Publisher/Editor: OJONG Steven AYUKOGEM. Tel: (+237) 77 07 27 79. E-mail: themedianpaper@yahoo.com
Sunday, 13 December 2015
Divide and rule:
How gov’t protects thieving military
magistrates
They received huge sums of money from the
state treasury which they allocated to themselves. However, they are walking
free today while the paymaster general who instructed that they be paid is in
jail
By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde
 |
| Laurent Esso |
Investigations by The Median have revealed
that some magistrates in uniform are amongst the most corrupt public servants
in Cameroon. When they have the means, they dip their hands in the state
treasury with impunity. However, probably because they have guns and other
destructive weapons at their disposal, they are highly protected by the powers
that be.
Such
is the case of a number of them who were paid a whopping sum of 6 billion FCFA
as emoluments from the 2009 to the 2013 financial year, which they allocated to
themselves. It later on came to the notice of government authorities that the
allocations, some of which were as much as 25 million FCFA each, were unduly
made. Otherwise put, the military magistrates did not deserve the money they
received from the public treasury.
As
a consequence, Emmanuel MbiaEnguené, the paymaster general for Yaounde at the
time, who ordered the payment of the money to the military men of law, was
arrested and sent to the Kondengui central prison where he is currently
languishing. In the meantime, the dishonest military magistrates are walking
free!
Observers
see this as a clear case of travesty of justice as they argue that the men in
uniform and not the paymaster general should be behind bars.
The senate flouts the constitution
AYAH Paul ABINE, Supreme Court of Cameroon.
 |
| AYAH Paul ABINE |
It is now a notorious fact that the
Camerounese senate refuses every year to defend their budget before the
national assembly on the pretext that they are the upper chamber of the House.
Unbelievable misconduct by persons said to be HONOURABLE!
Cameroun
is truly at precarious cross-roads today! Just a timid whirlwind and it could
be plunged into the abyss of fatal chaos. Delicately sustained only by a flimsy
legal string; and having traversed sporadic inroads through to wanton comportment
of riddance, it is as if the present generations have arrogated to themselves
the right to be final…
Cameroun,
without doubt, has never been the bedrock of the rule of law. But things have
dangerously degenerated into the point where even the judiciary appears to be
on the verge of declaring themselves irrelevant! That is of course only a
logical queue-up, subsequent to the shameless breaking of the law by the very
law-makers: the senate trampling underfoot with hollow majesty the country’s constitution
– the fundamental law of the land…
But
who can bring their minds to this outrageous conduct of the so-high? As if they
have reversed their much-talked-about “the truth and the good example (coming)
from the top”! Dumping the constitution in the waste basket in manner most
irresponsible!
“Father” against “son”?
MebeNgo’o quizzed on embezzlement scandal
 |
| Edgard Alain MebeNgo’o |
He has not been formally accused, but the
President of the Republic who ordered the interrogation does not understand how
a suspicious financial operation would be carried out by a senior military
official without the knowledge of the Minister of Defence at the time
By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde
The current minister of Transport Edgard
Alain MebeNgo’o seems to be in for trouble. Barely two months after he was
dropped from his position as minister delegate at the Presidency in charge of
Defence, he was interrogated on an issue that has to do with the swindling of
hundreds of millions of FCFA while he occupied his former post.
Dependable
sources at the Presidency have told The Median that the amount in question is
315 million FCFA put at the disposal of the Interregional Coordination Centre
for Maritime Safety in the Gulf of Guinea, headed by Senegalese born Col.
AbdourahmaneDieng. This money, specially withdrawn by the Presidency of the
Republic, was meant for Cameroon’s participation in the putting in place of the
said centre.
What
is problematic, we were told, is the fact that the amount was not transferred
in its entirety to the centre. Rear Admiral Jean Mendoua, the marine chief of
staff, through whose hands the passed, is reported to have reserved 232 million
FCFA for his cabinet and handed a paltry 77.757 million FCFA to Col.
Abdourahmane for the centre he heads. Where the remaining 5.249 million went,
no one can tell.
If
MebeNgo’o has been implicated in the matter, it is because he was minister of
Defence when the operation took place.
Ineffective occupation:
Bakassi – Cameroonian territory, Nigerian
occupants
- Symbols of Nigerian occupation still very
conspicuous: population, currency, efik and ibibio languages etc
- Under-populated schools; ill-equipped
health facilities, empty gov’t offices, abandoned projects etc
By Ojong Steven Ayukogem with field reports
The Cameroon government must rethink its
development policy on Bakassi or risk fighting another border war with her
western neighbour some day. The population of Nigerian nationals in Bakassi is
so overwhelming to be overlooked or ignored, while the symbols of Cameroonian
occupation are anything but glaring. The factors that prompted Nigeria to claim
ownership of the oil-rich peninsular are still very present, and this may only
give another “Abacha” enough reason to march an army of occupation on Bakassi
any time in the future, observers have warned.
Ever
since ownership of the peninsular was transferred almost on a platter of gold
to Cameroon in 2009 and this, not before the end of a costly nine-year border
war that culminated in the UN-negotiated Peace treaty and the famous Green-Tree
Accord, government appears to have folded its arms thinking the struggle is
over.
Even as the Cameroon government claims she is
directing huge financial investments to Bakassi with the view to bringing
meaningful development to the area, critics say the effort is for the most part
in speeches and half-measures. In fact, these investments have not been marched
with a determined and sustained political will to make Bakassi truly attractive
and commodious for Cameroonians.
Observers say the government has not done and
is not doing enough to ensure that Bakassi is effectively populated by
Cameroonians: And this has only created space that the more daring Nigerians
have rushed and filled up.
The
water-logged nature of Bakassiterritory, and perhaps the reccurrent attacks by
sea pirates from Nigeria makes the place dreadful to most Cameroonians. Despite
the coveted natural endowments that Bakassi is credited with, Cameroonians are
still not attracted to the place.
A road to Bakassi will do the magic
-Mrs. Ndoh Bertha Bakata, Special Adviser at the PM’s Office
You are the president of the committee in
charge of follow up and coordination of priority projects in Bakassi. How are
these projects fairing?
 |
Mrs. Ndoh Bertha Bakata, Special Adviser
to the PM and Focal Point for Bakassi
|
Contractors complain of very high cost of
transporting building materials to Bakassi. Have you also advised the
government to make additional financial allocations to cover this extra cost
incurred in doing projects in Bakassi?
That has been our cry. We have explained
the situation to the various ministers concerned. We have drawn their attention
to the fact that it is much more costly to do projects in Bakassi than in the
urban towns. If a classroom has to be built in Kumba for example it will not be
the same like for Idabatou. In Akwa and Isangele it could be a little bit less
because one can get there by road. But to carry materials through the high seas
to Idabatou is very difficult and costly. So we are trying to negotiate with
the ministers concerned to consider raising the price for building projects in
Bakassi to about double what it is today.
There are so many abandoned projects in
Bakassi; there are those that were started and later abandoned and others that
never took-off at all. Are you aware of this? If yes what is being done to curb
the phenomenon
RE: Divisive antics mar CPDM reorganization
Hon. Lifaka was honest & independent -
Says insider
 |
|
Convivial atmosphere at the Nguti
grandstand,
which served as a makeshift polling station
|
The Buea Meeting of Sunday, 6 December
2015
Rumour
alone could have made believe that the meeting was called to cancel elections
in Tombel. Even I, Divisional Chargé de Mission for that exercise, did not know
why we were convened to Buea on that day. So, all the reasons that were
advanced were mere speculation. Of course, some people could have intentionally
sent the rumour going viral, as it did, so as to cause confusion where there was
none. And you unfortunately fell for it.
Participants
That
meeting was not open to whoever thought they could attend. It is not like
people came and mounted pressure on us. Only list leaders were invited, and
they alone were heard. No other persons had access to the meeting venue, and
the uninvited persons I saw actually stayed in the shadows.
Honourable
Emilia Lifaka’smanoeuvres
Nothing
could be further from the truth than your: “… the president of the divisional
supervisory committee, Hon. Emilia MonjowaLifaka was said to have manoeuvred,
albeit unsuccessfully, to ensure that the Mayor of Tombel, Madam Rose Ngassa,
wins as WCPDM Section President. Reports said because Hon. Lifaka and the SDO
for Kupe-Muanenguba, HaddisonKwetong had been corrupted by Rose Ngassa, they
did everything to get Ngassa’s list to triumph. Lifaka reportedly travelled to
Tombel on three separate occasions to make sure things worked out for Ngassa.
But her efforts could not stand the mobilization capacity of the “unity
list”…Observers question why Hon. Lifaka did not pay even a single visit to
Nguti which was also within her sphere of control!” This is a good example of
what responsible journalism is not and do allow me point out the following:
Our schedule of activities planned
visits to Tombel, just like Bangem and Nguti, to gauge progress of activities;
If you were to watch videos of our
two (not three) visits to Tombel, you would see women, supporters of Njumbe
Florence (winner) and Rose Ngassa alike, without exception, dancing for joy at
polling stations whenever the Chairlady’s moving words clicked with them. Her
presence was reassuring, they knew she was there for all of them, and did not
hide it. So it is preposterous to state that Hon. Lifaka’s efforts could not
stand the mobilization capacity of the unity list;
If you really cared for the facts,
you would have understood that there was no way our team could have been in
Kupe-Muanenguba without having links with the administrative authorities of the
Division, who were expected to provide us security in the first place;
Cameroon should co-host Nations Cup
(An open letter by Marafa Hamidou Yaya)
In a difficult economic context marked by a
fall in the price of crude oil and exceptional military expenditures linked to
the fight against Boko Haram, Cameroon, in its 2016 draft finance law, looks
forward to allocating 550 billion FCFA, that is, 13% of its budget to “the
construction of infrastructure necessary for the hosting of the 2016 Africa Cup
of Nations (for women) and that of 2019 (for men).”
Specifically,
there are plans to build new stadiums of 60 000 and 50 000 places in Yaounde
and Douala respectively at a cost of 150 billion FCFA each; to rehabilitate the
Omnisports stadiums in Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam and Garoua (158 billion
FCFA); to refurbish the outer parts of the Limbe and Bafoussam stadiums (20
billion FCFA); as well as to rehabilitate road and hotel infrastructure around
the towns concerned.
Do
we, could we make this expenditure, this investment which has no future, which
will greatly benefit foreign companies and which – since we are seeking China’s
aid to realize it – will only increase our debt? No.
It
is more than 1 billion dollars that we will spend for the organization of these
prestigious events. This will mean a deficit of 4.5% of the state budget. In
addition, given the delay in the advancement of the projects, it is very likely
that the final bill will be made heavier by the recurrent failures to keep
within the budget in projects of this nature. Just for this reason, the
expenditure would be unbearable.
But
it is even more so if we consider that it is depriving government resources,
which is already dwindling, of our vital and interdependent priorities which
are education and security in the face of repeated Boko Haram attacks which
cause a climate of unbearable insecurity in our country and the sub-region.
It
is not only about the means to put at the disposal of our courageous gendarmes
and soldiers engaged in battle for quite some time now. The 550 billion FCFA
allocated to the two AFCONs is more than the budget for education (basic
education, secondary education and higher education put together) in 2016,
which comes up to 499 billion FCFA.
Instead of AFCON investments:
Marafa urges gov’t to prioritize
education
In an open letter made public recently, the
VIP Kondengui inmate posits that spending 550 billion FCFA on the building and
rehabilitation of infrastructure meant for the organization of the 2016 and 2019
Africa Cups of Nations would be a misplaced priority. To him, this money should
be spent on the thorough education of Cameroonian children who need it very
badly
By EssanEkoninyam in Yaounde
 |
| Marafa Hamidou Yaya |
MarafaHamidouYaya is one high-profile
prisoner in Cameroon who gives the impression that he truly has the running of
the country at heart. In a letter released from his Kondengui prison cell last
week, the former SG at the Presidency of the Republic and minister of
Territorial Administration and Decentralization considers the budget allocated
to the building of infrastructure necessary for hosting of the 2016 and 2019
Africa Cups of Nations (AFCON) as being exorbitant and wasteful. He suggests
that the money be directed to the educational sector.
The
said budget, meant for the construction of new stadia in Yaounde and Douala,
for the rehabilitation of existing ones in Garoua, Bafoussam, Douala and
Yaounde and for the refurbishment of road networks and hotel infrastructure in
the towns concerned, is to the tune of 550 billion FCFA. Marafa sees this
amount as unbearably high for the purpose for which it is meant and as it “is
more than the budget for education (basic education, secondary education and
higher education put together) in 2016, which comes up to 499 billion FCFA.”
Given
that “education is one of the most efficient and important vectors in the fight
against extremism,” the prisoner posits, the money should rather be pumped into
that sector. He says this is imperative at a time when extremism is the order
of the day in and around Cameroon. Hear him: “Our soldiers can defeat Boko
Haram, but only education and employment will permit a lasting defeat of
extremism.“ To him, education should be made compulsory for every Cameroonian
child up to the age of 16.
Biya appoints permanent CPDM
Adamawa Region
President – MohamadouAbboOusmanou
Members – BoroTheophile, AboubakarySarki,
KoulsoumiAlhadjiepseBoukar
Charge de
missions – OumarouMazadou, KoulagnaKoutou
Centre
Region
President –
Ndongo
Essomba
Bernard
Members –
Rose ZangNguele, Baleoken Jean Baptiste, Nguene Pauline Irene, InoussaHamadou
Charge de
missions – SamanaNkono, Mbock Andreas
East Region
President –
MonguiSossomba Janvier
Members –
MbelleNdue Yves, OuliNdongo Monique, Wongolo Bernard, Nya Isaac
Charge de
missions – BekoloBekolo Pascal, Meng Jeanne
Far North
Region
President –
Cavaye
YeguieDjibril
Members –
Ayang Luc, Youssoufa Daouda, ZakiatouDjama, Alamine Ousmane Mey, HessenaMahamat
Charge de
mission –
Abdoulaye
OumarouDalil, Manouda Malachie
National Communication Council, NCC
Peter Essoka Commissioned
 |
PM Yang (M) poses for a snap shot with NCC
president,
Peter Essoka (L) and Vice President Janvier
Rene Mvoto (R)
|
Veteran Journalist Peter Essoka has
officially taken up command as president of the Cameroon National Communication
Council. The sexagenarian was commissioned into office on Thursday, 10 December
2015, by Prime Minister Philemon Yang.
In
his brief installation address in the conference room of his office here,
Philemon Yang lauded Peter Essoka and the other members of the NCC for the
“commendable job” they have been doing so far to bring sanity and ensure that
ethics and professionalism are respected in the practice of journalism in the
country. He enjoined the members of the NCC to ensure team spirit in the
exercise of their arduous but exalting task.
The
PM described the installation ceremony as marvelous, noting that the NCC is not
only one of the most important and powerful institutions in Cameroon today but
one whose importance will become more evident in the future.
Philemon
Yang used the occasion to remind media practitioners that though freedom of the
press is a legal right for all citizens, it is not a licence for irresponsible
journalism.
Towards solving Kumbo Water Crisis:
Governor installs interim Management
Committee
 |
| Adolf LeleL’Afrique |
Efforts to resolve the Kumbo water crisis
which saw the Mayor of Kumbo Council, NjongDonatusFonyuy and the Fon of Nso,
SehmMbinglo disembowel themselves in a gory public spectacle over who should
manage, appear to be at the threshold of a break through as the Governor of the
NW region, Adolf LeleL’Afrique has installed a regional management committee to
manage the water while waiting for a long term solution.
In
spite of the saber-rattling, which is characteristic of any conflict situation,
key players in the conflict appear to be showing more signs of readiness to end
the conflict which has divided the population of Nso within and without into
factions.
While
installing the committee members made up of some NW security chiefs and some
Regional delegates with Ivo Makoge as the leader, Governor Adolf LeleL’Afrique
who is the chairman of the said committee called on them to use the laws of
Cameroon to put the matter to rest.
“We
are expecting the committee to audit the management of KWA, to audit the
procedure, to audit the fiscal situation, to audit the involvement of some
stakeholders and propose a long lasting solution to government” noted the NW
chieftain.
While waiting for the long lasting
solutions, Governor Adolf LeleL’Afrique challenged the committee to implement
short term solutions which will bring peace.
Two arrested with four gorilla skulls
 |
| Arrested for trafficking in gorilla skulls |
Two men aged 60 and 29 were arrested on
December 8, 2015 at a check point in Doume in the East Region for illegal
possession of 4 gorilla skulls and an elephant tail. The operation was carried
by wildlife officials of the Doume Forestry and Wildlife Control Post with
support from the gendarmerie and with technical assistance from The Last Great
Ape Organisation (LAGA).
The
two who were riding a bike were stopped at the check point and gendarmes who
were manning the control post inquired about the contents of the bags they held
so securely. . One of them claimed the bags contain his personal belongings
including his traditional healing gadgets. Wildlife officials requested for the
bags to be handed over for the content
to be examined and when the bags were emptied,
four ape skulls rolled out on to the tarmac. One of the skulls was
painted red as it would later be revealed that skulls are painted either for
decoration as Chinese like them painted or for use in traditional healing
practices or for pure mysticism. The two were quickly arrested and taken in for
questioning.
Suicide attacks kill 7 in Kolofata
At least seven civilians were killed Friday
in a suicide attack in Kolofata, northern Cameroon, a region where Nigeria's
Boko Haram Islamists are highly active, local officials said.
"A
suicide bomber went to a place selling doughnuts and blew up," a regional
security source told AFP.
"We
have eight dead at the site, including the bomber," the source said,
without stating whether the attacker was male or female.
Another source also confirmed details of
the attack and gave the same toll.
Kolofata,
which lies 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border with Nigeria, is located
in a region of the same name which has been regularly targeted by Boko Haram
extremists. At least seven people were killed in a double suicide attack on the
town in September.
It
is close to Kerawa, another town on the Nigerian border where between 20 and 40
people lost their lives in a September 3 double suicide bombing -- one of the
deadliest attacks on Cameroonian territory.
Since
July, Cameroon's far north has been hit by a series of attacks blamed on
Nigeria's Boko Haram which earlier this year pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State group.
Horror in Nkambe:
Okada rider stabs female student
A man hunt has been launched on an “Okada
rider” in Nkambe after he stabbed a female lower sixth student of GBHS Bamenda.
Sources
say the young man whose name The Median got as Nelson aka star boy, “Okada
rider” based in Ndu before leaving for Nkambe had told his friends that he
would kill someone before the end of the day.
Late
December 10, 2015 night, Nelson allegedly sneaked to Nkambe where he attacked
her former girlfriend with the knives. The student sustained severe injuries on
her stomach and several others around her body.
Meet Mayor SuilaArunaKidze:
The Visionary at the helm of Nkum Council
Simplicity, sincerity, personal integrity,
humility and courteousness are some of the qualities that can propel a man to
unimaginable heights. The Mayor of Nkum Council in Bui Division of the North
West Region, SuilaAruna has a prescribed amount of these qualities and holds
them close to his heart. These qualities are his assets which many say
propelled him to the top job of managing Nkum Council, one of the biggest
councils in the North West region.
“Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and
you can be liberal-avoid putting yourself before others and you become a leader
among men”. This famous quote from Lao
Tzu is Mayor SuilaAruna’s formula for success.
His
simplicity comes from the fact that he is more a man of action than a man of
words. He would prefer not to initiate an action than to initiate and leave it
half way. This explains why almost all of the projects under is reign have been
a resounding success.
Everywhere
he has visited ever since he was elected mayor, he has been noted for this
character mannerism. Aruna’s simplicity at times makes him teach by example. If
he thinks his colleague, collaborator and or someone in the municipality do not
understand him, he would demonstrate by example. This is a rare quality to find
in today’s elected officials.
Joseph Owona summoned by special criminal court
Former long-serving government minister and
erstwhile Normalisation Committee Chairman of the Cameroon Football Federation
(FECAFOOT), Joseph Owona, has been summoned to appear before the Special
Criminal Court.
 |
| Joseph Owona |
According
to the summons issued on December 7, 2015, Owona will be asked to give an
account of his management of the finances of the Indomitable Lions during their
2014 World Cup expedition in Brazil and the 2015 African Cup of Nations in
Equatorial Guinea.
Normally,
the Special Criminal Court, which prosecutes graft only in cases in which
significant amounts are involved, only summons officials it suspects of
embezzlement and other corrupt practices.
Owona’s
management of FECAFOOT often drew eyebrows, not only because of Cameroon’s poor
performances during his time in office, but also because of the financial
scandals that delivered raw meat to the hungry media wolves.
For
instance, during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in which the Lions lost all
their three games, it was alleged that the Minister of Sports and Physical
Education, AdoumGaroua, and Normalisation Committee Chairman Joseph Owona
almost came to a fistfight in Vitoria, Equatorial Guinea, after openly
exchanging insults, following a disagreement over the deployment of finances of
the national team.
It
is in this vein that the Minister was chased away from the Golden Tulip Hotel
where he was first lodged. He moved out to lodge at Quality Hotel in Vitoria.
There are, however, allegations that the minister left the hotel because it was
too expensive for him since he took a suite instead of the luxury room he was
allocated and had to cough out additional money to make up for the difference.
YayaToure wins 2015 BBC African Footballer award
 |
| Yaya Toure |
Yaya Toure has been voted the BBC African
Footballer of the Year 2015
The 32-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder
becomes only the third player, after Nigerians NwankwoKanu and Jay-Jay Okocha,
to receive the honour twice.
Football
fans voted for Manchester City's Toure, who first won in 2013, ahead of
YacineBrahimi, Pierre-EmerickAubameyang, Andre Ayew and Sadio Mane.
"I
am very proud. To receive this dedication from the fans is unbelievable,"
Toure told BBC Sport.
"Also
I want to pay tribute to the other nominees. African football is growing up,
becoming much better and we have fantastic young players coming through
now."
Toure
described all five nominees as "champions".
He
added: "I am delighted and very happy. And as an African player, I want to
lead all my younger brothers to be successful in the future.
"When
I was a kid I was always dreaming of being an important player. I have
sacrificed a lot.
"I
will continue to try to win a trophy every year, I will fight to win a personal
trophy."
Monday, 7 December 2015
Could government not communicate on Eurobond?
 |
| IssaTchiroma, government spokesman |
The Cameroon
government refuses to communicate. We want to believe that the programme of the
ministry of Finance which has just exhausted itself defending the 2016 budget,
did not permit it to inform the public on the operation of the Eurobond
launched in Paris at the beginning of last month. This is so because it was
necessary to inform the public about Cameroon’s first Eurobond transaction,
particularly to say how it was arranged and carried out and what the results
have been. It is an obligation of transparency which ties squarely with the
methods of international financial bodies with which the government has decided
to work.
It is also an obligation of
responsibility vis-à-vis a people who, through their national representation,
approve the indebtedness of the state. It is a reputable gesture for the
government and the finance minister AlamineOusmaneMey in particular, who is a
product of the private sector that is credited for rigorous accountability. In
fact, it is normal that the publicity that followed the Head of State’s
decision to go back to Eurobond does not collapse.
The government must not indulge
in self-delusion: the kind of communication suggested by a financial expert of
Babissakana’s standing is very important. Information on international loans
must be circulated and made accessible to all interested persons. That is why
the press was able to announce the “road show” of the euro-loan before the rest
of the operation was made public as it evolved, in Paris, New York, Boston, and
London. The results are known today: for a maximum of 1.5 billion US dollars
i.e. 750 billion FCFA sought, the government was able to raise just half, at a
rate of 9.75% and for a period of ten years.
It should be recalled that each
of the two bond loans of the state for 2010 and 2013 did not have an interest
rate of up to 6%. That is why analysts see two problems here: first is the non-attainment of the maximum
amount required, and second is the high interest rate.
Parliament adopts 2016 State Budget
-The budget was
adopted on Sunday morning, in a plenary session that lasted over 14 hours
By Mercy Neba in
Yaounde
 |
| AlamineOusman Mey |
The 2016 finance
law has been voted in parliament. The law that also contains the state budget
for 2016 was adopted early on Sunday morning, during a plenary session that
lasted for over 14 hours – beginning at 10am Saturday and ending at 2.30am
Sunday.
The plenary was marked by a
presentation of the 207-page report of the finance and budget committee that
scrutinized the bill. The plenary also
provided a forum for general debates on the bill during which about 20 MPs
asked a barrage of questions to government ministers.
Some of the issues raised during
the question and answer session included imbalance in the distribution of
budgetary allocations for different regions; low consumption of the public
investment budget; epileptic energy supply; the non construction of roads like
the Loum-Tombel-Kumba-EkondoTiti and the Kumbo-Ndu-Nkambe stretch of the ring
road; why the NW and SW are the regions with the least number of kms of tarred
roads; the protest march by soldiers on the streets of Yaounde; the fight
against Boko Haram and the restructuring of Camair-co.
Re: For whom does Peter Essoka really reflect?
Dear Editor,
I read with rapt
attention an article titled “For whom does Peter Essoka really reflect?”,
written by a certain Douglas A. Achingale and published on page four of the
issue no. 173 of Monday 30 November 2015, of your very authoritative and widely
read newspaper.
First of all, I
congratulate Achingale on his ability to address such a pertinent issue and the
skill with which he crafted the write-up. I must admit that it is not every day
we find articles so well written in our local newspapers. Second, I hail your
courage to publish the article which took to task the “almighty” president of
the National Communication Council, NCC.
To be candid, it is like
Achingale stole the idea of penning that article from my mind. I had always planned
to do such a piece because Peter Essoka’s “Reflections” are becoming more
boring to listen than otherwise. Besides all what Achingale said in his
article, Essoka over-personalizes the “Reflections”, making me wonder what his
personal life and experiences have got to do with the rest of Cameroonians.
That, to me, is what lack of
inspiration and writing “for the purpose of meeting deadlines”, as Achingale
puts it, can do to a person’s writing. The suggestion that he should take his
time and present the slot just once a week is a most welcome idea. In that way,
Peter Essoka will surely be at his best.
Martin ChomuTumenta:
 |
| General Martin Tumenta |
Did Gen. Martin
Tumenta die of poisoning?
- Accusing
fingers pointing towards France
The head of the
UN multinational integrated peace keeping force in Bangui has died in Lagos,
Nigeria of what family sources believe to be poisoning. General Martin Tumenta
had earlier been flown to the USA from the Central African Republic in poor
health condition.
Doctors put him on chemotherapy
thinking it was a cancer. But things got worse and he was later flown to Lagos,
Nigeria where he hopped the twig.
Critics see a French hand in the
brigadier General’s death as France was said not to be comfortable with the
excessive media coverage of the atrocities committed by French soldiers in the
CAR capital, Bangui. It is said in some quarters that the French had even
opposed Tumenta’s appointment in Bangui in the first place.
Also, some observers say the
French were instrumental in the hostile press the general suffered in Cameroon
whilst he was in Bangui. The local press here did not relent in their onslaught
against the general even when he took ill and later left for the USA.
Death of Gen. Tumenta:
Does T. B.
Joshua heal or kill?
“Not everyone
who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only those who
do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When Judgment Day comes, many
will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name
we drove out demons and performed many miracles! Then I will say to them, ‘I
never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’” (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)
By Douglas A.
Achingale
It is with surpassing
lugubriousness that Cameroonians learned and will always remember the demise on
30 November 2015 of Brigadier General Martin ChomuTumenta, commander of the
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central
African Republic, MINUSCA. Intrepid, sedulous and unquestionably serviceable,
the 61-year-old native of Babungo in Ngoketunjia division of the North West
region was one of only four Anglophones who have ever risen to the rank of
General in the Cameroonian army.
Dependable sources say he took
ill and was admitted in a US hospital before being taken to the Lagos-based
Synagogue, Church of All Nations, SCOAN, to receive the benedictions of its
overseer, TemitopeBalogun Joshua, known for short as T. B. Joshua.
That the self-styled prophet
failed to restore Gen. Tumenta’s health raises a number of questions about his
ministry which remains largely popular amongst Cameroonians though. For many
observers, the General’s death in the hands of Joshua is a kind of wind that has
blown to reveal the anus of a fowl!
Deception
Many of Joshua’s fans are
tenacious of the belief that he cannot be daunted by any difficulty, no matter
how gigantic it may be. Tell them Joshua can walk upon the sea as Jesus Christ
did, and they will not doubt you. They see him more as God in human flesh. That
is why attendees of the SCOAN who claim to give testimonies of how the
so-called prophet has done “miracles” in their lives, refer to the Almighty as
“the God of T. B. Joshua.”
And that is not surprising
because it is the impression Joshua gives the world. He never says there is a
problem he cannot handle. At a time when there is not yet a cure for HIV/AIDS,
he claims to cure it miraculously. If a person tells you they can cure this
disease, in the way Joshua claims to do, they are undoubtedly insinuating that
there is no other ailment or difficulty they cannot put an end to.
Nevertheless, right-thinking
observers – this writer inclusive – argue that most of T. B. Joshua’s claims,
utterances and actions are fraught with deception. That is what such observers
call the cold truth. For there are many patients who have been told at the
SCOAN that they have once more become hale and hearty, but who sooner or later
relapse into worse conditions and even give up the ghost.
Unfortunately for viewers of T.
B. Joshua’s propaganda channel, Emmanuel TV, there is no forum where such
persons or their relatives can go make their complaints and worries known to
the public. Unless you identify someone whose illness has aggravated or who has
died, you would remain oblivious of this fact. This writer is saying so with
authority because he can cite names of friends and acquaintances in Cameroon
who thought they had regained their health shortly after leaving the SCOAN but
who later hopped the twig.
CPDM reorganization in Tombel:
Rose Ngassa’s
desperate maneuvers flop woefully
- A last minute
attempt by the Central Committee to annul elections and impose the beleaguered
mayor as WCPDM president met with a stiff resistance from “wounded” militants
- Hon. Emilia
Lifaka hailed for steadfastness, objectivity and sense of the general interest
By
MesumbeMichealEwang in Tombel
 |
| Mayor Rose Ngassa |
A belated
attempt by the Central Committee of the ruling CPDM party to cancel elections
in Tombel and impose the mayor of Tombel, Rose Ngassa as WCPDM section
president for Kupe-Muanenguba III, Tombel has been nipped in the bud.
CPDM militants from all the
sub-sections and clans of Tombel, stormed the Buea venue of an emergency
meeting, called by the SW regional supervisory committee for the reorganization
and mounted a stone-walled resistance to efforts by the head of the regional
committee, TalbaMalla, to convince them to accept a consensus arrangement that
would co-opt Rose Ngassa into the list of elected WCPDM executives in Tombel.
The ‘wounded’ militants argued that
Rose Ngassa had been beaten in an election that was generally acknowledged as
free and transparent; it is only preposterous and an evidence of bad faith on
her part to claim that the election was flawed.
Besides, Tombel CPDM militants
recalled that Rose Ngassa had earlier rejected an invitation for her to join a
unitary list that took into consideration all the socio-logical representations
in Tombel. She reportedly boasted that she was popular and strong enough; that
she will constitute her own list and they should allow the ballot box to
determine which candidate(s) had the better arguments to run the section.
It emerged that Ngassa Rose was
badly beaten in the election. She scored slightly over 700 votes as against
over 3500 votes for her challengers. It is for this reason that Tombel
militants held their ground that they cannot negotiate any consensus with
Ngassa.
“There can be no consensus now;
it is already too late: We invited mayor Ngassa to join the unitary list that
gave due consideration to all the socio-logical components in Tombel but she
shunned us; she turned down our invitation. She boasted that she would beat us
in free and fair elections. The ballot box has decided. So, let Rose Ngassa
accept the verdict of the ballot box. Let her be humble and concede defeat,”
fired the spokesperson for CPDM women in Tombel, whose name we could not get by
press time yesterday.
The Median learnt on good
authority that Rose Ngassa’s case could hardly even prosper at the Buea meeting
this because her hope of getting the president of the KupeMuanenguba divisional
supervisory committee, Hon. Emilia MonjowaLifaka to defend her, met with an
adamant, objective and uncompromising Lifaka, who stood her grounds that as far
as she was concerned “the election in Tombel was peaceful, free, fair,
transparent and democratic.”
Hon. Lifaka explained that she
took particular interest in the reorganization exercise in Tombel because she
understood that the stakes were high especially giving the metropolitan nature
of the town.
She mustered strong that in
defiance of the difficult access roads, she still was able to make it to Tombel
on two separate occasions just to make sure there was no problem with the
reorganization there. “And in fact, there was no problem”, she affirmed,
stating that she had actually validated the election results in Tombel as well
as those in Bangem and Nguti.
After reorganization exercise:
CPDM emerges
more disunited, vulnerable
-Divisive
antics, exclusion, corruption, scores settling, tribalism, buying of votes etc
combined to mar elections at grassroots of Biya’s party
By Ojong Steven
Ayukogem in Yaounde
 |
Jean Nkuete
|
When the newly
created CPDM Academy headed by Prof. Elvis NgolleNgolle will eventually go
operational hopefully, sooner than later, it will have to first of all school
the barons of the party on the values and tenets of party discipline, priority
of the general interest, respect for hierarchy and perhaps, moral rectitude.
This, because the on going renewal of internal organs of the party has given
the public the impression of a CPDM party whose policy makers are the first to
break their own rules and even the instructions of their national president,
Paul Biya.
Judging from the petitions and
complaints of irregularities that have continued streaming into the secretariat
of the Central Committee in Yaounde and which this newspaper either stumbled on
or had copies sent to its newsroom, it is evident that the ruling party has
emerged from the reorganization exercise more divided, disoriented, weakened
and vulnerable. Some militants are even calling on opposition parties to hurry
and take advantage of the situation.
In many sections of the party
militants are now spoiling to either sanction the party during forth coming
elections or quit the party and join ranks with the opposition outright. At
least this is what reporters of The Median gathered from irate militants, after
listening to their utterances both in private as well as in public.
Also, many militants of the CPDM
have accused the leaders of their party of blatantly and deliberately sowing
seeds of discord within the ranks of the party. The militants regret that the
reorganization exercise has been characterized by divisive antics and at times
incredibly corrupt practices by some of the so called resource persons sent
from the central committee to monitor and supervise elections in the field.
Some militants say after the reorganization exercise they are left with the
unshakable conviction that their party is more rotten at the top than at the
grassroots; that the resource persons sent to oversee the affairs of the party
at the grassroots are anything but exemplary and clean.
“We expected the teams from
Yaounde to show a high sense of responsibility, morality, impartiality, strict
respect for the presidential circular and the guidelines of the SG of the
Central committee. Unfortunately what we have seen on the field is the exact
opposite,” observed a militant, who opted not to be named. He noted that
contrary to the instructions in the presidential circular, what obtained on the
field was utterly shameful: “resource persons holding nocturnal meetings with
particular candidates, buying of consciences with money and near total absence
of transparency and disregard for the principles of democracy.”
War against indiscipline:
BetiAssomo
purges EMIA of fraudsters
Among the names
expunged from the list of those admitted into the school were those of children
and relations of some CPDM regime barons
By Tanyi Kenneth
Musa in Yaounde
 |
| Joseph Beti Assomo |
Recent actions
by the minister delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of
Defence, Joseph BetiAssomo, are indicative of the fact that things may never be
the same again in the said ministry. The most recent of such actions is the
expunging of the names of a handful of fraudsters from the list of candidates
who passed the written and physical education part of the recent entrance
examination into the Yaounde military academy, EMIA.
At press time, The Median was
not clear on the exact number of candidates whose names were dropped from that
list. But this newspaper was reliably informed by more than one source that the
candidates in question were children and relatives of some big shots of the
regime. They are reported to have used their positions and financial strength
to influence the results.
BetiAssomo did not end at
flushing out the names of the fraudsters from the list; he also ordered an
enquiry on the matter and insisted that the culprits must be brought to book.
Critics have hailed this
decision of the new Defence strongman, terming it valiant and unprecedented.
“BetiAssomo’s looks do not match his actions,” a gendarme officer having the
rank of ‘maréchal de logie chef’, BengonoAnicet, told The Median. “When he was
appointed minister of Defence we thought he was too womanly for that position.
But we are now seeing his courage and bravery. Never judge a man from his
looks.”
Public service:
PM Yang orders
retired civil servants to go
By
EssanEkoninyam in Yaounde
 |
| Yang Philemon |
A circular
signed recently urges members of government to make sure retired persons leave
their respective services at the right time
Retired state
agents who are still in active service may be spending their last days in
office. A circular recently signed by Prime Minister Philemon Yang and
addressed to members of government calls on them to identify and flush out such
persons from the services of their respective ministries.
In the circular, the PM points
out that it has come to his notice on many occasions that the rules governing
the retirement of civil servants are no longer systematically respected in some
administrations, and this causes them to be discriminatorily applied. This
situation, he goes on, constitutes a flagrant violation of the functioning
rules and principles of the management of the human resources of the state as
contained in the general statute of the public service as well as the different
particular and special statutes.
Philemon Yang reminds the
ministers that any manoeuvre aimed at delaying the retirement of a state agent
or prolonging their stay in the public service is an infringement on the
directives of the President of the Republic. This directive is contained in the
general instruction given by the latter wherein ministers must see to it that
civil servants placed under their authority and are due retirement must
effectively quit the services on time, if they are having a duty post, and
temporarily replaced by their collaborators.
Cameroon army stuns Boko Haram
- Kill at least
100 terrorists and frees over 900 hostages
The Cameroon
army claimed Wednesday to have dealt a major blow to Nigeria's Boko Haram
Islamists, killing at least 100 fighters and freeing over 900 hostages in a three-day
operation last week.
The claim, which
could not be independently confirmed, came on the heels of twin suicide attacks
by Boko Haram kamikaze in the town of Waza in the far north of Cameroon. Nine
people including three suicide attackers reportedly died in the attacks,
according to Cameroon government spokesman IssaTchiroma.
"A special clean-up
operation from November 26 to 28 against Boko Haram in the border area with
Nigeria neutralised more than 100 jihadists", IssaTchiroma told a press
conference in Yaounde.
Cameroon’s Defence Minister
Joseph BetiAssomo also later confirmed the toll in a separate statement
broadcast on national radio.
The surprise attack by
Cameroonian forces enabled them to release almost 900 hostages, seize large
supplies of arms and munitions as well as black-and-white Islamic State IS
flags, the statements by both officials said, without providing details on the
identities of those freed.
Worthy to recall
that Boko Haram swore allegiance to IS in March 2015.
The ministers attributed the
success of the raid to cooperation between Cameroon security forces, the
multinational task force against Boko Haram based in Mora, Cameroon and
Nigerian forces.
No independent confirmation of
the government press outing was immediately available from the battle front,
which is inaccessible to the media.
Some security sources reached by
telephone confirmed that the raid took place but were unable to confirm the
figures released in the government statement.
Nine dead in
suicide attacks in Waza
Since July, Cameroon's far
northern region has been regularly targeted by suicide bombers believed to be
working with Boko Haram.
Late on Tuesday, nine people
were reportedly killed in twin suicide attacks in the small and once popular
tourist town of Waza, said a security source who asked not to be identified.
The victims included civilian
vigilantes trained by the community to guard Waza against attacks, the source
said.
State radio
confirmed the attacks, saying the two suicide bombers were women who killed
four people when they blew themselves up. A further two people died of their
injuries.
A third suicide bomber was shot
dead before detonating her explosive.
Chief NkemayangVsNdi Eugene and SoneBayen:
Limbe Court
dismisses case on technical grounds
- Apparently
undaunted and dissatisfied, Chief Nkemayang files in yet another suit
By
Essan-Ekoninyam in Yaounde with reporting from Limbe
The legal battle
pitting Chief FoanyiNkemayang Paul, and Ndi Eugene Ndi and Franklin SoneBayen
has ended with a non-suit or dismissal by the Limbe Court of First Instance.
But just before the learned judge passed the ruling on 2 December, an agent for
a bailiff served Ndi and Bayen fresh summonses within the court premises to
report to the Limbe Gendarmerie Brigade for another interrogation.
No reason was stated on the
summonses but Nkemayang boastfully told Bayen’s lawyer that he prompted the
summonses to reopen the same legal file for a retrial of Ndi and Bayen for
defaming him.
Contacted for comment, Bayen
said, “It looks like Nkemayang has not said his last word. I may only comment
later. But Nkemayang knows I never wrote anything about him. He knows better
than me because he’s been in this thing for decades, that if he is convinced
that Eugene Ndi’s story is untrue, the law requires that he submits a rejoinder
stating his side of the story even before taking any legal action and he knows
better than me that any truth in his side of the story will do him more good
than his resort to legal battles that may only be more damaging.”
For his part, Ndi Eugene said he
could only be happy that the court dismissed the case. He however refused to
comment further, saying he has not had time to settle down after the court
ruling especially as Nkemayang has brought a fresh suit against him. By press
time yesterday, we did not succeed to get Chief Nkemayang on phone. He also did
not reply to the SMSs we sent to him.
Scandal in Y’de:
Lecherous priest
weds officially!
Not only did the
marriage not last long because he kept many mistresses, he was also suspended
from his duties by the bishop of Obala who, together with his collaborators,
were shocked and horrified.
By Tanyi Kenneth
Musa in Yaounde
Wonders, they
say, shall never end. A Yaounde-based reverend father, Pierre Lebon Noah, aged
about 30, officially tied the nuptial knots in April 2015 with a former
classmate of his of about the same age whose only name The Median got as
Sylvie. However, the latter was obliged to storm out of the marriage not long
after because of what she discovered to be her husband’s excessively lecherous
activities.
Reliable sources told this
newspaper that after they separated in 2002 in a secondary school in Nkometou
in the Centre region, Pierre Lebon Noah and Sylvie met again only ten years
later while the former was a seminarian in Otélé still in the Centre region.
They fell in love and decided in 2013 to get married, barely months to the
priestly ordination of the bloke. During the long vacation of that year, we
were told, Noah attempted to pay Sylvie’s bride price, but her parents would
not accept. That did not however cause the would-be couple to shatter their
plans.
The Median further learned that
Noah was consecrated deacon in June 2014 and posted to Batchenga, and that on 8
December of that year he was ordained priest. All of which did not however
change their plans as he and Sylvie finally wedded on 14 April 2015 in a
private residence in the Oyom-Abangneighbourhood, before one of the deputy
mayors of the Yaounde I council. Pierre Lebon Noah’s profession on his national
identity card on the day of his wedding, we were informed, was “student”.
Meantime, the newly-wedded couple installed their love nest in the
Nkolmessengneighbourhood still in Yaounde.
Maiden edition of south west cultural festival underway in K’ba
By Ajongakou
Santos in Buea
 |
| Grace Ewang- SWR Delegate of Arts and Culture |
The maiden
edition of the South West Cultural Festival has officially opened in Kumba, the
chief town of the Meme Division. The epic cultural showdown comes after over
eleven months of preparation.
The cultural jamboree which
brings together elite of all divisions of the South West region including Fako,
Ndian, Meme, Kupe-Muanenguba, Lebialem and Manyu and all other communities
represented in the region, will run from December 5 through December 12,
2015.
According to the South West
Regional Delegate of Arts and Culture, Ngoh Grace Ewang, the festival will
showcase the luxury and cultural diversity of the region. She howled at the
fact that there has been nothing so far in the form of events to showcase the
rich culture of the people of the South West, one of the finest in the nation.
Hear here; “this Cultural Festival is like our National Identity Card. It tells
who we are. We don’t speak but simply show those things that make us unique.
The South West Cultural Festival is therefore a forum to explain who we are”.
Kumbo Council Wins REDD+ Project
By Njodzefe
Nestor
 |
| Group pix after validation of project note |
Kumbo council
has been selected amongst six other councils in Cameroon to partake in the
REDD+ Project according to a letter signed by the Minister of Environment,
Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development S.E HELE Pierre on Nov 20,
2015.
This comes at a time when more
than 190 nations are gathering in Paris to discuss a possible new global
agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions
and thus avoiding the threat of dangerous climate change.
The project promoted by the
Government of Cameroon supported by the French Development Agency, AFD, and the
German Development Agency, GIZ and worth over FCFA 2 billion is expected to
promote reforestation, mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and also
to bring meaning development to Kumbo judging from the financial package that
goes along with it.
Kumbo council was amongst ten
lucky councils pre-selected from the 360 councils in Cameroon who were
requested to manifest the interest to participate in this project and submit a
file expressing their ability to implement REDD+.
The journey to this success all
started in May 2015 with a 5 day workshop with the 10 shortlisted councils in
Bana, West Region of Cameroon. Kumbo Council and Positive Vision Cameroon, a
consultancy firm that was selected to design the project then plunged into fied
work and elaboration of the Project Idea Note and Terms Of Reference for the
feasibility studies
Councilors of Kumbo Council
sitting in an extra ordinary session on August 20, 2015 validated the draft
project idea note and terms of reference for the REDD+ Kumbo Council pilot
project aimed at reducing the poverty level from the current 48 percent in the
municipality to below 10 percent through their effective participation in the
management of the Council’s forest.
Limbe market women stand up against administrative excesses
By NwoFuanya in
Limbe
 |
| Limbe market women |
Against all
expectations and to the chagrin of government officials, women in Limbe, Fako
division of the south west region have stood u against what they term excesses
of the Fako administration in the fight against Boko Haram. This was during a
one day campaign to end administrative detention and torture that took place on
Wednesday 2 December 2015.
The campaign that brought
together women from different background, especially market women popularly
called buy’amsellam’ as well as men who sympathize with women when it comes to
issues of rights was organized as part of the annual 16 days to of activism to
end violence against women. This year some civil society organizations in
Limnbe notably the Community Initiative For Development Communication, CODEC,
the Association for the Protection of Women and Children’s Rights, Pro-People
and other organization s came together to campaign against what they call the
excessive abuse of authority by the administration and the abuse of women’s
rights.
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