Santa sub-division

Consignment of potato seedlings provided farmers by MINADER

MINADER donates Potato seeds and inputs to farmers
By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda
As part of efforts to jumpstart second generation agriculture in Cameroon, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development has handed over a consignment of high-yielding potato seedlings and other inputs to potato farmers cooperatives in Santa, North West region of Cameroon. 
    The consignment consisting of 70 tons of improved potato seedlings, 2800 bags of manure, 140 packets of fertilizer alongside pesticides, insecticides and fungicides was handed April 30, 2013 at a ceremony at the Santa grandstand presided at by MINADER boss, Lazare Essimi Menye.

Professional training

 Zachary Perevet inspecting work on construction site

Limbe’s Vocational Training Centre operational in 2015
The establishment that will train students in hotel management, tourism, air conditioning and metal fabrication will go operational next academic year, according to the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Zachary Perevet, who visited the construction site at Bonadikombo, Limbe on Thursday May 8, 2014.
By Sarah Nkongho Ojong in Limbe 
With an execution rate of 60%, the 652 square meters site is expected to be complete by August 2014. Official sources however say that all works ought to be finished by October, when the laboratory equipment are expected to be installed. The training of teachers and administrators will also kick off earlier in September.
    The minister assured that operating and maintaining the equipment would not be a problem as Cameroonians would be sent to Korea from where the equipment were imported, for training on operation and maintenance

International Labour Day

Gov’t urged to protect HIV infected workers
 By Sarah Nkongho Ojong in Limbe

Buea Mayor Patrick Ikema saluting DO of Tiko subdivision Che Patrick

at the Manga Williams Avenue Limbe on Labour Day

Workers in Limbe in the Southwest region have urged the government to increase workers salaries and improve the general working and business environment of the country. They said these could be done through the eradication of corruption and embezzlement from the system. Workers trade unions also decried the weakening economy of the country, which they attributed to inadequate policies put in place by the government.
    The workers said they could not understand why the country was so endowed with natural resources yet has the lowest minimum wage (28,200fcfa) in the entire Central African sub-region, with basket countries like Chad, Eq. Guinea paying their workers far better salaries. These and other issues were highlighted by stakeholders during commemorative activities to mark the 128th International Labour Day on 1st May in Limbe.
    Hundreds of workers within Fako division gathered at the Manga Williams Avenue, down beach Limbe to celebrate the day under the theme “Cameroonian Workers: Together lets fight HIV/AIDS”.
    Presided over by Fako SDO Zang III who was accompanied by the Divisional Delegate of labour and security, Yvette Lyonga, the occasion was massively attended by Fako East parliamentarian, Honourable Etombi Gladys, Senator Mbella Moki Charles, Governmnet Delegate to the Limbe City Council, amongst presidents of trade unions within the national territory, bigwigs of SONARA and CDC, religious and traditional authorities. 

9 Goals; 9 Months of Action; 9 years of Solidarity

Roger Milla celebrates 9 years of service to humanity
By Mbeh Moses Eben in Yaounde
29 April 2005 to 29 April 2014; it is exactly 9 years since ROGER MILLA’s foundation – Coeurs d’Afrique has been doing humanitarian works in Cameroon and Africa. ROGER MILLA, C.E.O of the foundation says it is time to extend the activities to cover other areas that are also lacking in basic social amenities. The new actions are contained in a program code-named “9 Goals”. The program to run from 29 April to 9 December 2014 will be guided by the theme “9 Months of Action to Celebrate 9 years of Solidarity.”
    “9 years is time enough to take stock of actions carried out and chart a new course for growth and development,” said Ambassador Roger Milla, at a press conference in Yaounde on 29 April 2014. The conference had as objective to announce plans for the celebration of the 9th anniversary of the creation of the foundation. But the press conference also afforded Roger Milla occasion to enlighten the public on the humanitarian works carried out by the foundation and the challenges faced.

Gorilla skulls dealers nabbed in Bertoua

Two behind gorilla skull trafficking in Bertoua arrested

Two men aged 39 and 29 were arrested  in Bertoua in the East Region for wildlife trafficking during a wildlife law enforcement mission carried out by officials of the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife following their attempts at selling a consignment of gorilla skulls. They had travelled from Batouri where they are resident with the consignment which was made of 10 fresh gorilla skulls indicating the apes were recently killed and arrived Bonis on the outskirts of Bertoua at about 3 30 pm on Thursday May 8, 2014 with the intention of doing some business. 
    The alleged dealers left Batouri early on the  day of their arrest, boarded a bike with the gorilla skulls loaded into two bags but did not use the normal road linking Batouri and Bertoua. They instead used roads and paths inside the forest and bush to avoid detection.. When they arrived Bonis,  they changed tactics fearful that their suspiciously looking bags could draw the attention of wildlife officials. They decided to use a car to be able to pass through the various check points at the entrance to Bertoua without raising any suspicion. Immediately they had cleared two of these check points, they drove straight into a team of wildlife officials and gendarmes who had been waiting for them.
     The two suspects found inside the car were arrested and taken to the premises of the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife where a complaint report was drawn. The man who led the operation on the ground, the Regional Chief of Wildlife for the East Region, Azemte Mbemo declares “We received information from a reliable source indicating that illicit wildlife products were about to be trafficked in Bertoua and its environ. We immediately made up a team of enforcement officials who went to the field and arrested the suspects who had 10 gorilla skulls and 2 jaw bones. We have opened an investigation to determine the possibility of the presence of a trafficking network behind this trade. We have received top level instructions from the Forestry and Wildlife Minister to fight illicit trafficking which is decimating the populations of the large mammals” The operation was carried out with the collaboration of the Gendarmerie in Bertoua and with technical support from   LAGA –  a wildlife law enforcement body.

17-19 May 2014

Ancien Bonas Veteran Football Club Y'de

K’ba hosts 2014 national veteran football tourney
-A Keep Fit and Leisure Event for True Veterans
Kumba Central Veterans are the proud hosts of the 2014 edition of the national veteran football tournament. Founded in 2007 and hosted by Limbe Atlantic Club (LAC), the tournament is a football fiesta that brings together friendly veteran football clubs from all over the national territory. The veteran football clubs are made up of veterans from all works of life with the principal intention of using sports, especially football for leisure and keep fit. Kumba Central Veteran social club, the hosts of this year’s event have reserved lots of surprises for the twelve participating clubs. The tournament will take place from 17 to 19 May 2014.
In a brief chat with the tournament’s Yaounde based public relations officer, Dr. Yimbu Emmanuel, he affirmed that the no-nonsense, charismatic chairman of the local organising committee who doubles as the president of Kumba Central Veteran, Barrister Teku Collins, is living no stone on turned to make this year’s event a once-in-a-life-time experience full of fun and numerous surprises.

We are not afraid of Brazil

Rigobert Song, team manager

Rigobert Song, Lions Team Manager

Interviewed on the sidelines of the inauguration of the CAF centre of excellence at Mbankomo on Monday 5 May 2014, former indomitable lions’ skipper and current manager of the team says the lions cannot be afraid of the selecao of Brazil because both sides are now on the same pedestal after they qualified for the World Cup. Song also talked on the state of preparedness of the team barely five weeks to the kick-off of the competition.

Question: So how prepared are the lions with barely six weeks left to the start of the World Cup?

:--The preparation of the lions for the World Cup started soon after they beat Tunisia 4-1 and qualified for the most prestigious tournament. The head coach of the team had since drawn his plan of action. And he has been following it to the letter. I can say for sure that preparations are well advanced in the technical domain. The test matches have all been arranged and comfortable and conducive training sites too. Preparations are also far advanced in the administrative domain. For now we are only waiting for the players to be liberated by their respective clubs by 20 May so that we can call them to camp.

Question: But the lions were beaten 5-1 in a recent friendly against Portugal. How come you say they are quite prepared technically?