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Expected denouement:

Fru Ndi goes beserk at Asonganyi’s B’da book launch
The presence of the SDF Chairman at the launching of Prof. Asonganyi’s book in Bamenda last week might have surprised many, given that the book has literally exposed the filthy backyard of the SDF party. But Fru Ndi’s utterances on the occasion took so few by surprise. The SDF Strong-man simply went berserk
By Ndjodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

Fru Ndi

SDF Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi and Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi are in many ways colleagues in politics, but they are in every way political enemies. Fru Ndi and Asonganyi do not exchange phone calls; they don’t talkto each other.
that is why many were taken aback when Fru Ndi marked his presence at the launching ceremony of Asonganyi’s book, at the Big Mankon Hall in down town Bamenda, on Wednesday 19 August 2015.
    Political pundits had predicted that in his characteristic no-nonsense and impulsive disposition, Chairman Fru Ndi would not only boycott the book launch, he would order his vangaurds to disrupt the event. This was not to be. Fru Ndi did not only honour the invitation extended to him by the organizers, he actually played an active part during the event.
    This show of political maturity by Fru Ndi and Asonganyi notwithstanding, the hope of many that they would use the forum to forge a detente and rapprochement in their strained relations did not come to be. The expected thaw in the icy  relations between Fru Ndi and Asonganyi did not happen.
    If anything, Fru Ndi only used the occasion to showcase the bad blood that characterizes his relations with Asonganyi.
    When Fru Ndi was honoured with the privilege to unveil the book for the launch proper to proceed, he took the opportunity to first run down Asonganyi. Fru Ndi faulted Asonganyi for not being decorous enough as to acknowledge his presence in the hall.
    He went on to observe that many of the facts in Asonganyi’s book were  inacurate, jaundiced and misleading.

Re: A SORRY TALE IF TRUE:

Fru Ndi Confronts Asonganyi, Refuses to Shake Hands, Says Facts in His Book Are Inaccurate
By Tazoacha Asonganyi, Yaounde
A story is trending in the net titled “A SORRY TALE IF TRUE: Fru Ndi Confronts Asonganyi, Refuses to Shake Hands, Says Facts in His Book Are False.”
     My book “Cameroon: Difficult Choices in a Failed Democracy,” was effectively launched in Bamenda on August 19. Judged by the standards of what happened in Yaounde, Douala and Buea, it was also a very successful event.
     Ni John Fru Ndi attended the launch and refused to shake hands with me when I went to greet him; I had a warm handshake or embrace with every other person around him.
     Ni John Fru Ndi was given the opportunity by the Chairman of the occasion (Dr. Ngwanyam) to unveil the books at the start of the launching proper – this was the decision of the Chair of the occasion not mine, although I found nothing wrong with the decision.
     Ni John Fru Ndi used the opportunity of unveiling the book to make all types of disparaging statements about my person and my family! He probably felt that since issues about his wife – the late first lady of my former party – were discussed in my book, he had the liberty to talk about my late sister who was not even a member of the party. He unveiled the book alright, but took no copy.
     My sister Emefua died on 19 August 2001 at the Mary Health of Africa (MHA) hospital Nveuh (Fontem). I was far away in Yaounde when she died so her remains were preserved in the mortuary of MHA. A week before she had to be buried, I went home and spent time making necessary preparations. On the day of the burial we removed the remains at 8:00 a.m. and laid them in state in our compound which is a 15-minutes’ walk from MHA, for some three hours; the remains were buried at about 10:30 a.m. and we kept the celebration of her life for a future date. After that we entertained the population; a majority of the population left after that except members of my family with whom I had to hold a family meeting at 7:00 p.m. I left the compound briefly around 2:00 p.m. with Hon. Ndobegang and we went and sat at the veranda of Pub Sengalaise, an off-license bar of an SDF militant which shared boundaries with the Constituency Office of Hon. Ndobegang which was by the roadside; we were sharing a drink.

Location of Fisheries School in Limbe:

Fako CPDM elite, chiefs split over motion of support
- Some Fako elite joined the chiefs to question why a mtion of support to Biya when the division cannot boast of even a minister, ever since they lost the post of Prime Minister that they kept for 13 years running. The elite blamed the situation on infighting, backstabbing, blackmail, back-biting, one-man-show and dog-eat-dog politics of Fako political elite. 
By Nwo Fuanya in Limbe
Some local chiefs of Fako division on Tuesday 19 August 2015 embarrassed CPDM elite of the Division during a meeting convened to address a motion of support to President Biya following the Head of State’s 12 August decree authorizing the effective take-off of the Limbe Fisheries and Nautical school.
    The Vice President of the National Assembly, Honourable Emilia Monjowa Lifaka chaired the meeting on behalf of the political king-maker of Fako Division, Senator and Grand Chancellor Peter Mafany Musonge, who was held back in Yaounde by other important state duties.
    After Hon. Lifaka made her preliminary remarks and the floor was open for questions from the public, one of the traditional rulers, Chief Ndiko Henry Fonderson of Lower Meveo village immediately took the high table to task, first noting that the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Andrew Motanga Monjimba did not acknowledge the chiefs in his scripted welcome address at the meeting. Chief Fonderson questioned whether the chiefs came to the meeting on their own volition or on the strength of the invitation that was extended to them.
    Though Honourable Emilia Lifaka immediately apologised for the oversight, Fako SDO Zang III, took time off to look through the Government Delegate’s speech to confirm the worry of the chiefs.
    Even when all was thought to be over, some of the chiefs continued fuming over the incident. They regretted that when ever it is election time, their services are sought to stuff ballot boxes, but when it is time to share the political booty, they are always completely left out.         The chiefs said this smacks of bad faith on the part of the political elite, and portrays the disdain that Fako CPDM elite have for the traditional institution in all issues of general interest in the division.

After CDC land surrender:

Lower Meveo village re-appears on the map 
Galvanized by their young traditional chief, HRH Ndiko Henry Fonderson, indigenes of the once extinct and moribund village have launched a series of projects aimed to resuscitate life in the village situated along the Mile-4 Bonadikombo – Mutengene road.
By Nwo- Fuanya in Limbe

Chief NH Fonderson flanked by Limbe I DO and others during field visit

The village of Lower Meveo in Limbe I sub division of the South West region has multiplied efforts to realize some three projects, considered as crucial for the development of the community, totaling about FCFA 90 million. The three projects include a community hall estimated at FCFA 35,450,000, a water supply scheme worth FCFA 36,454,000 and an electricity supply initiative, costing FCFA 16,381,000.
    The strategic plan to realize these three projects was unveiled in Limbe on Saturday 15 August 2015 by the traditional ruler of Lower Meveo, HRH Chief Ndiko Henry Fonderson during a media event in prelude to a grand fund raising.
    According to the Chief, the multi-purpose community hall project was the first to take-off, with construction work already on-going. Estimated to cost FCFA 35,450,000, so far the village community has already raised about FCFA 7,090,000 which is 1/5th of the total cost of the project. Chief Fonderson further explained that in the days ahead, the village shall be organizing a grand fundraising to realize what is left of the money to complete the project. It is on this premise that he appealed to all villagers and persons of goodwill not to be surprised when they come calling.
    Chief Fonderson explained that  following the creation and putting in place of the Meveo Cultural and Development Assembly MEVCUDA which held its first annual general meeting last year, it was decided that some important development project be undertaken for the village. 

Boosting productivity & economic activity:

PAMOL PLC making in-roads into Bakassi 
By Atemnkeng Evaristus in Mundemba

Chief Mekanya Okon Charles

Within the frame work of the Contrat-Plan agreement signed between the Cameroon government and PAMOL PLC, Some Representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Mines and Technological Development, Economy, Planning and Regional Development and Agriculture and Rural Development, paid a three day visit to Ndian Division, to evaluate the work that has been done by Pamol since the signing of the  agreement.
    The 3-day evaluation visit from 10 to 13 August 2015, took the delegation members and some top officials of PAMOL led by the Interim General Manager, Chief Mekanya Okon Charles, respectively to the Pamol Oil Mill in Mudemba and the sites of the extension projects in the Bakassi peninsular and Ekondo Nene all in Ndian Division.
    According to the IGM of PAMOL, Chief Mekanya Okon Charles, the Contrat-Plan agreement between the Cameroon Government and PAMOL Plantation is aimed to rehabilitate the company with the objective of boosting performance and productivity. Chief Mekanya said the plan agreement authorizes the construction of a new palm oil mill, the carrying out of extension projects in Bakassi and Ekondo Nene, application of fertilizers, replanting of fruit trees and acquisition of heavy duty equipment.

Camasej presidency:

Simon Lyonga succeeds Tricia Oben
By Sirri Ntonifor in Kumba

Out-going president Tricia Oben congratulates
president-elect Simon Lyonga

CRTV Radio’s Simon Lyonga La Molombe is the new president of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ). He was elected at a General Assembly of the association that held in Kumba, on 22 August 2015.
    Simon defeated former Vice Secretary-General, Franklin Sone Bayen by a sweeping majority of the votes cast. He secured 71 votes as against 14 for his challenger Franklin. The election was by secret ballot.
    It was a tense political atmosphere that clouded the election grounds as the two candidates and their supporters lobbied for potential votes from representatives of the different chapters of Camasej. Some hasty but strategic caucauses and alliances were forged in the process. In the end Simon Lyonga proved the better strategist.
    However, the gentlemanly handshake between victor and vanquished after the elections doused the tension in the hall, leading to a standing ovation from the full house of Camasejans present.
    During his inaugural speech, Simon (who doubles as Secretary-General of the Cameroon Association of Sports Journalists – CASJ) and President of the Yaounde Chapter of Camasej, promised to create an ethics committee with the assistance of senior colleagues in order to ensure discipline and professionalism.
    He also promised to devolve more competences, both administrative and financial, to individual chapters so as to give them greater autonomy. He planned to put greater emphasis on professional growth and capacity-building of members.

Solidarity at war-time:

Kumba drivers hail SDO’s anti-Boko Haram strategy
By Atemnkeng Evaristius in Kumba

Nana Evaristus, President of Mbonge Road Axis Drivers' Union

Following the rules and regulations put in place by the SDO for Meme, Koulbout Aman David,  during an enlarged Security Coordination meeting convened in his office recently, Presidents of Transport Syndicates are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that these rules are respected to the letter.
    According to Nana Evaristus, President of the Mbonge Road Axis Drivers’ Union, all the members of the drivers union have been sensitized on the measures and urged to adhere strictly to them.
    “We have told the drivers that they must transport only passengers with identification documents; any passengers who do not have their
identification papers should be sent out of the vehicles,”     Nana reiterated, noting that all registered drivers of the union can now be identified from their reflector jackets and the numbers inscribed on them.

Mid-term Evaluation:

Cash-strapped K’ba III council counts achievements
Mayor John Kouna Makia embarks on intensive revenue collection drive
By Sirri Ntonifor Tangwe in Kumba
The rate of execution of the budget and the financial situation of the Kumba III council for the first half of the year 2015 preoccupied councilors and the supervisory authority of the council, the SDO of Meme, during the mid-term evaluation session that met last week in Kumba. According to reports presented during the session, of a targeted 250 million FCFA to be collected as revenue from January to June 2015, only 92 million FCFA was effectively collected, corresponding to 37% of the expected revenue. Measures are therefore being put in place to examine the present revenue collection process and to propose methods for improvement.
    However, the Lord Mayor of the Kumba III council, John Kouna Makia, used the occasion of the council session to showcase the strides he and his team have made in the first half of the year. Prominent among these is the construction and establishment of a council extension office at Barombi, with its staff already trained to cater for the population who must cover a long distance to get to the main council office; construction of 20 market sheds in Teke, prompt payment of workers’ salaries, extensive grading of the Ntam I road, and the mass solemnization of 89 marriages through a unique ceremony, spurring others in the municipality to follow suit.

HIV-free holidays:

Over 150 K’ba residents screened for HIV 

By Atemnkeng Evaristius, Linda Nkeze (UB Intern)
As HIV/AIDS remain a taboo in our society today, the Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child CAPEC, a Kumba-based NGO, has not been indifferent; they have joined hands with government and other partners to fight against the deadly disease.
    Reasons why, CAPEC organized a mobile clinic to sensitize and mobilize the population of Kumba to go in for free HIV screening. This was on Thursday 13 August 2015, at Ntam 3 Corners in Kumba III Sub-division and Hausa Quarters Fiango, Kumba II Sub-division,where some at least 150 persons voluntarily went in for the HIV screening.
    We however observed that most of those who went in for the screening were men; though women came around, most of them shied away from the exercise for yet unknown reasons.
    We also observed that young men and women were not enthusiastic about the exercise; only the old and middle aged, mostly Okada riders availed themselves for the tests.

For clocking 60 years on earth:

Rogans Kings Club fêtes Uncle Charlie Ade

Uncle Charlie Ade at 60

Members of the “Club of honorable and respectable men and ladies”, on Saturday 15 August 2015, honoured their Doyen, Charles Ade alias Uncle Charlie, with a sumptuous party in celebration of his 60th Birthday, at the club house situated at Carrefour Emia Yaounde.
    Organized at the behest of the Club President, Sir Enoh Kenneth, the very informal ceremony featured life music sung by some members of the club and guest artistes that were invited for the occasion.
    There was also much to eat and drink, and members could not be indifferent to the specially commanded water fufu and very tasty tanchot soup garnished with particulars of goat meat and snails (nyamangoro). 
    The ready supply of choice wines (chateau D’Arcin Haut Medoc), and exquisite whiskeys (Johnie Double-black, Cointreau, Remy Martin etc.) made for intense but very responsible drinking and dancing.
    Addressing the Birthday Boy on the occasion, the club president, Sir Enoh Kenneth, first praised God almighty for protecting Uncle Charlie Ade up to the age of 60. Like Oliver Twist he asked God to grant Uncle Charlie many more years on earth, so that some day he should also celebrate his 100th Birthday (Centenary), why not?
    Sir Enoh Ken presented Unkle Charlie with a symbolic bottle of Passport Scotch Whisky and prayed him to drink it wisely and responsibly for, it is his passport and visa to 100 years from club members.
    Enoh Kenneth seized the opportunity to remind Uncle Charlie that at 6o he must not take things for granted; he must continue to ensure his better half, Ma Ade enjoys marital bliss. He advised him to make good use of Dr. N’nemnock’s prescriptions if necessary.
    Then Sir Enoh Kenneth thanked club members for their exemplary magnanimity and generosity in sponsoring and organizing Uncle Charlie’s Birthday party.         He urged members to continue with the same good spirit and to always be their brother’s keeper, saying it is the essence of coming together in a club.
    Speaking earlier, the Queen of the Club, Lady Derika Nku Nfor, who worked tirelessly to ensure success of the evening, hailed Uncle Charlie for honoring club members by accepting to share the fun of his 60th birthday with them.

Participatory development:

NW Councils told to empower the disabled
By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

Seminar participants listening to one of the facilitators

Persons with disabilities constitute 6.9 % of the total population of the North West Region. They face barriers in different aspects of life that greatly impede their access to education, employment, health and social participation. Thus these people though a part of society are deprived of their right to effectively contribute to the development of their communities.
    This is partly because in Cameroon, the ministry of social affairs that implements government policy on the disabled, has not done enough to ensure that people with disabilities also take part in the development process. 
    It is against this backdrop that the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, CBCHS under its Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities SEEPD program, with the financial and technical support of CBM, organized a two day seminar to drill Mayors and councilors of some councils of the NW region on ways and means of including people living with disabilities in the development process.
    Opening the two day seminar, the SEEPD program director, Prof Tih Pius Muffih, who doubles as the CBC Health Services Director said the workshop was aimed to provide councils with a thorough understanding of disability and inclusive development. She added that councilors were targeted for the seminar because of government’s decentralization drive which now puts councils at the centre of community development.

NW and SW regions:

Gender-based Violence preoccupy local NGO, EU
By Nwo- Fuanya in Limbe
The European Union Mission in Cameroon in partnership with a Limbe-based NGO, the Luther King Memorial Foundation, LUKMEF have launched a project worth 231,000 euros (circa 152 million fcfa) to eradicate gender-based violence in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. The EU Mission in Cameroon will provide 180,000 euros (FCFA 118 million) while LUKMEF completes the rest of the budget for the project that targets 30 village communities (15 each from NW and SW regions.)
    Launching the project at the Buea University Campus, Tanyi Christian, CEO of LUKMEF, said the project capitalizes on the fact that violence against women takes place in families and communities, and that if these communities gain awareness and engage actively in the fight against gender-based violence, a lasting solution will be given to the problem.
    Tanyi explained that the project will be in four phases: prevention, mitigation, litigation and establishment of a policy to guarantee long term sustainability of the gains of the project by bringing together all 30 communities under a common platform called Zero Tolerance Platform.
    Using himself to explain the concept of the project he said “my interest is based on the truth of conscience and the fact that my mother is a woman; on the fact that my wife whom I love so much is a woman; on the fact that my two little daughters are girls and women, so my whole life, like that of all men turns around women- Women are the reason for our being and will always be avoidably so.”

Gov’t urged to re-instate Forest RoyaltiesBy Nwo- Fuanya in Limbe

By Nwo- Fuanya in Limbe
The government of Cameroon has been challenged to re-instate the 10% forest royalties that until 2015 was paid directly to timber producing communities.
    This was a major outcome of a recent meeting in Limbe organized by the Community and Forest Platform, a civil society network. It was aimed to evaluate forest governance in Cameroon. Participants at the meeting expressed concerns about the removal of the 10% forest royalties for communities from the 2015 state budget, saying that it is not only unfair but has compounded the difficulties faced by forest communities across the country.
    The over 40 participants comprising members of the Community and Forest Platform CFP and  members of indigenous forest communities from the East, Centre South and South West regions also evaluated progress made in forest governance in Cameroon within the framework of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement/Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, VPA/FLEGT.
    The Director of the Centre For Assistance to Justice and Animation for Development, CAJAD, Bathelemy Tchepnang, one of the organizers of the event, said seven months into the putting in place of the action plan of the CFP, it is important to carry out a self-evaluation and restate the priority actions for the coming months given the current challenges of forest governance in Cameroon .
    He said the Limbe workshop is aimed to do a self-evaluation of activities carried out by CFP in the last semester, reiterate the position of the CFP with regards to the credibility of the VPA, the participation of the civil society in the VPA/FLEGT process over the past few months and also present a final version of the methodological guide for the participatory follow up and impact assessment of the VPA, as well as identify best practices in forest management, be it eradication, reduction or mitigation of the negative impacts by proposing and discussing practical strategies for the involvement of civil society in the formal process to monitor the impact of the VPA.

Three Arrested for Wildlife Trafficking

Three people have been arrested for trafficking in wildlife products. The culprits were arrested in Lomie, East Region and in Yaounde, Centre region.
    A 46-year-old man who travelled from Mindourou, a town close to Lomie was arrested in the Mvog Ada neighbourhood in Yaounde as he attempted to sell a bagful of giant pangolin scales.
    Wildlife officials of the Centre Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with the forces of law and order arrested the man after they got reliable information indicating that a suspect had left Mindourou and was on his way to Yaounde with giant pangolin scales. He is well connected to other trafficking suspects, according to the information. 
    The trafficking of pangolin scales is a major issue of concern as two others who were arrested in Lomie were also suspected pangolin scale traffickers.  The two were arrested by wildlife officials in Lomie trafficking in gorilla and chimpanzee skulls, teeth extracted from a bush pig and an elephant, during a crackdown operation carried out by the Lomie Forestry and Wildlife Control Post, with technical support from a wildlife law enforcement NGO called LAGA. The operation took place at about 10 am on Wednesday August 19, 2015, as the duo sat drinking and discussing the sale of the products.
    Sources who requested for anonymity say the men who were found with no identification papers are major ivory and pangolin scale traffickers although they are suspected to illegally trade in diverse wildlife products. They equally supply bullets to local poachers and collect products after the hunt.

After ghastly accident:

Miracle Okada rider dies and resurrects in K’ba
By Sirri Ntonifor Tangwe in Kumba
A popular Kumba-based biker named Modeste alias One Spirit, has gone on a publicity spree to debunk information propagated by some local radios that he was dead and buried. Modeste says the radio announcement which he also listened to was false and unverified.
    The story of Modeste’s passing originated when commercial motorbike riders in Kumba lost a colleague and assembled at the Kumba District Hospital Mortuary for the coffining. Upon removal from the mortuary the coffin bearing the lost colleague was tied on the back seat of Modeste’s bike, as the riders set out riding around the town, displaying their mastery of the two-wheeled vehicle and with some taking dangerous risks while honking their horns to draw attention.
    The gladiatorial show was not however to last long, as no sooner did the bikers hit the road to Small Ekombe for the burial than the worst occurred. Approaching the Kake rain gate, Modeste who was carrying the coffin had a ghastly accident. As he maneuvered to get passed the small opening at the rain gate his bike glided on the slippery mud, flinging the coffin on the ground. The coffin got shattered letting the corpse to roll off on the ground. Modeste, the unfortunate rider went into a coma and was rushed to the hospital. He regained consciousness only the following morning and this was not before his colleagues had already proclaimed him dead and even announced his funeral program for the following Friday.

8,000 mosquito nets for SW region

The disclosure was made by the Regional Delegate of Public Health for the South West, at a coordination meeting in Kumba.
By Atemnkeng Evaristius, Nkeze Linda (UB Intern) in K’ba
Public health practitioners in the Southwest Region have promised to improve on the quality of health services rendered to the public despite the many challenges they are facing. They made the pledge during the second quarter Regional Coordination meeting of Public Health services of the Southwest Region, on August 20-21, 2015 in Kumba.
    The two-day coordination meeting brought together over 100 District Medical Officers and other health personnel from the 18 medical districts in the Region. Discussions were guided by the theme “Stakeholders Responsibility in Strengthening District Health Action”.
    It provides a forum during which public health personnel of region meet and brainstorm on successes and challenges recorded during the previous semester, and also propose collective solutions for a better way forward. 
    Shortage of man-power in both quality and quantity is the greatest challenge faced by the health sector of the region, officials noted. The doctor-to-patient ratio is to small, with one doctor having to consult at least 200 or more patients in a day in some hospitals in region.
    The Regional Delegate of Health for the SW however lauded government efforts to improve on the quality of health services in the country.
    Dr. Victor Mbome Njie revealed that over 8,000 treated mosquito bed nets will soon be distributed in the region. Also, the construction of a University Teaching Hospital complex would soon go underway, Dr. Njei assured.  He reminded the public of the need to sleep under mosquito nets if they must prevent malaria. He urged the public to also improve on environmental hygiene as a way of preventing the breeding of mosquitoes.

2015 Buea Council Inter-Quarter Football Tournament:

Four minor finals played ahead of Grand Final
By Ajongakou Santos in Buea

Mayor Patrick Ekema Awards Trophy

The 5th edition of the Buea Council Inter-Quarter Football tournament is drawing to a close with minor league finals played around the Buea municipality. Four minor finals were staged in the Bojongo Court Area, Bonavada Court Area, Buea Central Court Area, and the Muea Court Area over the weekend in Bojongo, Bova, Buea Town and Mile 16 respectively.
    The most watched of these finals staged at the Bojongo Court Area last Friday saw MUSANGO FC exchange soccer lessons with their teammates of SEREAL FC. In the end MUSANGO FC beat SEREAL FC 1-0 with beautiful football and camaraderie (the principal objectives of the tournament) showcased in the presence of Patrick Ekema Esunge, Mayor of Buea and some senior officials and other stakeholders of the Buea Municipality.
    Similarly, it was beautiful soccer staged at the Bonavada Court Area, where Makondi FC beat Wonjonku FC 1-0, and at the Buea Town Green Stadium Saturday, where Goblizz FC beat Babungo FC 2-0; all under the watchful eyes of the chief executive of the Buea Council and other council officials and some councillors.
    As craved by the Buea Mayor, the competition came to cement relationships among neighbourhoods in Buea, as well detect, promote and harness talent among youngster with a view to developing football in Buea municipality and the nation as a whole.
    The objective of camaraderie was evident at the final at the Bojongo Court Area, as sundry fans that converged on the field expressed thanks to the Mayor and councillors of Buea Council for organising this fifth edition of the tournament. The fans supported their respective teams and with some arguing with fans of the opposing side and comparing the level of socio-economic development of their various localities.
    According to the Mayor of the Buea Council, this fifth edition of the competition which is gradually drawing to its end has been a success given that, there have been no major incidents or injuries recorded throughout the course of the tournament and because the objective of fair-play and comradeship has been demonstrated by all the teams.

League-1 Football:

Njalla Quan FC doomed
Njalla Quan Sports Academy NQSA, Limbe, may be living their last days in the Elite-I football championship. The darling club of the sea-side resort town currently occupies the 17th position on the classification table of the 18-club championship.  So far, Njalla have secured just 30 points out of a total 90 points.
    The Victoria boys have barely scored 15 goals and have the least enterprising attack, after bottom placed Tonnerre of Yaounde that have scored only 11 goals in 30 games.
    With four playing days to the end of the 2025 league-1 season, NQSA must win at least three games if they must stay in the premier division next season, a feat football book-makers consider a pipe dream for the Limbe club, that have recorded just 8 wins and 6 draws in 30 outings this season. Njalla have been defeated16 times, conceding 31 goals and incurring a huge goal deficit of -16 goals.
    What is worse, the teams that NQSA must beat if they must survive relegation are no push-overs; they include: New Stars of Douala, Dragon of Yaoundé, UMS of Loum and YOSA of Bamenda. Of the four teams only UMS is in the relegation zone.
    It should be recalled that NQSA narrowly missed relegation last year; they survived thanks to a slight goal margin over Renaissance of Ngoumou.

Front page

Message

War on Boko Haram:

Over 3000 Nigerians expelled from Cameroon  
Cameroon has expelled more than 3,000 Nigerians as part of the fight against Nigeria’s Islamic extremists who have launched attacks across borders, officials said Tuesday.
    Suspected Boko Haram fighters disguised as refugees with explosives hidden in their luggage were arrested at a camp in northern Cameroon Monday, Cameroon's government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary said Tuesday.
    Authorities have also arrested hundreds of other Cameroonians and Nigerians accused of collaborating with Boko Haram, said Midjiyawa Bakary, governor of Cameroon's Far North region.
    They deported Nigerians said they were refugees but could not prove they were staying at the makeshift camps provided by the UNHR; they also lacked identification papers.
    "There is a certain population of foreigners in some villages. Some of them are hiding behind Cameroonians who are giving protecting Boko Haram suspects," Midjiyawa Bakary said.
    Women, children and men were taken across the border to the Nigerian town of Mubi, he said.
    The U.N. refugee agency says a camp in Cameroon's Far North Region now hosts about 44,000 people and estimates there are 12,000 unregistered refugees in the region.

War on Boko Haram:

Okalia’s draconian measures irk SW populations
By Ajongakou Santos in Buea

Okalia

Business operators in the South West Region have expressed grieve at the recent “stringent” security measures spelled out by the administration to be observed by the populace. The measures which came at the wake of recurrent kamikaze attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the Far North Region of the country have provoked varied reactions from denizens in Buea, Limbe and Kumba where the measures are strictly implemented.
    According to some bar owners, shutting down at 9pm as stipulated by the Governor is an unbearable measure for them as it will only help to kill their businesses and invite hardship for owners and the workers alike.
    Eddy, the manager of “Bamboo”, a popular cabaret in Limbe has not ceased lamenting and cursing the authorities for tacking suck a hasty and controversial decision.
“I am renting this place; I am expected to pay 500.000 Fcfa monthly as rents, apart from workers’ salaries and taxes that i must declare monthly. How do they expect us to cope?”

Boko Haram:

SW Governor declares state of emergency
- A dusk to dawn curfew is one among many measures prescribed by the Governor to pre-empt any surprise Boko Haram attack
By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
Officials of the South West Region have tightened security measures in the region in the wake of recent kamikaze attacks of Boko Haram insurgents in the Far North Region of the country. After a meeting in Buea that brought together all security stakeholders in the region, the Governor of the South West Region, Okalia Bilai issued a release prescribing measures that must be respected by all with a view to keep Boko Haram and other security threats at bay.

Political power against traditional authority:

Sehm Mbinglo

K’bo Mayor challenges Sehm Mbinglo over water management
- According to Mayor Njong Donatus Fonyuy, the fon of Nso, Sehm Mbinglo 1, is asking for more than just his pound of flesh in his resolve to take over the management of the Kumbo Water authority KWA. Mayor Njong says for once he has agreed to disagree with the fon in the best interest of the law, and the populations of Kumbo. In the wake of the crisis the populations and elite of Kumbo are now divided between the fon and the mayor.   
By Njodzefe Nestor in Kumbo
The crisis that has been rocking the Kumbo Water Authority for some weeks now has reached a deadlock after a meeting organized July 29, 2015 to resolve the issue at the instructions of the SDO for Bui ended in a fiasco.
    While the Fon of Nso has decided to take full control of the water, the Mayor of Kumbo is calling on the government to step in and resolve the issue.
    Meeting in camera at the MINPAT building Kumbo, the main stakeholders in the crisis comprising of Kumbo Council, NSODA, KWA and the Fon agreed to disagree on the fate of the water scheme and on who should hold the command baton.
    It emerged that the meeting ended prematurely when the Fon stormed out of the meeting in anger, followed by the Mayor and the management of KWA. Some participants even said it was the Mayor who first walked out of the meeting in an unexpected disregard for the Fon.
    However, despite the walk-out by the main belligerents, the remaining stakeholders and some invited personalities stayed back and continued with deliberations. They reportedly ended with some controversial resolutions which have been fiercely rejected by the Mayor.
    It was resolved that the water be handed back to the Palace and that NSODA has denounced the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008 between the Council, NSODA and the Palace. They also described the Mayor’s intervention during the meeting while addressing the Fon as “rude”.
    The Mayor has conversely described the resolutions as a concoction and unfounded, justifying that the major stakeholders were not present when the resolutions were drafted and read.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples:

Mbororos on the offensive against marginalization
By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

9 August 2015 was celebrated the world over as the international day of the world’s indigenous peoples under the theme "Post 2015 Agenda: Ensuring indigenous peoples' health and well-being"
     The day, first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994, to be celebrated every year is aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of the world’s indigenous populations.
    In cameroon, Mbororo pastoralist communities, who identify as indigenous minorities, account for some 12 per cent of Cameroon’s population and often face conflicts over access to and ownership of land and access to water.
    Perhaps it is the lack of knowledge about Mbororo culture and the problems they face, which has served to almost wholly marginalize them from mainstream Cameroon society.
    Although a significant tax contributor, the Mbororo receives virtually very little state support with the level of illiteracy amongst them as high as 86% in some communities.
    Despite this lacuna, the Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association of Cameroon (MBOSCUDA) has been striving with the little resources at their disposal to empower Mbororo pastoralists to achieve sustainable and equitable development and to secure their human, social, cultural and economic rights as valued active citizens of Republic of Cameroon.
    MBOSCUDA essentially started as a social movement, but over the years, its NW chapter has gradually evolved towards a service delivery structure following a clearer understanding of the needs of the Mbororo people of the Region.
    During the past decade, MBOSCUDA NW has continuously carried out paralegal extension and advocacy actions aimed at influencing decision/policy makers to be more responsive to the peculiar situation of the Mbororo-Fulani people of the region.

Lightening kills UB student in Kumbo

A second year student from the University of Buea has been struck to death by lightning. Etienne Leinyuy died on 4th August 2015 at Bajing -Tobin Catholic School Football Field in the North West Region.
    Information from his younger brother who witnessed the event says while they were playing football on the field with their friends, a sudden lightning and thunder blasted and tore Etienne’s clothes burning part of his shoes. He rushed to his brother’s aid and as they boarded a bike to rush him to the hospital, he died on the way.

Our projects tie with President Biya’s 2035 Vision

Patrick Ekema Esunge

-Patrick Ekema Esunge, Mayor of Buea
Patrick Ekema Esunge, the Lord Mayor of Buea Municipality is young, ebullient, portly but very spritely and workaholic. He is also very assertive, visionary and exudes self-confidence and an air of wealth and power. But Ekema says ever since he became the Chief Executive of the Buea Council he has hardly had a peaceful moment; he has become the target of all sorts of attacks by his adversaries. That notwithstanding, Mayor Ekema affirms that he has remained true to himself, and focused on his challenging but exalting duties, that of developing Buea and making life more comfortable for its inhabitants. He spoke to The Median’s editor, Ojong Steven Ayukogem, in Yaounde. The chat makes for compelling reading. Excerpts.
It is almost two years that you rose to the helm of the Buea Municipality. How is the municipality faring at this time?

I think from what the people are saying the municipality is faring well and the population is now feeling the impact of the council around them; most of them have now understood that the council is for them and with them. Many people do remark that before now they never knew that the council was for their consumption. I think that alone brings body and soul together.

Not long ago you had a stand-off with motor-bike riders of the Molyko and Bomaka neighbourhoods. Has the problem been given a lasting solution?

As a mayor who has the interest of his people at heart, the first thing we did was to forge a mutual understanding with the riders and to move on. To arrive at a much needed consensus the council had to make sacrifices and of course the motor-bike riders too also gave in some of their demands. In that way the problem was resolved amicably. Things are now moving very smoothly. We have been holding a series of meetings and in the days ahead the council is going to provide uniforms (jackets) with numbers for the bike riders. For their part, the bike riders have pledged to respect the limits which the council defined. However, because some of these bike riders are naturally troublesome and very recalcitrant, the administration has opted to always bring to book all those who will defy the limits set by the council. But so far I think we are moving on well and in the days ahead we are going to install the executive of the Buea Bike Riders’ Union. You know the bike riders in different quarters have their separate associations. But together with the riders we have decided to bring these associations together under one umbrella union for better coordination of their activities and to ensure order and respect for regulations. So we have organized elections at the different branches and the council in collaboration with the bike riders has come up with the articles of association. I think this is something that bike riders in other towns should emulate. We are quite sure and hopeful that the bike riders will respect the rules set by the SDO for Fako, who is our supervisory authority.

The council has embarked on some elephant projects which according to you will go a long way to embellish the municipality and also make life easier and more enjoyable for the populace. There is for example the Buea Central Market Project and the Low-Cost (Social) Housing Project. Can you edify the public on these and other projects?

Yes, in 2008 as 1st deputy mayor of the Buea Council, I wrote to the then minister of State Property and Land Tenure through the SDO for Fako, requesting for land for the construction of a Central market. And I think I must state here that it took a while for my boss at the time to visa the document. But when he finally appended his signature on it I carried the document to the SDO. Incidentally, one of the councilors of the council was also the divisional delegate of lands for Fako at the time and so he helped to facilitate the task for us. And as God does his things, today that councilor is the 2nd deputy mayor of the municipality. So that is how the file saw the light of day. And fortunately for us the minister approved the land stating clearly that it should be used for the construction of a market, a low-cost housing project and a grave-yard. But because we at the council did not find it proper to locate a grave-yard near to a market and at a place where we intended to attract investors for a low cost housing project, we decided to proceed with just the market project and the low-cost housing project. We have brought in external investors for these two projects. The contract for the market was signed on 12 February 2015 and the first phase is expected to wrap up by December 2015. It is worth noting that the market project is valued at an estimated cost of 2.5 billion FCFA and for a cooperation period of 29 years. I think it is one of the best BOT projects that have been engaged as far as the Buea council is concerned. I say one of the best because we inherited a situation whereby most of the BOT structures you find around Mile 17 have an investment capital of between 50 to 60 million FCFA and they were given for a cooperation period of up to 50 to 60 years. So if you compare a situation whereby somebody invests 50m FCFA and is given a period of 50-60 years to run the project and another situation where somebody invests 2.5 billion FCFA and is given just 29 years I think the 29-year project appears more economical and stands very tall. If you look at the profits the council will make from the latter projects they are so exciting. The council has the responsibility to collect the normal market tolls and 2000frs per stall as land rents. If you sum these up we will be making something like 12 million FCFA monthly from the market during the 29-year cooperation period. After this cooperation period the council will be making nothing less than 40 million FCFA monthly. So you can see that we did this transaction not for our own benefit but for posterity because in 29 years some of us would have since left the council. As for the low cost housing project, the council has provided land while some Canadian Real Estate investors will provide the financing for the construction of low-cost houses that would eventually be sold at moderate prices to the local populations as it is done in the Western countries. The project is valued at 4 billion FCFA. The council in return will have 2 units. By units here I mean building blocks of 20 apartments each. So the council will have 40 apartments from the project. Apart from this, the council will make an additional 40 million FCFA through the signing of the building permits which normally is 1% of the building cost. Also, the tenant of each apartment will be paying 1000fcfa monthly as land rent to the council for as long as the buildings will last. So you can see that these projects were not engaged only for our immediate benefit  but rather to ensure that succeeding generations should also have a platform from where to take off. May be i should remind the readers that these projects are in line with President Biya’s 2035 emergence vision.

Towards modernity:

K’ba City Council adopts Master Plan   
By Sirri Ntonifor in Kumba
Visitors to Kumba by 2027 might likely see, if things go according to plan, a well-planned cosmopolitan city broken down into five spatial units, each hosting 250.000 persons and fairly autonomous with its own service centre and main road. 
    Sitting in its second quarter board meeting for the 2015 Financial Year  on July 30 in the presence of the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, Koulbout Aman David, the Kumba City Council has approved the implementation of a Master Plan to give the town a new look. This plan, the Government Delegate to the City Council says, will stem the present anarchy exercised by the people which defies urbanization and culminates in the development of shanty towns.
    The presenter of the Master Plan, Zachary Fru Nsutebu, explained that the plan is a framework to decide how the town should be developed and will serve to curb the premature invasion and conversion of rural land. It will equally enable gradual segregation according to social class. The chartered urban and regional planner suggested that the Kumba City Council delimit the area Kumba should cover as an urban city over 15 years to accommodate a predicted population of 654.300 persons, and should make these limits official. Any development out of this area will therefore be limited to rural activities. Within the planning area, systematic development progression will take place while gaps left within the city will be filled. Express transport services, Nsutebu said, should be located 50 metres from secondary and tertiary roads with entry and exit points. He predicted that should the plan be respected, it would serve as an excellent lobbying tool in government ministries for more schools and hospitals. Mr. Nsutebu also counselled mayors to carry out censuses after every five years and to plan towards the construction of amusement parks and greens for youngsters.

Caring for the needy:

Nnoko Mbele and Rotarians give out to K’ba Prisoners, mothers
-Former Gov’t Delegate, Cavin Nnoko Mbele takes over as president of the humanitarian club
By Sirri Ntonifor in Kumba in Kumba

Nnoko Mbele & Rotarians Give Out

The Rotary Club of Kumba City has made a donation of clothes and other items to inmates of the Kumba Principal Prison. Handing over the gifts on July 31, the incoming president of the Club, Caven Nnoko Mbele, said the visit was aimed to communion with the prisoners, understand their problems and establish a long-term relationship with them. 
    While thanking the Club for the initiative, the prison superintendent, A/P Pekariekoue Amidou, revealed that many inmates have been abandoned by their families and are in dire need of help.
    The spokesperson of the prisoners, fondly called ‘Pastor’, equally appreciated the gesture, saying that there was dire need to improve medical facilities and food provision for inmates. Pastor used the opportunity to also urge gov’t to provide a centre for general and vocational training within the prison.
    Responding to the requests of the inmates, Nnoko Mbele assured that the Club is already working on a project to provide drugs and other sundry needs for them.

Preempting Kamikaze attacks:

K’ba on Red alert against Boko Haram!
-SDO prescribes dusk to dawn curfew, closure of bars and pubs among others
By Sirri NTONIFOR TANGWE and ATEMNKENG Evaristius in Kumba
The SDO for Meme, Koulbout Aman David has urged his collaborators to implement to the letter all the security measures prescribed by the Governor to check the Boko Haram menace. At an enlarged coordination meeting that brought security stakeholders of the Division, on Friday 31 July 2015, at his office, Koulbout Aman David exhorted participants to ensure that the measures are adhered to by all and sundry in their respective areas of command.
    The meeting brought together all the DOs of the division, Mayors, MPs, opinion leaders, heads of syndicates, activists, and leaders of legalised political parties. 
    The Senior Divisional Officer used the forum to appeal to denizens of Kumba to unite in the fight against Boko Haram, denouncing strange fellows and strange actions. He pointed out that since Kumba is a junction town and Meme, a division which borders on to Nigeria with several penetration points, it stands to reason that Kumba could easily become a recipient of insurgent attacks.
    Among measures decided upon was the suppression of public activities at late hours. Forthwith, off-licensed bars and churches are expected to shut their doors by 9pm while on-licences will close at 12 midnight. Defaulters would be sealed for three months.
    Motorbike riders, considered to be primary transporters of suspects, are also supposed to stop working at 9pm and to resume at 5am. The riders were called upon to convey suspected Boko Haram members to police and gendarme posts. These suspects, it was said, could be identified by the offering of large sums of money disproportionate to the distance to be travelled.
    The SDO equally directed the forces of law and order to enforce control around entrance points of the city such as Mbonge Road, Konye Road, Buea Road and around motor parks, with security posts constructed in the parks. In the quarters, vigilante groups shall be revamped.
    As in other parts of Cameroon, citizens without national ID cards in Kumba are making plans to rapidly acquire one. Hotel managers must now check ID cards of their customers, while forces of law and order in Meme have been mandated to insist upon the identification, not only of people and luggage, but also of uniformed officers during travel. The armed forces were also instructed to disregard Attestations of Loss of Identity Cards, constraining the population to go in for new ID cards.

Dr. Tiku Robert is no More!

Tiku Robert

Thursday 30 July, 2015 will always be remembered in Buea. The day started well for most people, with everyone going about their activities, unaware of the roaming of the angel of death. Then, at about 11:00, news of the death of one of the town’s socialite and academic, Dr. Tiku Robert (a.k.a. Travo) would break the serenity of the day, jamming the mobile phone networks and causing general pandemonium.
    When the news of Travo’s demise first broke, no one wanted to be the bearer, so everyone wanted the other to check first, even those who were on the ground. I mean the disbelief was total. A mutual friend of ours first called me at 11:30. In fact, I had not seen her for about three years and was busy screaming long time no see and telling her where to me although I was in a meeting with my HOD, but she cut the discussion short and asked me if I had any news about Travo. Pretty unexpected, I smelled something foul and asked gently, “What happened to him”, suppressing the terror in me and forcefully sounding calm. For those who have been used to hearing these kinds of bad news, the bringers always have a similar way of framing their questions, so once you hear such questions you know at once that trouble has come to paradise. “Please, fine out what has happened to him, I don’t like what I’m hearing,” she added. I quickly stepped out and called his number, but it continued to sound busy for more than five minutes. Then, running out of patience, I called Dr. Nkongho (SYNES Chief for FSMS) and asked if there was any news. “Well, I don’t know how to put it”, he said, “we have just lost Travo… Dr. Tiku Robert”, sounding very distant. I still wasn’t sure, so I called Dr. James Abangma (SYNES President). As soon as he picked the phone, he unleashed the bomb, confirming that it was Travo’s wife herself who had told him a short while ago. Then it became obvious that we had lost a silent star to monstrous death. That was when I called Gladys Mojoko back to confirm what she had. Naturally, we joined the frenzy me a few minutes ago.

University of Buea:

Prof. Roland Ndip, UB Registrar

Semester results spark criticism
By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
University of Buea students have fiercely criticised the recent innovation that demands they “buy” their end-of-semester results from a popular mobile telephone network of the country. The move which began this year has been seen as exploitative because of the prize tag imposed on the students.
    According to several UB students, they have to pay the fluctuating sums of 1000frs, 500frs and 300frs CFA respectively to have access to their end-of-semester results. Many of them say the idea of getting their results online is in itself not bad, but horrible as these results have been commercialised.
    The switch from analogue to embrace the social media and its platforms is seemingly the raison-d’etre for the confusion that looped the entire university community (students, lecturers, top administrators) given that most students who are basic users and can barely understand the demands of the internet found it difficult, if not problematic to access their results. Since most of these “internet laggards” could not access their results easily, most cyber café owners in Buea and internet gurus used this platform to make hundreds of thousands to themselves. This is seemingly part of what sparked the unending-debate in the University of Buea recently as most students are yet to get a grasp of why they should be subjected to paying FCFA 300 (stipulated price by the Vice Chancellor) to have access to their results.

New SW ELECAM boss commissioned

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
The Director General of Elections at Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) Dr. Abdoulaye Babale has enjoined the South West Regional delegate of Elections Cameroon, Mr. Oka Bao Oka, to work in close collaboration with elections stakeholders in order to meet up with the challenges that await him. The Director General made the call recently in Buea while installing the regional delegate of Elections Cameroon.
    The installation ceremony was done in compliance with the rules and regulations governing Elections Cameroon, which provide among other provisions that; the Director General of Elections is entitled to install each the regional delegates following their appointment by the electoral board. Mr. Oka Bao Oka was appointed ELECAM regional delegate for the South West Region, by a decision of the electoral board of Elecam in its resolution No. 0159/ELECAM/CE, adopted on July 9, 2014.

Fight against Boko Haram:

Nigerian Community Urged to Cooperate
-They have been told to respect all the measures put in place to ensure security in Meme Division.
By Atemnkeng Evaristius, Linda Nkeze (UB Intern)

Chief Augustine Nwafor

The President of the Nigerian Community in Meme Division, Augustine Nwafor, has called on his fellow Nigerians who have not regularized their stay in Cameroon to do so with immediate effect. He was speaking during a press briefing with The Median in his residence in Kumba on 7 July 2015.
    According to Chief Augustine Nwafor, after the recent bombings in Maroua by the terrorist group Boko Haram and the decision by the Meme SDO, Koulbout Aman David, to tighten up security within the Division, the Nigerian Community in Meme are not exempted in the fight against Boko Haram. As a result, the Nigerian Union in Meme Division has been going around sensitizing its members to respect the rules and regulations that have been put in place by the Meme Administration to ensure security of people and their property.

Fecafoot General Assembly:

Biya orders belligerents to drop the hatchet, adopt statutes
On the instructions of President Paul Biya and following secret meetings between the warring parties at the Prime Minister’s Office earlier, a consensus was reached at the extra-ordinary session of Fecafoot, paving the way for the final adoption of the statutes of the football association.
    After four hours of deliberations at the Mont FEBE Hotel in Yaounde, the conclave convened on Wednesday 5 August 2015, under the chairmanship of Professor Joseph Owona, President of the Fecafoot Normalization Committee adopted the statutes and the electoral code without much ado.
    By virtue of Article 32(7) of the statutes, the General Assembly established a joint committee comprising some representatives of the two belligerent groups to reflect on contested points of the draft statutes.
    Unlike during the last General Assembly in June this year, and upon the proposal of the joint commission, the statutes was voted by a show of the hand- one man one vote. 97 delegates voted for, 2 voted against, and zero abstention.
In the end the following resolutions were made:
    • The Statutes of FECAFOOT are amended and adopted;
    • The Electoral Code of FECAFOOT are amended and adopted;
    • Article 4 on the special status of regional and departmental leagues is amended.
    At a press conference after the adoption, Prof Joseph Owona thanked the different stakeholders for their understanding, stating that it is a good beginning for Football in Cameroon.