6 March 2013 – 6 March 2016:

3-year mandate of NCC members has expired

The mandate of the 9 members of the National Communication Council NCC has expired. Their mandate expired on Sunday 6 March 2016. The members of the council were appointed by presidential decree on 22 February 2013 and commissioned into their functions on 6 March 2013.

                Members of the council are appointed for a three year mandate renewable once, by virtue of the law creating the council.

It is expected that the president of the republic will sign a new decree any time this week renewing the mandates of all the members for another three year period.

                However, it should be pointed out that though Peter Essoka and Joseph Janvier Mvoto were appointed along with the other seven members, their subsequent appointment on 27 November 2015, as the President and Vice President respectively of the NCC, permits them to continue functioning whether or not their mandates have expired.

                It should be mentioned that the NCC has not had a peaceful and quiet functioning ever since its role was extended to include regulation. This is because members of the media family now believe that instead of defending their interests the council is serving and protecting the interest of the ‘establishment’. However, the president of the council has missed no opportunity to explain to who ever cares to listen that the role of the council is purely and simply that of ensuring respect for professional ethics by media practitioners and also cleanse the media landscape of brigands and charlatans.

                Peter Essoka maintains that this role of the council should be strengthened if the profession of journalism in the country must be noble and relevant.

                That is why Essoka is praying the authorities to give the council greater financial and administrative autonomy this so that the NCC can better perform the tasks assigned to it.

                The nine members of the council are: Peter Essoka (President), Janvier Mvoto (Vice President), Jean Bruno Tagne, Charly Ndi Chia, Suzanne Kalla Lobe, Christophe Bobiokono, Jean Claude Ottou, Alfaki Abdouhraman and Nadine Machukou Ngameni.