University Education:

Gov’t Bows to Pressure, Begins Recruitment of More PhDs
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Striking PhD holders listening to higher education boss, Fame Ndongo

Government has finally bowed to pressure from some protesting PhD holders and ordered their special recruitment into state universities under the second phase of recruitment of PhD holders into state universities.
    The truce between the disgruntled PhD holders who have spent close to three weeks sleeping at the courtyard of the Ministry of Higher education expressing their grievances as to the procedure involve in the recruitment was reached Thursday 9 January 2020.
    This was after a meeting chaired the previous day by Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo with members of the technical committee for the recruitment.
    Minister Fame Ndongo said the special recruitment was order by the Head of State and reassured the disgruntled lecturers their problems will be looked into.  “I want to thank the Head of State who has prescribed this special recruitment. We are delighted by this happy end because now it is the end of the strike” the Minister said.

Tibor Nagy & Kamto Discuss Cameroon’s Political Future

US Sec. of State, Tibor Nagy & Cameroon opposition leader Kamto

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy has met with the leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement Maurice Kamto to discuss on the political situation in Cameroon.
    Both men met yesterday in the United States as Maurice Kamto continues his tour abroad.
    Tibor Nagy used the opportunity to reaffirm his committment to peaceful elections in Cameroon and stressed for the need of the swiss initiative in mediating in the crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.

Abel Elimby Lobe:

Political Critic Prays Biya to Stay On Until 2025
Former SDF councilor for Douala IV, Abel Elimby Lobe, has prayed God to guide and protect President Paul Biya to be able to carry on his duties as head of state, until 2025 when his mandate expires.
        Elimby Lobe made the shocking declaration during the talk show program, Canal Presse, on Canal 2 television, on Sunday 12 January 2020.
    Ruminating on President Biya’s stewardship at the helm of the state and especially his foreign policy, Elimby said “being an adversary of the Biya regime, I think that Biya has stayed long enough in power and it is time he retired. But I am comforted by the fact that he has maintained Cameroon within the diplomatic traditions of the founding fathers; the policy of non-alignment.”
    He blamed Biya’s continued stay in power on the inability of the opposition to put their act together and oust the President from the Etoudi Palace.
    “All those passing around and marching up and down claiming to be opposing Biya – the Kamtos going about here and there, cannot bring down Biya… They will confront us on their path, because we shall help and protect President Biya to stay on because he is there grace to our incompetence in the opposition, our incapacity to elaborate coherent and efficient strategies to oust him. Instead of gathering ourselves as the sovereign people of Cameroon to oust Biya, we deceive ourselves that the USA would help us to do so. It’s unfortunate,” regrets Elimbi Lobe, who used the occasion to criticize the visit to the USA of the CRM president, Maurice Kamto.

Accident not Conspiracy:

MINDEF Clarifies On Explosive that Killed 9 at Nigeria Border
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde 
At least 9 people have died and 26 others wounded following the detonation of an explosive reportedly belonging to jihadist Boko Haram fighters. According to official information made known by Cyrille Serge ATONFACK GUEMO, Head of Communication Division at the Ministry of Defence, the incident occurred Monday 6 January 2020.
    “On Monday January 6th, 2020, it was about 2:30pm when two little boys went to the Ngala periodic market at the Nigerian side of the bridge over River El Beid, between Gambaru (Nigeria) and Fotokol (Cameroon). These boys were manipulating a grenade they found certainly in the sand of the locality, and they decided to sell the grenade to the highest bidder so as to make some money” Atonfack explained, adding that it was during this reckless manipulation that the grenade exploded, causing deaths and desolation amongst those present at the scene.
    “The human casualty of this tragic incident is as follows; 9 deaths seemingly all of Nigerian Nationality; 21 Nigerians wounded; 5 Cameroonians wounded. All the wounded were evacuated to health facilities at the borders precisely at Medical Centers in Fotokol in Cameroon and Gambaru in Nigeria” Atonfack revealed.

Messi Reveals the 'Special' La Liga Record he Considers One of his Best

The Argentine feels honoured to have inked his name in the competition's history books for his efforts in front of goal

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has declared being La Liga's highest ever goal scorer is a record he considers 'special' and one of his best.
    The 32-year-old has struck a stunning 432 times across just 466 appearances in Spain's first division to claim a record that will take some beating.
    Messi's next closest rival for the milestone is long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 311 goals over his nine years with Real Madrid.
    Along with the overall record, the Barca attacker has also finished as the competition's top scorer for an individual season six times - level with Athletic Club legend Telmo Zarra.
    While Messi's list of records is long, he stressed being La Liga's highest ever goal scorer is one he holds particularly dear.
    "I think the La Liga goal record is very important and very significant," Messi told La Liga on DAZN.

Humanitarian Crisis:

China Lends Hand to Cameroon
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde 
The government of China has donated a consignment of items as her own way to support Cameroon in the humanitarian assistance programme to assist internally displaced persons in the crisis-hit Anglophone regions and other parts of the country. The items worth FCFA 1.6 billion comprised basic necessities, medical and technical equipment like, sleeping materials, make-shift tents, food items, medical equipment including ambulances and pick up vehicles.
    The items which are kept at the warehouse of the Military Engineering Centre in Douala was inspected by Minister Paul Atanga Nji of Territorial Administration Minister who doubles as the National Coordinator of the humanitarian assistance programme Wednesday 8 January 2020.

Ahead of Chan 2020:

CAF delegation in Cameroon

CAF President Visits Cameroon
During his visit the delegation will hold high-level talks with Cameroon officials on the organization of the CHAN 2020 and AFCON 2021 in Cameroon.
    The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad, arrived in the country yesterday January 13, 2020 for a three-day working visit. Ahmad is heading a 24-man delegation from CAF.         The delegation arrived at the Nsimalen International Airport at 11:30am on board an Ethiopian Airways flight. The visit comes 18 months after Ahmand’s last visit to the country. The delegation was received at the airport by the Inspector General of Services at the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, Michel Dissake Mbarga, the President of FECAFOOT, Seidou Mbombo Njoya and other top football officials. After a brief working session with the press, the CAF delegation was driven to the Yaounde Hilton Hotel.