the case for Cameroon. The regime in place has had its day around a man, President Paul BIYA. The system in place is worn out and it is a question of facing the truth and looking for a New Man who has never worked in the BIYA system, a Man who will have the duty to bring together Cameroonians from all sides, without any discrimination , ethnic, cultural, religious… to walk all together towards the essential, in tolerance, in love, with the commitment that I have made; never go on a witch hunt.
We propose to all young people from each village, each city, each department, each region to get up and become MPCC in their locality. They will all be presented, in the next municipal and legislative elections, against the lists of the other political parties.
The MPCC (Patriotic Movement for Change in Cameroon) that I lead is a political party open to all our compatriots and for our compatriots. We are waiting for you all.
The Politics Hebdo: After the UNC, there was the CPDM, what do you say to those who say that the system will reproduce itself and that Franck Biya’s candidacy must be taken very seriously?
President Paul BIYA is a sage who loves this Nation and its children. At the dawn of his retirement, it seems unimaginable to me to think that the President could have the idea of throwing his son into the mouth of the wolves, because the real wolves are hidden within the CPDM and each of these wolves lurking in the shadow watches over the chair of the president. The ‘Franck Biya’ solution risks plunging Cameroon into a deep crisis, which could also result in the exile of the President and his family.
Our country has been going through a civil war for several years that does not say its name to NOSO. With several families in exile, both inside Cameroon and outside. The social climate must deteriorate throughout the national territory. On December 13, 2022, Douala experienced the psychosis of the phenomenon of ‘microbes’ paralyzing and terrorizing the populations of the city of Douala. All this denotes the fed up of the populations. The Cameroonian people are no longer ready to continue to support the current system that we seek to perpetuate through the son Franck Biya. Unfortunately, if this act occurs one day, it will be a proof of disenchantment for our nation, perhaps an opening to a deep crisis which will only end after his departure. A solution to avoid absolutely.
Our country is at a crossroads, with two possible alternatives: 1/ Either we take off majestically. So, a new start that will restore confidence and hope to our people and to investors. 2/ Otherwise, we fall into a civil war and a deep crisis.
To conclude, it is time to move on with a New Man, a Clean Man, a Man ready to serve a people with honor and dignity, a Man who will restore confidence to investors, a Man ready to give a place to every Cameroonian . I am up and ready to serve the Nation with Honor and Dignity.
I will never betray anyone. With deep conviction, we shall win for the happiness of our people.