Sunday, 18 December 2016

Press Release

Withdraw your obnoxious decision
- CANPA urges SW Governor and MINCOM Delegate
CANPA Condemns South West Governor, OkaliaBilai Bernard Attempts to Stifle Press Freedom in Violation of Constitutional Provisions
The Governor of the South West Region, Bernard OkaliaBilai on the 13th of December, 2016 at the premises of the Regional Administrative Office in Buea, verbally threatened the freedom and by extension the lives of three English Speaking journalists; Buddih Adams, Kum Leonard and AtiaTillariusAzonwi following a press release they published on Saturday the 10th of December making known their intentions to storm out of every event and maintain a blackout on same if all press documents were distributed only in French in an Anglophone Region where English is the predominant language of expression. Cameroon’s constitution confers equal status to the English and French languages.
                The Governor warned the journalists to immediately dissolve a trade union they formed to protect their rights and interests in the face of so much injustice, marginalization and other attendant discrepancies that make the discharge of their duties not only difficult, but complicated and risky. Several journalists have found themselves in trouble in the recent past because they did not fully understand what was said at public events mainly in French, in an area where the great majority of the population speaks English.
                As if the public threat in the presence of top officials of the forces of law and order were not enough, the Governor reportedly instructed the Regional Delegate of Communication in the South West Region to issue an injunction on Monday the 12th of December, back-dated to read the 1st of December, 2016 ordering that;  “Owners of Private Radio and TV Stations are called upon to stop all round table discussions  on their networks concerning the current political atmosphere in the South-West Region....Government’s social communication and editorial policy should be highly respected by broadcasters and users of radio and TV Stations”.
                It is important to note at this point that Governor Bernard OkaliaBilai who is aware of the constitutional provisions guaranteeing, promoting and protecting freedom of expression and of association, coyly pushed a delegate who has no powers to take such a decision, into the error of moving onto troubled waters. The intention behind such an unfortunate, callous and irresponsible outing is clearly to further provoke the already embittered Anglophone population still aggrieved by the unacceptable torture, humiliating treatment and rape meted out on their kith and kindred by police and gendarmes at the behest of the same tyrant of a governor! 

                Governor Bernard OkaliaBilai’s actions and decisions decisively are at variance with the public declarations made by the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman, IssaTchiromaBakary on National Television, alleging that the Head of State had instructed his close aides to engage in frank dialogue with the striking Common Law Lawyers and teachers. His actions also reveal without doubt, that the government is not sincere in calling for dialogue, leaving the skeptical masses to swallow the conspiracy theories being propagated on social media that President Paul Biya and his cronies are simply playing for time. Such wanton and uncalled for excesses shall only render the work of the Ghogomu Paul-led commission charged with finding lasting solutions even more difficult, with the possibility of regular stalemates.
                Members of the Cameroon Anglophone Newspaper Publishers Association, CANPA call on the Governor and his Delegate of Communication to immediately withdraw those decisions that bring to mind the events of another unenviable period in the history of Cameroon. The decision is at variance with the country’s constitution, international instruments to which Cameroon is a signatory and of course good conscience.
                We are by this same token calling on our colleagues of the South West Region to ignore such empty threats, baseless and illegal decisions and go about their professional activities responsibly in line with the canons of the noble journalism profession. We are also pledging our total support with our battery of lawyers in case any single journalist is arbitrarily arrested, brutalized or poorly treated in any way.
                We express our profound regret that the already retired Governor of the South West Region would want Anglophones to seal their lips while their Francophone colleagues and others in other parts of the country discuss their future for them. Without any doubts, the said Governor is looking for rewards that may keep him permanently away from retirement; he should take note that such an ambition, legitimate as it may be, shall not be got at the expense of the hard working and peace loving people of the South West Region.
Finally, we are inviting the national and international community to note that the lives of our colleagues; Buddih Adams, Kum Leonard and AtiaTillariusAzonwi are in danger and were anything to happen to any of them, Governor Bernard OkaliaBilai should be held solely responsible.
                Meantime, we once more pledge our support to the striking Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers, whose grievances are in the words of the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman- IssaTchiromaBakary “Well founded”.

Signed:
John MbahAkuroh                                                                       Ojong Steven Ayukogem          
President                                                                                     Secretary General

Copies:
-              Presidency of the Republic
-              Prime Minister’s Office
-              Ministry of Communication
-              All diplomatic Missions in Yaounde
-              The Commonwealth Secretariat in London
-              The Committee to Protect Journalists
-              Freedom House
-              Amnesty International
-              Human Rights Watch


No comments:

Post a Comment