Sunday 21 May 2017

Front page


Yaounde:



President BIYA presides over 45th National Day
The President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul BIYA on Saturday 20 May presided over a military and civilian march past to commemorate the 45th edition of the National Day. It was the 34th time he was performing the ritual in 35 years of his reign.
                Each faction of the Cameroonian Armed Forces participated in this year’s military parade under the command of Brigadier General Ezo’oMvondo Simon. He was assisted by Colonel EnowEyong Joseph.
                Meanwhile, pupils and students sang patriotic songs on the preservation of peace and unity. Political parties also showed their will to respect republican institutions and maintain social cohesion. Members and sympathisers of the ruling CPDM exhibited their might with special tributes to President Paul BIYA.  

Opinion



FINAL COMMNIQUE OF THE FIRST PLENARY SESSION OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROMOTION OF BILILINGUALISM AND MULTICULTURALISM WHICH HELD ON 20TH OF APRIL 2017 AT MONT FEBE HOTEL
On Friday 28th April 2017, at 11:00am, Mr. Peter MAFANY MUSONGE, presided over the first plenary session of the national commission for the promotion of bilingualism and multiculturalism, at Mont Febe Hotel.
                The meeting was attended by all the members of the said commission.
                There were four main points on the agenda of the meeting, namely:
- The introductory statement of the president of the Commission;
- The presentation of members of the Commission;
- General discussions;
- Others matters.
                In his introductory statement, the president of Commission, Mr. Peter MAFANY MUSONGE, started by congratulating the members of the Commission for their brilliant appointment into this organ, as well as the confidence bestowed upon them by the Head of State.
                He also used the opportunity to acknowledge the recent appointment of the secretary general of the said Commission, in the person of Dr. CHI ASAFOR Cornelius. He continued with recall of the attributions of the no 2017/013 of 23rd January 2017, laying Commission its establishment, organization and functioning. He finally called on all of them to totally engage themselves for the attainment of the assigned objectives, and generally not to spare afford in view of meeting the expectations of the people.
                Subsequent to that, there was individual presentation of the members of the Commission. This phase of the meeting permitted the different members to speak of their respective experiences either as civil servants and State dignitaries or simply as citizens intervening in diverse sectors of the society, bringing out contributions which could be expected from them for the attainment of the objectives assigned to the Commission. At the end of this exercise, the president was delighted to note that the Commission was sufficiently rich in terms of competence to be able to surmount the numerous challenges it will be faced with.
                The third point of the meeting was on general discussions, notably members taking turns to speak. This permitted to record the vision of the members on the activities of the Commission as well as the social crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. In this regard, and upon the request of the President of the Commission, proposals for short, medium and long term solutions were made by the various speakers. In that respect, the following suggestions were made:
                - “Bench marking” in countries which like Cameroon live with bilingualism and multiculturalism on a daily basis, for example Canada, to get inspiration from their success model;
                - The identification of priorities and an introspection with could permit an understanding of priorities of the causes of the social malaise;
                - Field work, to come into direct contact with the realities, and to find appropriate solutions to the identified problems;

20th May Celebration:



Bamilekes showcase their numerical superiority in K’ba
-Close to 50 Bamileke meeting groups stormed the Kumba ceremonial grounds and marched past in front of the new SDO for Meme, on 20th May. They left their Anglophone brothers, especially the native Bafaws and Bakundus, watching in awe and shame.  
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Ever head of this political party called The Patriots in Cameroon? They didn’t
show up in Yaounde to march, but they did in Bamenda.
Bamileke in Kumba have used the occasion of the 45th National day to once again demonstrate that they control not only the economy but also the social and political life of K-town, the capital of Meme Division and economic hub of the SW region. Rubbishing calls for ghost towns by fleeing Consortium and SCNC militants, Bamilekes in Kumba trooped into the ceremonial grounds in their thousands and stole the show during the traditional march past on Saturday 20th May.
                Observers said the massive and preponderant turnout of the Bamilekes not only rubbished boycott calls by some opposition parties and Southern Cameroons enthusiasts, it also portrayed in many was the “settlers” from the West region as the de-facto pacemakers of Kumba.
                Marching past and chanting patriotic songs in front of the new Meme SDO, Chamberlain Ntou’ouNdong, the discernibly confident and enthusiastic Bamileke men and women, clad in uniforms of different designs and colours, left their native hosts in Kumba watching in utter shame and awe.

To rubbish SDF boycott:



Strange political parties march past in B’da
News courtesy Cameroon Journal, Bamenda
Activities to commemorate May 20 in Bamenda, capital of the NW Region have ended with a timid turn-out. The march past which started with various military corps at the Commercial Avenue, kicked off at about 9:30A.M. with the arrival of Northwest Governor, LeleL’afrique and other top government officials.
                The march past (like in all other parts of the region) saw the absolute boycott of the mainstream opposition party, the Social Democratic Front as well as two other parties with deep roots in Anglophone Cameroon – the People’s Action Party PAP and the Cameroon People’s Party CPP.
                Our reporter managed to get as close as he could to the Grand Stand at the Commercial Avenue where dignitaries were seated, under heavy guard (see pictures) and as the march past went on, it became increasingly clear that the many sections passing for CPDM sections in Mezam, could in fact be persons brought in from the West Region.
                As the march past went on, a French-speaking man in his 40s yelled “c’est le theatre, meaning this is theatre”
                He said he was seeing some parties he has never heard of  like “The Patriot” party, and “Union de Bienvoiyance du Cameroun UBC”  .
                The man quoted earlier, asked how come in Bamenda parties like the purported UBC and “The Patriot” are marching, parties no one has ever heard of in this part of the country.
                Observers suspected these were either university from Dcshang students or Francophone students from the University of Bamenda masquerading under the umbrella of these fictitious “parties”.
                “Amour Mezam” travel agency buses could be spotted transporting school children and others to and from the Commercial Avenue in clear defiance of calls for ghost towns. Only few months ago, an Amour Mezam bus was reduced to ashes around New Road in Bamenda because it was seen moving around during ghost towns.

Who is in control?



K’ba Gov’t Delegate & Mayor Pala-Pala over Motor Part

-Mayor Kona Makia threatens Gov’t Delegate to act within two weeks or be ready to hear from him

By DohBertarndNua in Kumba
John Kona Makia, Mayor of Kumba III council
The Mayor of Kumba III council, John Kona Makia has given two weeks to the Kumba government delegate to get the Ntam Motor Park operational or he will be forced to step in and launch operations at the park. Mayor Kona Makia noted that the gov’t delegate Victor NgohNkele is delaying with the park project despite knowing only too well that the motor park is supposed to be one if not the biggest revenue source for the Kumba III council.
                “The government delegate is delaying the park from going operational but has continued collecting taxes and other revenue from occupants of the precincts of the Motor Park. Victor Nkele does this without caring about the Kumba III council that harbors the park, and which is naturally and by right also supposed to benefit from the park,” complained Mayor Kona Makia, who warned that “we will seize that park form the city council and declare it operational that is if the gov’t delegate fails to act within the 25th May deadline. We cannot sit and fold our arms while the city council reaps off a property that is supposed to be ours by right….The city council cannot be collecting all the revenue when we are in dire need of our own sources of revenue.”
                Mayor Makia revealed that the total grip of the city council on the park only compromises a partnership agreement that the Kumba III council signed with a private operator granting him temporal rights to manage the site around the precincts of the park.  
                Mayor Kona Makia recalled that following a heated debate over the issue during the last accounts session of the city council, he gave the government delegate two weeks to get the park operational or he would be forced to take steps to start operations there.
                “So we hope that by the 25th of May the park will have gone operational. But if the government delegate fails to open the park we will have no option than to open it ourselves,” Mayor Makia warned.
                Situated in the Kumba III Municipality, the Ntam Motor Park has remained a major bone of contention between the Kumba city council and the Kumba III council. While the City Council insists that she is the statutory owner and manager of the park, the Kumba III council also holds that she not only hosts the park but is supposed by right to manage the park.
                It should be mentioned that the Ntam Park is one of the busiest motor parks in Kumba given that it serves as takeoff point for all vehicles plying the Kumba-Mamfe-Ekok-Nigeria, Kumba-Bamenda and Kumba-Tombel-Loum-Douala roads.
                Repeated requests by the Kumba III mayor, for the gov’t delegate to hand the park to the council have fallen on a deaf and adamant government delegate, who maintains that the park is still under the direct control of the city council.
                Ownership and control of the park was the theme of a heated debate that almost halted deliberations during the last administrative and management accounts session of the city council that held on 11 May 2017.

B’da-Babajou road to take 24 months



The minister of Public Works, Emmanuel NganouNjoumessi has officially launched reconstruction works on the Babajou-Bamenda stretch of the BamendaBafoussam Highway that is expected to cost about 61 billion FCFA co-financed by the  Cameroon government and the World Bank and has given firm instructions to contractor to respect the two years deadline given them.
                Emmanuel NganouNjoumessi accompanied by the Secretary of State in charge of roads, at the Ministry of Public Works Max AyinaOhandja and the World Bank Delegation while launching the project on May 12, 2017 said  President Paul Biya has as mission to dis-enclave the Northwest. He also revealed that as part of governments effort to ensure effective decentralization, construction of roads is gradually being transferred to municipal authorities.
                According to a release from the Ministry of public Works, The total road network involved in the project is 52 km comprising of  35Km between Bamenda  in the Northwest and Babajou in the West region and 17 km of inner city roads within Bamenda.
                Other fall outs of the project include the construction of a weighing station, leisure spots, a toll gate, of markets and pipe borne water lines along the road and the tarring of 50km of rural farm to market roads. The contract would be executed by the French company SOGEA SATOM to the tune of 37 billion Frs CFA.

8 months after end of training:




HTTTC Kumba students still waiting for graduation, integration
-Say their counterparts of ENS Yaounde, maroua, douala and Bambili have since been graduated and integrated into the public service. But HTTTC Kumba students must wait.
-Accuse the school’s Director of supporting evil schemes of Yaounde regime
By DohBertarndNua in Kumba

Students of the first batch of trainees of the Higher Technical Teacher’s Training College, HTTTC Kumba, are spoiling for a strike to protest what they term as the discriminatory treatment they are getting from the authorities in Yaounde. The anxious and irate supposed first batch graduates of the school say they are yet to be told their fate since eight months after they finished their training course.
                “We were admitted in 2014/2015 academic year as the first batch of 2nd cycle students of HTTTC Kumba. We finished our course work and teaching practice in July 2016 and defended our end-of-course dissertations in November 2016. But since then nothing has been said about our graduation and posting,” complained one of the anxious students whose identity we cannot reveal for obvious reasons.
“In March 2017 some officials from the ministry of secondary education, MINESEC, came to our school and held a meeting with us and promised that we would be posted immediately. They asked us to compile and submit our integration files, which we did. But until today nothing more has been said,” regretted the student, who continued that “this phony silence of the authorities is a real source of frustration to us; it may even lead to a strike if something is not done soon.”
                We gathered from our interlocutor that recently, when some students threatened to stage a strike they were intimidated by the school’s authorities who also threatened to expell any students suspected of instigating or staging a strike on or around the school campus.
                “Recently we were forced to cancel a planned strike because the Director of the school instructed the students’ leader (a francophone) to forward to him the names of the leaders of the strike. The names had to be sent to Yaounde so that the students should not be integrated and/or posted, we learned,” recounted another prospective graduate, who wondered aloud why their counterparts of other training schools should be graduated and posted while they of HTTTC Kumba should wait sine die. He suspected the authorities are hiding something from them.
                “The authorities of our school seem to be playing delay tactics: recently they called us to come and verify if information on our attestations were correct. They said they were doing this to avoid errors on our diplomas. They also charged us to pay 30.000 frs each for our graduation robes. Yet the date of the graduation has never been fixed or communicated to us,” complained the student, who said they ought to have been posted like their counterparts of other schools so that they can start preparing for the next academic year.

To counter calls for ghost towns:



Mercenaries hired to march in Buea on 20th May
By Boris Esono in Buea
Mayor Ekema Patrick knighted by SW Governor
20th May has been commemorated in Buea under the theme “Army and the nation in full synergy for a Cameroon united in its diversity and devoted to the ideals of peace, stability and prosperity".
                Despite calls by unknown individuals for a total boycott of the event, youths and other personalities turned out on massively to celebrate the day.
                Before the march past, some 31 individuals were decorated with various medals of honour. The Mayor of Buea, Patrick EkemaEsunge and the wife of SW Governor, Nicole Okalia were raised to the dignity of Night of the Order of Valor. Others were raised to Officers of the Order of Valor.
                Like what happened during the youth day celebration on 11 February, some strange faces were seen marching under the banner of the Cameroon National Youth Council and the Cameroon Sustainable Network. This created suspicion in the minds of observers, with many suspecting that they were students from the Police College in Mutengene. The individuals had all shaved their heads depicting individuals from the arm forces.
                Yet, it was a colourful march past on Saturday that saw law enforcement officers including Police, Army, the BIR, customs, forest guards and students from a few basic, secondary and higher institutions marching in celebration of the 45th National Day.
                But observers said the march past this year witnessed an unprecedentedly low turnout compared to past years. Though government schools marched, the turnout of students was very low. For instance GBHS Buea had just three students marching.
                No confessional primary or secondary school marched. But the Catholic University of Buea, CUIB, took part in the march past.

Hon Lifaka drums up CPDM participation at May 20th festivities



 By AminatehNkemngu
HonourableLifaka, Fako CPDM leader

As the count down to the National Day festivities on 20 May narrowed, the Vice President of the National Assembly and CPDM Permanent Delegate for Fako division has been drumming up participation of the militants in Fako at the event.
                This was during a mobilization and fundraising meeting of CPDM top notches as well as party leaders in the division that took place at the Limbe City Council on Thursday 11 May 2017.The CPDM leader told participants at the conclave that the meeting had been convened within the context of the Fako Development Fund, which is geared at mobilizing financial resources from party militants to support party activities in the division.
                In this vein, Lifaka revealed that the objective of the day’s meeting was to rise the sum of FCFA 10 million to mobilize militants to take part in this year’s 20 May activities. The Vice President of the National Assembly was very blunt when she told militants that very soon elections will be called and only militants who have demonstrated unalloyed commitment to the party will be selected to run for elective offices .In this regard, she said particular attention will be paid to those who take part in this year’s 20th May festivities which is holding against a backdrop of upheavals in the North West and South West Regions of the country.

State power overpowers the ghost:



Gov’t Common Entrance written amid tight security
- Unregistered pupils also write exams
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Primary school pupils in Kumba, chief town of Meme Division, Southwest region have shun fear and successfully written the Government Common Entrance Examination without any incident. The examinations went on hitch free in all the examination centres in Kumba.
                At Government Practicing School Kumba Town and Government Bilingual Primary School Kumba-Mbeng where this reporter made a stopover, the atmosphere was serene and calm just like in other parts of the town.
                According to some pupils who talked to this reporter, they attended private classes at home to enable them take the examination.
                “My parents paid one of my teachers who always came home to teach me in the evenings in all my subjects,” revealed one of the pupils.
                Quizzed on their evaluation of the examination questions, sundry candidates expressed mixed feelings.
                “The questions were not very difficult to me though I could not answer all,” indicated one of the candidates. Others said they only went to write the examination to satisfy their parents because they were not prepared.

CDC, City Council want speedy construction of Limbe Seaport



By AminatehNkemngu
Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council,AndrewMotangaMonjimba
The management of the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC as well as the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council,AndrewMotangaMonjimba have challenged government to do all in its power to ensure that the Natural Deep Seaport in Limbe which has been the cry of the people for far to long is constructed and goes operational as soon as possible.
                               The Government Delegated made this a key issue in his address to welcome the Minister of Agriculture,HenriEyebeAyissi who was in Limbe on Friday 12  May to chair a dual ceremony to hand over 18 tractors to the CDC as well as launch the 2017 planting season.
                               In his address, Andrew MotangaMonjimba upheld that with its 22,000 man power the CDC has for too long represented the wellbeing and economic welfare of the South West and North West Regions. While noting that the CDC is directly responsible for the cosmopolitan nature of Fako, the Government Delegate went on to say increase in the cost of transporting its products from the South West to Douala for exportation over the years has dealt a serious blow on the financial stability of the corporation.
                               In this regard,he urged the government  to do all in its power and as soon as possible to ensure the construction of the Limbe Natural Deep Seaport which has been the cry of the people since independence.
                               Taking the cue, the Board Chairman of the CDC Benjamin Itoe and the General Manager, Franklin NgoniNjie threw their support behind the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council to press for the construction of the Limbe Deep Seaport.

Sixteen percent (16%) execution:



K’ba City Council records worst investment budget execution ever
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
NgohNKelle Victor, Government Delegate Kumba city council
Grand Councilors of the Kumba city council have adopted the worst budget realization ever since the creation of the city council. Sitting on Thursday 11ay 2017, to examine the execution of the administrative, management and stores account of the city council for 2016, the grand councilors noted that the realization rate stood at a paltry 16.4%. It was the first ordinary session of the council for 2017.   
                According to the gov’t delegate, Victor NgohNkele, the 2016 budget of the city council stood at FCFA one billion, eight hundred and eight million, nine hundred and fifty seven thousand, four hundred and seventy three francs (1 808 957 473).
                He noted that of that amount the sum of FCFA 837 768 150m was collected giving a revenue collection of 46.31%. Meanwhile FCFA 803 137 762M was spent giving an expenditure execution rate of 44.4%, with a surplus of 34 360 388M FCFA.
                With an investment of FCFA 118 937 529 for a budgetary forecast of FCFA 723 582 989, the investment quota for the year 2016 stood at a minimal 16.44%, below the investment quota for 2015 that stood at 53% and equally below the minimum of 40% as decreed by law.
                According to the government delegate to the Kumba city council in his address during the session, the low execution rate is attributed to the fact that, the internal revenue collection of the city council was hampered by factors such as persistent inertia of some unscrupulous revenue collectors who negotiate with traders and thrive in other malicious comportment which defraud the council of its revenue and the suspension of the supervisory authority of the collection of parking taxes from bike riders, tax evasion by traders and the malpractice of tax officers who categories traders in lower categories of taxes instead of their rightful categories amongst sundry other reasons. He added if such abnormalities are rectified it will go a long way to maximize internal collections.
                NgohNkelle Victor despite the worst realization rate recorded by his council outlined some areas that the city council has excelled in, in terms of development. He cited roads construction and maintenance works, construction of culverts, contributions to the functioning of CEFAM, UCCC, and electricity maintenance amongst others.

Buea Regional Hospital:



Panic grips Kidney patients as dialysis machines breakdown
By Boris Esono in Buea

Buea hemodialysis center
Kidney Patients undergoing routine dialysis at the Buea Regional Hospital Haemodialysis Centre have protested against the unconvincing nature of the treatment they receive. The kidney patients staged a demonstration on Tuesday, 16 May 2017 in front of the hospital protesting the non-performance of routine dialysis exercises on patients at the center.
                It should be noted that routine dialysis did not take place at the centre for several days running this despite the eight dialysis generators and the state-of-the-art 4008S dialysis machines acquired from the world’s leading dialysis firm, Fresenius Medical Care.
                “We want to make some noise so that Yaounde can listen to us because we have complained to authorities in Buea but nothing has changed. If they do not address the situation we are going to sleep in front of the Governor’s office and block the hospital,” said one of the kidney patients whose name we are withholding.
                 “There is no seriousness in the way we are treated here. Patients cannot continue to be treated like this. I was supposed to have been referred to some other centre, but that has not been done,” complained another patient.
                All our attempts to get to the Director of the Regional Hospital to comment on the development proved futile as he refused to talk, asking the journalists to go and write whatever they could.
                It shoud be recalled that last year the Buea dialysis centre was shut down for three days; from Monday, 7 March to Wednesday, 9 March 2016, due to the lack of the dialysis consummate and an acute water crisis.

Articulating the Anglophone Crisis:



Hunters invited on radio debate programs in K’ba
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Chamberlin Ntou'ouNdong, Meme SDO 2
The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme Division, Ntou’ouNdong Chamberlin, has begged broadcast journalists in Kumba in particular and other media practitioners in general to rethink the kind of personalities they invite to analyze the ongoing Anglophone Crisis that has gripped the two Anglophone regions in the country.
                Chamberlin Ntou’ouNdong made the plea to journalists on Tuesday May 16 at the conference hall of his office during a crisis meeting that brought together all heads of forces of law and order in Kumba, administrative authorities and media men in Kumba.
                The SDO revealed to journalists that after investigating and cross checking panelists on sundry radio programs, he has noticed that most of the panelists lack a mastery of what they are invited to talk about.  According him “most of your panelists on radio programs are hunters” while revealing that after investigations it is very certain all the panelists who pose as experts have no mastery of the sensitive issues they try to enlighten the public on. He added “most of these your radio analysts have nothing concrete doing in town are cannot to trace as workers in any establishment in Kumba and so use this opportunities given them on radio programs to mislead and misinformed the public.
                While lamenting the fluctuating nature of CRTV signals in Kumba that doesn’t give the population the opportunity to get information from the national station, the SDO noted the entire population of Meme division depends on what the journalists in Kumba do and as such any radio program or any of the hunters taken to analysts radio programs that will attempt jeopardizing public peace will not be welcome. He lamented while the hunter like radio analyst have never seen good in anything done by government, why some of them continuously abuse administrative officials and go ahead to say baseless things which they ought not say.

Anglophone crisis:





SCACUF petitions UN, warns of looming Genocide
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
The Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front popularly known as SCACUF has petitioned the Secretary General of the United Nations to intervene in the Southern Cameroons crisis lest it becomes genocide.
                The letter, dated May 18, and signed by SCACUF’s SG, Tassang Wilfred, opens with an invitation to the global body to intervene in time so as to avert what it calls “an impending disaster and waste of human life and valuable economic resources occasioned by the outbreak of violence.” The letter states that all avenues for peaceful dialogue have been exhausted and the Republic of Cameroun which it calls an “annexationist government” appears to want only the language of force which it is using on the people of the former British Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons.
                SCACUF, in the letter entitled “Exhaustion of Avenues for Peaceful Resolution,” gives a background to the situation taking special note of the 20 May 1972 referendum which it calls “a malicious referendum” and explained that, “our people were made to choose between ‘OUI’ and ‘YES’ for a unitary State. This annexation was completed by Paul Biya, in 1984 when he returned the entity back to Republic of Cameroun’s status upon independence in 1960.
                The letter also traces the route traveled by Southern Cameroons in its resistance to La Republique’s rule beginning with a memoranda signed by one of the territories most prominent academics in 1963, late Bernard Fonlon, passing through HRH Gorji Dinka, former Bar President of Cameroon, then the formation of SDF in 1990 which had as aim to defend the rights of the marginalized in the union, the formation of the Cameroon Anglophone Movement in 1992 (CAM). In unequivocal terms, the communiqué holds that in 1992 Fru Ndi won the Presidential elections but was prevented from entering the Presidency just because of his Anglophone background. “In October 1992, Ni John Fru Ndi, candidate of the SDF party won the Presidential elections but was prevented from taking power through a rigged process at the Supreme Court……this is in keeping with the unwritten practice that nobody from our territory can ever be President,” it reads.
                The famous All Anglophone Conference I and II where the founding fathers of the union in the persons of Dr. JN Foncha and ST Muna castigated the very union they fought for was also advanced as evidence of marginalization by Yaoundé authorities, which followed the birth of many Anglophone pressure groups including the SCNC challenging the union that was never consummated. In substantiating this view, SCACUF said, in 2010 prominent Southern Cameroonians like Justice Ayah Paul Abine, Mola Njoh Litumbe, Cardinal Tumi and the former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon in the person of Rt. Rev Nyansako Ni Nku were unanimous, that there was no treaty sanctioning the union and that the two parties should go back to the negotiating table. It was the same message reechoed by intellectuals during the public meetings held to celebrate 50 years of independence and reunification.

National Day:



What 20 May means to former West Cameroonians
Former West Cameroonians have never cherished the idea of the so-called 20th May celebrations, an institution foisted upon the people, its heritage and territory. We have known since 1972 that 20th May was wittingly hatched and forced upon us by two successive regimes of Ahidjo and Paul Biya who were out to complete our assimilation into the French colonial hegemony in Cameroon.
                When 20th May became a national day in 1972, it wasn’t an invention to foster national unity as the regimes have told us in successive years. Rather the whole idea was crafted with the intention of surreptitiously wiping out the identity of, and the emblems of the Southern Cameroons from the federal status that we obtained in 1961.
                We recall that in 1960, French Cameroon got its independence from France and one year later, the Southern Cameroons too gained independence as a state, howbeit choosing in that plebiscite to unite with LRC. When French Cameroon emerged from Independence, it had a flag, a national anthem, state capital, all of the things that constitute a sovereign nation. Like LRC, the Southern Cameroons too had a Flag, an anthem, a state capital in Buea, a gov’t in Buea, economic institutions of its own like banks, the airport in Tiko, the Sea Port in Victoria, and a territory with borders, flanking LRC, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea by sea.
                But when the French began the sneaky project of erasing everything Anglo-Saxon, masked in the name of national unity and national integration, what they actually integrated and assimilated wasn’t the two cultures of the country, rather it was the Southern Cameroons’.
Consider for instance, that the stanza in the Cameroon national anthem written by Bernard Fonlon in which he described the natural endowments bestowed on the Southern Cameroons was egregiously taken out of the Cameroon national anthem. And isn’t it very interesting that many are unaware of this? People sing the Cameroon Anthem today, ignorant that anything in it talked about Mt. Fako, and the water falls of Menchum. Cameroon’s federal flag with two stars at the center that pointed to the sovereignty of each of the states in the union was demolished out of existence and replaced with the current one star flag, and that Star represents LRC not a united Republic of Cameroon. We had our seat of gov’t in Buea, but it was stealthily carried to Yaoundé again in the name of national integration and national unity.

Njie Clinton, Choupo absent from Broos Nations Cup Qualifier Squad



Njie Clinton and Eric Maxim Choupo Moting are the big absentees in Broos pre-selected 30-man squad to play the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Morocco on June 10 in Yaounde.
Njie was part of the group that lifted the 2017 Nations Cup trophy in Gabon though spent most of the time warming the bench as substitute.
                It would be right to conclude that Broos is not getting the satisfaction he wanted from Njie and has decided to bring in fresh strikers to test upfront.
                Choupo Moting though absent from the Nations Cup made a comeback but has not equally been selected.
                Cameroon coach Hugo Broos in the meantime has handed first caps to new players he hopes to include in his squad for the Nations Cup qualifiers, the friendly against Columbia and the Confederations Cup in June.
Cameroon is set to play Morocco on June 10 counting for the first day of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2019. Three days later the African Champions take on Columbia on June 13 in Spain as preps for the Confederations Cup.
                Handed their first selection in Broos’ 30-man squad to reinforce the defence are Castelleto Jean Charles, defender who plays for Red Stars in France and Lucien Owona, centre back for Alcorcon in Spain.
                In the midfield Boumal Petrus CSKA SOFIA with his mobility and displacement in the field caught the Broos’ attention.
Two new strikers, Boumal Olivier of Panathiniakos is gifted with his left leg and Nsame Jean Pierre Servette FC in Geneva who score 17 goals in 18 appearances in 2016.
                Apart from the curiosity with the unknown faces, there are also comebacks as the list reveals the return of goalkeeper Andre Onana who has been in top form, extended his contract with Ajax Amsterdam and set to play the Europa League finals with club on May 24.
Onana forms a good pair with Fabrice Ondoa and there would be a health competition for the first goalkeeper.

Onana extends Ajax contract till 2021



Cameroon international, Andre Onana has extended his contract with Ajax FC of Amsterdam until June 30, 2018.
                Signed last Tuesday May 16, goalkeeper Onana has been credited for having qualified his team for the 2017 Europa League finals against Manchester United.
                Born on April 2, 1996 in Nkol Ngok , in Cameroon, Onana made his debut on August 20, 2016 with the first team in the match, Ajax – Willem II (1-2). He has played 44 official matches for Ajax FC.

Fabrice Fosso tops MTN elite one goal chart




Fabrice Fosso
Fabrice Raymond Fosso, Eding FC striker is currently the highest top scorer of the Cameroon Professional League One Football League.
                After the 14th day of play, former striker of Apejes of Mfou, Fabrice Fosso, went top of the goal thanks to his two goals scored in his team 4-0 win over New Stars of Douala.

Sunday 14 May 2017

Front page


Order pass power:

Gendarmes & Police to ‘invigilate’ 2017 GCE
- Minister dictates “impossible” conditions on doubting GCE Registrar
-Also reassures candidates, parents of security measures
-Special accommodation centers created to harbor unregistered candidates
By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda
Secondary Education minister on visit to SW and NW
The practical part of the 2017 GCE exams will begin today, Monday, 15 May 2017 throughout the country and there is still hope that students who are yet to register for the examinations especially in the North West and South West regions will also sit the exams. The Minister of Secondary Education, Jean Ernest Massena NgalleBibehe has instructed the Registrar of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board, GCE, Humphrey EkemaMomono to create special accommodation centers that shall receive these unregistered but interested candidates.
                NgalleBibehe gave the orders on 10 May, during an outing to the North West region to assess the level of preparedness of some GCE accommodation centres ahead of the end of course examinations. He also gave assurances of security measures taken by government to ensure that the exams are written hitch-free. The written part of the exams will begin on 12 June 2017.
                The Minister upheld a suggestion by the principal of GBHS Kimbo, Marceline Mbinglo, who during a working session at the regional delegation for secondary education, suggested that students who had not yet registered should be given the opportunity to also register and write.

Kneeling in supplication:

Nico Halle begs Biya to pardon Anglophone activists
-Says he fervently believes that by so doing the President will restore peace and the good humor of the people of NW and SW regions, who have been agitating for close to eight months now.
By Ojong Steven Ayukogem in Yaounde
NtumforNico Halle, Int’l peace crusader
“Your Excellency, here I am on my knees once again making a tearful plea for you to consider granting those your children from the Anglophone regions, who are languishing in jail in Kondengui Prison, a general amnesty so that they can regain their freedom once again. Father of the nation and guarantor of the peace that reigns in our beautiful and united country, I am making this supplication with tears in my eyes because I know you can do it, as you have always done in the past.”
                This is literally the long and short of what the International Peace Crusader and President of the General Assembly of the Cameroon Bar Association, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, said to this reporter, when I caught up with him on the phone, on Saturday, to talk about the prevailing situation in the NW and SW and his suggestions for a way forward.
                In a rather laconic response, Ntumfor, as the iconic legal guru is fondly called by his contemporaries and admirers here, retorted that “I have said it before and will continue to pray that the Head of State, President Paul Biya gives a serious thought to my sustained supplication for him to use the powers vested in him not only by virtue of the high and exalted office which is his, but also by the Constitution of our country, and grant general amnesty to all those that have been arrested and jailed in connection to the ongoing crisis in North West and South West.”
                Continuing, NtumforNico Halle, who incidentally was also recently appointed by President Biya as one of the 15 members of the National Commission on Bilingualism and Multiculturalism NCBM, suggested the head of state could extend such “conditional amnesty” to also concern those activists that escaped into exile or have since gone underground since the start of the crisis.
                Expressing the hope that President Biya, whom he described as “Father of the Nation and Prince of Peace”, would give a listening ear to his “endless and sustained plea”, Ntumfor suggested that the President can do it by instructing the Minister of Justice (the Attorney-General of the State) to in turn order the Commissioner of Government (investigating magistrate) of the Military Tribunal where the activists are being tried, to enter a NolleProsequi (we will not prosecute), praying the trial judge to discontinue all court proceedings on the matter.
                “I am very convinced that should President Biya do this, and should he thereafter, rekindle genuine, frank, sincere and honest dialogue in the country, then he would have taken a permanent date with history; he will have engraved his name in Gold in the history books of this great nation as the man who restored peace and brought his children of the NW and SW back to the fold, when they threatened to break away,” NtumforNico Halle prayed, using the opportunity to also hail and thank President Biya for his exemplary goodwill, his quintessential paternalist disposition and very salutary measures he has already taken towards finding a lasting solution to the rather “stubborn crisis”.

As GCE Exams kick-off Monday:

Mission Schools have accepted to open their gates
-Says GCE Board authorities
Registrar of GCE Board, Humphrey EkemaMonono
The Board Chair of the Cameroon GCE Board, prof. Peter Abety has said proprietors of confessional schools have accepted to open their doors to candidates seating the 2017 sessions of examinations organized by the board. He was speaking at the end of an in-camera council meeting held in Buea
                During the council meeting, two items featured on the agenda: to examine the administrative and management account for the year 2016 and to assess the level of preparedness for the 2017 session of examination with the decision from MINESEC readjusting the examination Calender.
                According to the Registrar of the GCE Board, Humphrey Monono, the practical examinations will begin on Monday 15 May 2017 while the written part starts on 12 June 2017. Candidates’ lists are already available at the various centers and we are encouraging them to consult the lists for possible corrections, he said.
                It should be noted that some few changes have been made by the Board to see to it that security of candidates is guaranteed. All afternoon papers will begin at 1 pm and no longer at 2pm for security purposes.

To better serve the public:

NCC to create branches in regions & divisions
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Peter Esoka, NCC president
The president of the National Communication Council, Peter Esoka, has revealed that the NCC which is charge with the responsibility of regulating media organs in the country will extend its activities in the various regions and divisions. This according to the Peter Esoka will help ensure that all the media organs operating even in the hinterlands will help promote professionalism in the media landscape in the country. To him this will make journalists and media organs in the regions and divisions know their work is immediately monitored by NCC officials and will help curb unorthodox practice amongst media practitioners.
                Peter Esoka, NCC president was speaking in Kumba on Friday May 5, 2017 in Kumba in a seminar organized by the NCC at the Macklordds’ Hotel as part of commemoration of World Press Freedom Day to school journalist on the importance of responsible journalism practice in the face of a crisis and other professional and ethical practice tips.
                While awaiting the decentralization of the NCC services to the regions and divisions, NCC president, Peter Esoka challenged all media practitioners in Kumba to be an eye and ear of the NCC in the division and urged them to all report to the NCC any chase of unethical practice notice in their area of work. To him this will help other colleagues to be professional and ethical in the exercise of their duties.

SDF’s boycott of May 20 and Anglophone Crisis:

What if Biya summoned FruNdi for a tete-a-tete?
Fru Ndi 
Ahead of the Senatorial election in 2013, FruNdi announced that the SDF will not field candidates for the election because the ground was not level for such an important political consultation. The SDF Chairman said he had also ordered his followers to start sharpening their machetes to wage a war on Yaounde authorities if ever they tried to go ahead with the election without the SDF participating. It took a brief meeting of the Director of Cabinet at the Presidency, Martin BelingaEboutou and John FruNdi, at the latter’s Yaounde residence, for FruNdi to change his mind and accept to run SDF candidates in the election. Fru also personally ran in the election, though he lost.
                Intriguingly, though FruNdi announced the SDF’s participation in the election, he did not say what had changed in the electoral law as to motivate him to now allow his party to participate in the election, not to talk of him, FruNdi, also being a candidate.
                It should be recalled that Fru after the very brief in camera meeting with Belinga, in Yaounde, changed his mind and unilaterally decided that the SDF will field candidates in the election and that he would be one of the SDF candidates for the Northwest senatorial constituency. He did not summon a meeting of NEC to examine the possibilities as many had expected, but only made the announcement by way of a message broadcasted on state-owned radio/television, Crtv.
                Observers wasted no time to question what FruNdi and Belinga had discussed that pushed the Chairman to so suddenly turn around the original position of his party vis-a-vis the said election.
                Though it was understood that compromises had been made and political concessions granted, many believed that FruNdi might have been ‘seduced’ by the President to allow his party to run in the election this, so as to project Cameroon as a multi-party democracy in the eye of the international community.

Minister disagrees with leaders of Doctors’ syndicate, collective punishment served patients!

Today is a very dark day for every Cameroonian! The decade long belief of Cameroonians that the minister of Public Health is least concerned about their health concerns and most concerned about politics has been clearly illustrated in one of the most disastrous and hateful decisions that any minister has ever signed. This decision can be qualified as a hate crime; a crime against the medical corps, against the citizens and against the humanity. In all sincerity, this is a very unpatriotic act and can be likened to the killings of persons by terrorists’ organizations such as Boko Haram and ISIS.
                Through this decision, Mama Fouda has qualified himself as a weapon of mass destruction as opposed to the minister of public health:
                1.            You just transferred the lone Neurologist from the Bamenda Regional Hospital who serves a population of more than 2.000.000 persons in the North West to a Somalomo subdivision with a population of less than 10.000.
                2.            You have also transferred the lone Radiologist from the Bamenda Regional Hospital who serves a population of over 2.000.000 persons to Baleosubdivisional hospital which has not even an x-ray machine.
                3.            You have also transferred one of the few Gynecologists from the busiest maternity center in the NW Region, “PMI Nkwen”, with over 150 deliveries per month to Alou subdivisional hospital that probably conducts less than 10 deliveries per month.
                4.            You have also transferred a Neuro-Surgeon to a hospital center that has not even an operating theater….
                               It might be necessary to remind you of the numerous deaths from stroke which require the collective efforts of radiologists and neurologists alongside other staff for the best care. If you cared about the lives of these masses who look up to you as the minister of health, to champion the cause of improving access to affordable and quality care, you wouldn’t have deprived them of the services of hard to come by specialists physicians in Cameroon. If you had transferred them to areas where they have even the basic tools and a proportionate population to serve, your decision might have had some grounds. Sadly, you have posted them to areas where you are so sure that they will never be able to exercise because of lack of basic materials that highlights your evil intentions.

Punishment for leading strikes?

Mama Fouda transfers leaders of Doctors’ Syndicate to enclave zones
Minister of Public Health Andre Mama Fouda
The Minister of Public Health Andre Mama Fouda has become the target of scathing attacks from some personnel of the medical corps, following his recent transfer of some specialist medical doctors from urban hospitals to enclave, less equipped hospitals in far-fetched localities.
                The doctors transferred are mostly leaders of the Doctors’ Syndicate, who have for some time now being instigating sit-down strikes in hospitals in the country. Also, most of the victims of Mama Fouda’s “punitive transfer decision” are doctors working in hospitals and hospital centers in the Northwest region, according to an open letter addressed to the Minister by one of the doctors, DR. Richard Moses.

As calls multiply for boycott:

Emilia Lifaka mobilizes Buea CPDM for 20th May
Fako Political leader, Hon. Emilia MonjowaLifaka
CPDM Militants in Fako III have been urged to come out massively and celebrate the 45th National Day celebration and also get people registered on the electoral roll as the 2018 elections are fast approaching.
                The call was made by the Vice President of the National Assembly, who doubles as leader of the CPDM central committee permanent delegation to Fako, Hon. Emilia MonjowaLifaka. She was speaking as she presided over a preparatory meeting for the national day on Wednesday 10 May 2017 in Buea.
                "We CPDM Militants should not hate people simply because they have a different political opinion to ours. We should instead make them see reason in our own opinion. Winning is not an individual’s effort, but a collective effort. We can only win over the forces of evil if we work together as citizens and residents of this region. The peace in this region cannot be undermined; peace is what holds the region together," Monjowa said.
                She made a fervent plea for parents to send their children back to school especially at this time when unknown individuals are calling for "ghost town”.

Tarring of K’ba-Mamfe road shortens Buea-B’da travel

By Johnson Batuo
The ongoing construction of Kumba – Mamfre road is gradually altering travel and trade between the Southwest, NW and Douala, the Economic capital of Cameroon.
                Before the construction of this road, people from the SW travelling to Bamenda in the Northwest region had to pass through two regions – Littoral and West to get to their destination. 
                Also, travelers bound for Manyu division for example had to pass through three regions - Littoral, West and Northwest regions before getting to Mamfe. Most often, passengers to Mamfe had to pass the night in one of the travelling agencies in Bamenda before continuing their journeys.
                But the ongoing tarring of the Kumba-Mamfe road has not only shortened the distance but has also reduced the inconveniences and reduced the exorbitant transport fare passengers had to pay criss-crossing these three regions.

Shumas takes water to Upper Munjong Community

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda
In fulfillment of one of its objectives to provide portable water and reduce the frequency of water borne diseases in rural and semi urban communities, SHUMAS and her partner Building Schools for Africa assisted to the People of Upper Munjong in Ndop Sub division, Ngoketunjia Division of the North West region to realize a modern water scheme.
                The scheme which has been described by the Divisional Officer for Ndop Central and the Mayor of Ndop Council as a stitch in time to help the community from persistent water crisis falls under the SHUMAS’ Water and Sanitation Project.
                SHUMAS and her partner with the participation if the population rehabilitated the community’s old water catchment constructed another new water catchment with one with one stand tap and a pipeline of 1500 meters. They also made provisions for the catchments to be protected.
                While receiving the project, the Chairman of the Upper Munjong Community Water Project, MohMetoh Joseph, said the project has come to “free them from water born diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and cholera” and that they are now “free from distance search of dirty water in the name of clean water during the dry and rainy season.

Epileptic water supply in Molyko, BUEA

By Boris Esono in Buea
Population of Molyko, Buea suffer to get drinkable water
Water has become a scarce commodity in some areas in the Buea municipality with Molyko and Great Soppo being the most affected. Persons in these areas have turned to rationing water in order to cope with the arising situation.
With the rapidly growing population in Molyko and other parts of Buea, water scarcity has been a major problem to persons in general and students in particular living in student hostels (mini-cites).
                A final year student of the department of Sociology and Anthropology at UB, Komando Grace, who talked to this reporter, said crowd aloud about the epileptic water supply in her mini-cite.
                “At times we go for two days without water. When the water comes the pressure is so low and it would not flow for long enough to permit us to fill containers. Yet, we pay very high water bills. This affects our studies as at times one cannot bathe on time for classes or wash their clothes,” she lamented.
                For her part, IjangNgute says the water crisis disturbs her from doing her laundry, cooking food and taking her bath. She usually has water after a day and goes four days without water.

Boy who beheaded his mother escapes death in K’ba

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
EbangoRexon, Boy Who Beheaded
his Mother in Kumba
A young man, EbangoRexon, aged 32, has survived mob justice from the population of Fiango, Kumba in Meme Division after beheading his mother. Ebango Esther. The young man, a native of Bakossi on Tuesday May 9, 2017 had the head of his mother, Ebango Esther, chopped off with a matchete because of a quarrel over food.
                According to what The Median gathered from the central police commissioner, the incident was as result of food. He revealed that after investigations, it emerged that the young man was given food and while eating he demanded for additional soup. When the soup was added, he noticed that it had no meat in it. But when he asked his mother why there was no meat in the added soup she resorted to insulting him.
                An eyewitness to the incident told this reporter that the mother in the course of the quarrel asked the young man to leave her house if he would not stop disturbing her.
                Least expecting that the son could attack her, the mother, relaxed on the chair, had her head cut-off by the angry young man. 

After he was bullied by SDO:

K’ba Gov’t Delegate begins cleaning abandoned grandstand
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
NgohNKelle Victor, Government Delegate Kumba city council
The government delegate to the Kumba city council, Victor NgohNkelle has embarked on renovation works at the dilapidated Kumba grandstand as national day celebration on May 20 approaches. The renovation works which started on Thursday May 11 constitute mainly of clearing the surroundings, especially the entrance into the edifice, of mud and filth.
                The renovations works were started barely days after the SDO shouted on the city boss over the dirty streets which have made Kumba look more of a garbage hip than a modern city.
While on a brief stop at the grandstand on the sidelines of the 2016 session to examine the administrative and management accounts of the city council, the SDO, Chamberlin Ntou’ouNdong expressed dissatisfaction on the garbage hip created by the city council beside the grand stand. Visibly disappointed and not able to withstand the smell and pungent odor emanating from the dirt deposited at the grandstand, the SDO grumbled publicly while calling for more to be done in order to give the grandstand the importance it deserves.