In Cameroon, an exceptionally generous system of post-term benefits granted to former Senate Presidents is under scrutiny. Leaked documents reveal that former Senate President Marcel Niat Njifenji allegedly benefits from a lifestyle entirely financed by the state, including a monthly allowance of 6 million FCFA for the maintenance of his residence. This preferential treatment, which extends even to his wife after his death, raises questions about the sustainability of public spending and social equity in the country.
The "retirement package" includes a monthly residence allowance of 6 million FCFA, seven official vehicles made available on a permanent basis, as well as a special security unit. The state also covers the salaries of administrative staff, drivers and domestic employees, as well as fuel costs and logistics. In addition, the former president and his family receive full medical coverage.
The lack of a precise legislative framework for post-term benefits is at the heart of the problem. The privileges granted to former leaders escape all public budgetary control, as no text clearly defines the duration, scope or capping of these allowances. This situation stems from a political culture where public office is seen as a personal asset, and the retirement schemes of senior officials are not subject to parliamentary debate. The mechanism is based on individual decrees setting the benefits of each former President of the Senate, often not published in the Official Gazette, thus escaping budgetary transparency.
The extension of these rights to beneficiaries, in particular the payment of a monthly allowance of 2.5 million FCFA for life to the spouse, with the maintenance of vehicles and drivers, transforms this post-term allowance into a hereditary annuity. This generosity contrasts sharply with the austerity efforts required of ordinary citizens, whose minimum wage is set at 36,270 FCFA. In the long term, the accumulation of these costs could weigh heavily on the national budget, with each former President of the Senate representing an estimated annual structural cost of several hundred million francs.
The revelation of these benefits could fuel public debate about the sustainability of state spending and the need for reform to ensure transparency and fairness in the allocation of post-term benefits. The question is no longer whether reform is necessary, but when it will become politically unavoidable.
