President Ahamadou Ahidjo of the Cameroon, was born in 1924 in Garoua in the Benoue region. After primary and secondary schooling, he attended the Ecole Superieur d’Administration in Yaounde. From then on, he worked in the telegraph office and during World War II he distinguished himself as a radio operator.

This hard working and industrious young man began to be interested in politics–an interest that finally resulted in his election to the Assemblee Representative du Cameroon as a deputy from the Benoue Region. Mr. Ahamadou Ahidjo became General Secretary and then president of the administrative division, and he finally became vice-president of the whole assembly. In October 1955, he became Conseilleur de l’Asgemblee of the French Union, and after the elections of December 23, 1956, he became president by acclamation of the Territorial Assembly of Cameroon.

The influence he exerted on the Assembly debates, through his oratory skills, demanding a new status for his country, was enormous. On May 16, 1957 Ahidjo became deputy premier and minister for internal affairs. When Cameroon received its internal autonomy, its first prime minister was Andre Marie M’Bida, founder of the Parti Democrate Chretien, who resigned after clashing with the French high commissioner.  Through the request of the Assembly, Mr. Ahidjo formed a second government and was elected premier. He addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations, and made a lasting impression on the minds of the U.N. delegates when he appealed for the reunification of his countrymen.