The Cameroon Paradox: Justice, Football, and the IMF’s Roadmap

 

Chapter 1: Prestige without Foundation

Cameroon today stands at a crossroads defined by a paradox that is both striking and troubling. On one hand, the government has invested billions of dollars in football, building stadiums, hosting tournaments, and rewarding players with generous bonuses. On the other hand, the justice system — the very institution meant to guarantee fairness, accountability, and the rule of law — has been left starved of resources, weakened by political interference, and ignored in national priorities.

This imbalance is not simply a matter of numbers on a budget sheet. It is a matter of national survival. A country that builds stadiums but neglects its courts is like a house decorated with gold curtains but built on sand. The curtains may impress visitors, but the house itself is unstable and destined to collapse.

Prestige projects like football are obvious. They bring immediate pride, international attention, and a sense of unity. When Cameroon hosts the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the nation shines on television screens across the continent. Stadiums like Olembé and Japoma stand as monuments of national ambition, symbols of Cameroon’s love for the beautiful game.

But beneath this glitter lies a troubling reality. The judiciary — the institution that ensures laws are respected, corruption is punished, and citizens are protected — is underfunded and undervalued. Judges lack independence, magistrates fear prosecuting powerful elites, and scandals involving billions of francs go unpunished.

The paradox is evident: billions for football, crumbs for justice.

For ordinary citizens, this imbalance is not abstract. It affects daily life in concrete ways. When justice is weak, corruption thrives. When corruption thrives, public services suffer. Hospitals lack medicine, schools lack textbooks, roads remain broken, and welfare programs are underfunded.

Justice is the seed of development. Without planting it, Cameroon cannot harvest fairness, prosperity, or trust.

Chapter 2: Football Obsession

Cameroon’s love for football is undeniable. It is the sport that unites villages, cities, and generations. The Indomitable Lions have proudly carried the flag across Africa and the world, and their tournament victories have brought joy to millions.

But in recent years, this passion has been transformed into a costly obsession with government spending. Between 2019 and 2025, Cameroon committed more than US $900 million to football. The 2021 AFCON alone consumed about 520 billion CFA francs (≈ US $885 million). Stadiums like Olembé and Japoma cost hundreds of millions each, while player bonuses exceeded US $8 million per tournament cycle.

Stadiums stand as monuments of prestige, but they are also symbols of misplaced priorities. They are like giant billboards advertising national pride while hiding cracks in the nation’s foundation.

Football tournaments bring spectacle. They are broadcast across Africa, filling television screens with images of cheering crowds and colourful jerseys. For a few weeks, the nation feels united, proud, and celebrated.

Yet, once the final whistle blows, the reality returns. Hospitals remain underfunded, schools overcrowded, roads broken, heaps of dirt everywhere and justice ignored.

The opportunity cost is enormous: billions spent on stadiums could have built hospitals, repaired roads, provided social welfare schemes for the poor, the weak, children, and families, and funded schools. Instead, citizens study under trees while stadiums shine with floodlights.

Chapter 3: The Starvation of Justice

If football in Cameroon is a feast, then justice is a famine. While stadiums rise tall and bonuses flow freely, the judiciary is left starved of resources, weakened by political interference, and ignored in national priorities. Since 2020, magistrates have been waiting for transfers, promotions and integrations of about five batches of Magistrates from the National School of Administration and Magistracy.

These states of affairs lead to frustration, low morale, career disruptions, diminishing hopes, and increasing disgruntlement among Magistrates, pushing some into corruption.

The judiciary suffers from a lack of independence, underfunding, and selective prosecution. Judges operate under the shadow of executive control.

Appointments and promotions are politically managed, making it risky to prosecute powerful elites. The salaries for Magistrates and support staff are insufficient to enable them to live in dignity, with independence, avoid the temptations of a highly corrupt society, and remain in security, inoculating themselves and maintaining their impartiality.

Covidgate revealed massive fraud in COVID-19 spending: overpriced tests, undelivered ambulances, fraudulent contracts. Yet no senior official was indicted, as the special criminal court lacks the resources to prosecute heavyweight political figures.

The Glencore scandal exposed $21 million in oil‑sector bribery. International investigations led to admissions abroad, but Cameroon’s judiciary remained silent, as it depends on the government’s political will.

Article 66 of the Constitution requires asset declarations, but in 2024, only 14% of cabinet members complied.

The Special Criminal Tribunal (TCS) exists but prosecutes mostly low-level officials, shielding elites.

The consequences are clear: hospitals without medicine, schools without textbooks, roads without repairs, welfare without funding, hygiene without sanitation.

Justice is not a luxury. It is the foundation of development.

Chapter 4: The IMF and World Bank Step In

The IMF and the World Bank froze US$ 650–800 million in multilateral funds. Their principle is simple: no justice, no loans.

Frozen funds include:

• US $150 million for health projects.
• Hundreds of millions in budget support from the AfDB.
• The final US $108 million tranche of the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility.

These funds could transform hospitals, schools, roads, and welfare programs. But they remain locked until Cameroon proves its commitment to justice.

The roadmap is clear:

1. Publish audits.
2. Indict elites.
3. Recover stolen assets.

Conditionalties are not punishment. They are protection. They ensure that funds are not wasted and that citizens benefit.

Chapter 5: Immediate Instructions — The 2026 Deadlines

The IMF and World Bank issued three urgent instructions:

1. Publish the Audit Report by February 28, 2026.
   • Transparency: “Show the receipts.”
2. High‑Profile Indictments by March 31, 2026.
   • Accountability: “Bring the big fish to court.”
3. Conviction with Asset Recovery by September 30, 2026.
   • Consequences: “Return the stolen goods.”

These steps are directly tied to hospitals, schools, welfare, roads, and hygiene. They are lifelines for citizens.

Chapter 6: Medium‑Term Structural Reforms

Beyond immediate actions, deeper reforms are required:

• Judicial independence with fixed‑term judges.
• Audit Bench autonomy.
• Whistleblower protection.
• Asset recovery office.
• Procurement transparency.
• Oil revenue reform.

These reforms strengthen institutions, ensuring accountability for generations.

Justice is the cement that holds the walls of the house together. Without it, collapse is inevitable.

Chapter 7: International Silence and Complicity

France, the AU, and other actors often tolerate Cameroon’s corruption, prioritizing stability over accountability.

France emphasizes Cameroon’s role as a “pillar of peace,” but silence on corruption signals indulgence.

The AU criticized arrests of opposition leaders but lacked enforcement power.

International silence protects elites but punishes citizens.

The IMF and World Bank stand out for conditional pressure, but broader reforms require international courage.

Chapter 8: The Human Cost of Inaction

Frozen funds mean delayed social programs:

• Hospitals: No new clinics, no medicines, overcrowded wards.
• Schools: Overcrowded classrooms, no textbooks, and rural schools without electricity.
• Welfare: No cash transfers, weak support for vulnerable families.
• Roads: Farmers stranded, traders losing goods, rural communities isolated.
• Hygiene: Garbage uncollected, cholera outbreaks, no clean water.

Citizens are punished twice: once by corruption, and again by the delay in reforms.

Chapter 9: Case Studies from Africa

Other African countries offer lessons:

• Ghana: Strengthened audit institutions under IMF pressure. Transparency improved services.
• Nigeria: EFCC prosecuted elites but suffered political interference. Independence is essential.
• Rwanda: Judicial independence reduced corruption and enhanced services.
• Kenya: Procurement transparency reduced fraud and improved efficiency.

Cameroon can learn: transparency, independence, accountability, asset recovery, and procurement reform are vital.

Chapter 10: The Road Ahead

Cameroon faces a choice:

• Failure: Frozen funds, deepening poverty, institutional collapse.
• Success: Released funds, improved services, strengthened institutions, restored confidence.

Citizens must demand accountability. Elites must show courage. International partners must show integrity.

Justice is the road to development. Without it, the road leads to poverty. With it, the road leads to prosperity.

Chapter 11: Justice as the Seed of Development

Football brings pride, but justice brings survival.

Justice unlocks development, restores trust, protects the vulnerable, and strengthens institutions.

Justice is the seed of development. Football is the flower that blooms briefly. Justice is the root that sustains growth.

Cameroon must plant the seed of justice. Only then can it harvest fairness, prosperity, and trust.

Final Conclusion: Justice before Glory

Cameroon’s paradox is apparent: billions for football, crumbs for justice. The IMF and World Bank have intervened, freezing funds and demanding reforms. Their roadmap is simple: publish audits, indict elites, recover stolen assets, and reform institutions.

Failure means frozen funds, deepening poverty, and institutional collapse. Success means released funds, improved services, strengthened institutions, and restored confidence.

For citizens, this is not about abstract policies. It is about hospitals, schools, welfare, roads, and hygiene. It is about survival.

Justice is the seed of development.

Thanks.

 

Justice Dr Tatsi