Grgoire Owona

Grégoire Owona is a Cameroonian politician born in 1950. He has served as the Minister of Labor and Social Security since December 9, 2011, following his appointment by President Paul Biya after the presidential election that year. Prior to this role, he held the position of Delegate at the Presidency from 1997 to 2011. Owona's political career began in 1987 when he was elected as a municipal councillor in Douala. In 1988, he was elected to the National Assembly, where he served until 1992 and acted as the Rapporteur-General of the Finance Commission. In 1992, Owona became the Deputy Secretary-General of the Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC), a position he retained until April 4, 2007. During his tenure, he played a key role in party affairs, particularly after the health issues of then-Secretary-General René Sadi became apparent. He was also involved in drafting Cameroon's constitution and led the technical committee responsible for this task. In June 1993, he announced the completion of the second draft of the constitution. Owona has been a vocal supporter of President Biya's policies. In 2001, he praised Biya's appointments to the National Elections Observatory (NEO). In 2003, he denied claims of marginalization of Anglophone regions, citing the appointment of an Anglophone Prime Minister as evidence of inclusivity. He also defended Biya's visit to U.S. President George W. Bush during the Iraq invasion. In 2006, Owona successfully sued the editor of the newspaper *L'Anecdote* for defamation after the publication alleged he was homosexual. The court ...