Issa Tchiroma

Issa Tchiroma Bakary (born 10 September 1946 or 1949/1950) is a Cameroonian politician. A former railway engineer, he served as Minister of Employment and Vocational Training from 2019 to 2025. He previously served under President Paul Biya as the Minister of Communication from 2009 to 2019 and Minister of Transport from 1992 to 1996. Born in Garoua, Tchiroma went to France to do technical training in transport and materials. After completing his training, Tchiroma returned to Cameroon and worked as a materials and construction engineer at Regifercam (the National Railway Corporation) in Douala. In 1984, following a failed coup that year, Tchiroma was arrested by the Cameroonian government due to his alleged involvement even though Tchiroma wasn't directly involved in the coup. In 1990, Tchiroma was released and two years later in 1992, he participated in the first ever multi-party elections held that year and was elected to the National Assembly as a member of the UNDP. Later that year, the UNDP joined the government as the ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), lost its majority. Tchiroma was one of the few UNDP members to be a part of the government was appointed Minister of Transport by President Paul Biya despite some backlash from some members of Biya's party. Tchiroma served in this role until 1996. In 2007, Tchiroma left the UNDP and formed the Front for the National Salvation (FNSC) and became its president. Two years later in 2009, he was appointed Minister of Communication in the cabinet of Prime Minister Philémon Yang. Tchiroma served in this role until 2019 where he was appointed the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, a role Tchiroma served until in June 2025 where he unexpectedly broke ties with President Biya and left the government. He resigned from his post in...