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After Successful Mission:

 6th Cameroon Battalion to MINUSCA Return Flag
-Mindef, Beti Assomo hails troops for gallantry, professionalism
By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Yaounde
Some over 1000 soldiers who formed the 6th Cameroon contingent to the Integrated Multi-dimensional UN Mission for the Stabilization of CAR – MINUSCA, have been hailed by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, MINDEF, Joseph Beti Assomo, for their show of exemplary bravery and professionalism.

Commander of 6th Minusca batallion hands flag to Mindef

The MINDEF made the remark while receiving the national flag (standard) from the commander of the returning battalion, on Friday, 23 October, at the esplanade of the military headquarters brigade in Yaounde.
    The Battalion was returning after a successful one-year mission to the CAR.
    “It is an honour and a pleasant duty for me to preside over the handing over of the standard, which is directly in line with that of 3 September 2020 in Mouchiboum for the departure of the 7th battalion,” Beti assomo said, noting that the country was making the remarkable sacrifice of sending the soldiers on the delicate mission in spite of the covid-19 menace.
    “One year ago the 6th contingent left for the CAR, after successfully completing a training on UN Peace-Keeping Missions,” the MINDEF recalled, noting that the soldiers accomplished their mission with honour and loyalty. He hailed them for doing honour to Cameroon.
    The MINDEF however regretted that 4 soldiers fell on the field of battle.
    He noted that President has since taken a commitment to help friendly countries in security distress, and the 6th contingent gallantly defended the qualities and the image of the country’s defence forces, reason he ordered the renewal of the mission.
    He said the professionalism of our forces was appreciated both by the CAR authorities, as well as the authorities of MINUSCA, even though a few recriminations were made.
    The Mindef said all those who were involved in unprofessional acts would be punished accordingly

United Councils & Cities of Cameroon:

 Wum Mayor Reveals Quest for Presidency
-Unveils ambitious manifesto, road map ahead of 3 November EGA
By Essan-Ekoninyam in Yaounde
The mayor of the Wum council, Dighambong Anthony Mvo has rolled out a strategic plan for the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon, UCCC. The plan was unveiled Saturday in Yaounde during a press conference.
  

Mayor Dighambong declaring his candidature to the press on Saturday

 Mayor Dighambong’s ambitious strategic document for the said association is the content of an attractive and development-oriented manifesto issued ahead of the November 3 elective general assembly of the body.
    The document which was made available to newsmen during the press conference contains both short and long term projects he intends to realize if elected president of the outfit.
    Mayor Dighambong said Saturday that he is amongst candidates vying for the top job of the organization.
    He will be challenged by at least four other candidates but he has so far been tipped favourite.
    He is the lone Anglophone gunning for the presidency of the UCCC and if voted, he will be the first ever mayor from the English-speaking regions of the country to have occupied the position.

What he has in offing for the UCCC
    Mayor Dighambong Anthony who currently serves as the president of all CPDM mayors in the North West region says his intention is to transform the UCCC into a veritable organization which plays a key role in influencing policy.
    Amongst other things, the Mayor Dighambong has pledged that if voted, he will organize General Assemblies every year to improve the visibility and governance of the association by, inter alia, giving their regional and Divisional representatives the opportunity to share their worries and needs directly to the National Bureau.
    He has also promised to construct or lay the foundation of a multipurpose complex for the "Mayor's Hotel" which would permit local elected officials and other municipal authorities to have access to affordable accommodation and modern work facilities on preferential conditions while in the capital city of Yaounde.
    Mayor Dighambong says his team will facilitate the construction of a Headquarters for the National Office of the UCCC and support all regional offices to do the same as well as establish a health insurance and social assistance scheme for local elected officials.
    He has promised to revive the process of recognition of Mayors as a constituted corps by the state during official ceremonies as well as re-launch the process of recognition of UCCC as an important arm of the state.
    The mayor says if elected, he will prioritize the best practices in social and economic development and stimulate healthy competition between municipalities by creating a Municipal yearly award within councils of each Division.
    He has also committed to strengthen and enhance the participation of UCCC in the activities of the pan-African and international municipal movements.
    He has said the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon ,UCCC, under his leader will be given new impetus, to continue to advance the process of decentralization and local development in the Country as per the instructions and directives of President Paul Biya.
    To do this, he continued “We will have to bank on our achievements over the past few years, putting in mind that the process of decentralization is irreversible…”.
    “Our Association should, more than ever before, strive to improve on governance and strengthen capacities by way of dialogue, negotiation as well as trainings, involving all local actors in the preparation and monitoring of these policies that have a great impact on our different municipalities” he stated in the manifesto.
    He said 17 years after its creation by merging two former associations of Cameroon municipalities, the UCCC has gradually become part and parcel of the institutional landscape of decentralization, thanks in particular to the rich road map portfolio of the state and other partners, both national and international.
    However, he regretted “this recognition has hardly given our Association the influential and imposing position it deserves, allowing the Mayors show case their expertise and practical experience on various important issues of the decentralization process and local development. In a bid to fast track Decentralisation as prescribed by the Head of state and marked by the ongoing zeal, determination and reinforcement of its prescription, the effective implementation of the new legal instrument must necessarily be influenced by the practical experience of Mayors in the domain of local governance”.
    The stuff mayor Dighambong is made of Dighambong Anthony MVO is a native of Aghem-Wum in Menchum Division of the North West region, where he has served as Mayor of the Wum Council since the municipal elections of September 2013.
    He is therefore a municipal magistrate, experienced with many achievements, notably in the domain of infrastructure and health that has improved the living conditions of the people of his municipality.
    After a successful first mandate, in a context marked by the effective transfer of certain competences to the Municipalities, Mayor Dighambong was able to appraise and evaluate the difficulties and challenges faced by mayors in order to better and commonly seek for sustainable solutions to the needs of the populations, especially in an area which is hard hit by the socio-political crises.
    His commitment and believe for a strong and united municipal movement is motivated by the conviction that the significant increase in council resources (Financial and Human) especially the effective transfer of those provided for by the Law, and the improvement of local governance are the pillars on which the acceleration of successful decentralization will be built.

Election of City Mayor: Greg Mewanu Is New Poster Boy of K-Town

 -Hysteric denizens dance in triumph, parade new ‘Super Mayor’ along the streets of Kumba

By Ekoko Willies in Kumba

The suspense as to who becomes the pioneer City Mayor of Kumba has finally ended. Councillors of Kumba on Thursday 22 October 2020 gave their votes overwhelmingly to Greg Mewanu Ntemoyock to become the pioneer City Mayor.
Mewanu emerged the winner in a tension-packed election that sanctioned the re-run first session as of right of the Kumba City Council holding at the City Hall on Thursday.
 

Super Mayor, Greg Mewanu, celebrates his hard-won victory

   He first grabbed 43 votes against 33 for Nkelle, in primaries conducted by CPDM representatives from Yaounde. He would later collect 65 of the total 75 votes cast, in the election proper, conducted by the eldest and youngest councillors of Kumba. There were 11 blank votes.
    Mewanu’s victory though hard-won, was not surprising to many. It was no secret to anyone that Victor Nkelle Ngoh, who had served the City for 11 years as Government Delegate, and seven months as City Mayor, had lost face with the inhabitants of Kumba, who reckoned that his performance at the council was anything but impressive.
    He inherited the City Council from the legendary Cavin Nnoko Mbelle, who had put Kumba among the fast growing cities in Cameroon, thanks to his development vision and drive. But Nkelle failed to live up to the standards his predecessor, Nnoko, had set for the City. Some Kumba denizens said maybe Nnoko raised the bar of achievements too high for Nkelle to measure up.
    Even though Nkelle’s admirers rushed to his defence, blaming his poor performance on a weak treasury at the council, informed observers dismissed him as lacking in vision and drive. They said he was at a loss of solutions to the many problems that are stalling Kumba’s development. Many did not conceal their desire to see a change at the helm of the city council.
    Greg Mewanu thus presented himself as that change that was badly-needed at the Council.
    Born and bred in Kumba, Mewanu did his early education in Kumba before travelling for further studies in Germany. He would later return to Kumba to embrace business and politics.
    An active militant of the CPDM party, he was elected as councillor of the Kumba 1 council during the 9 February 2020 Municipal election.
    Mewanu would then put forth his candidature for the post of city mayor of Kumba. But he lost the vote to Nkele Ngoh, in the election on 28 February 2020. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the vote, Mewanu petitioned the administrative court, arguing that the election was marred by irregularities.
    Though the SW administrative court dismissed the petition as invalid in substance, the Supreme Court upheld it at last and final instance, ordering a re-run election.
    During a pre-election meeting on Wednesday 21 October, a two-man team from the CPDM headquarters in Yaounde led by Minister Paul Tasong, urged councillors to concert and come up with a unique candidate for the post of City Mayor. It turned out that Nkelle and Mewanu could not come to a compromise.
Tasong later called for a vote to get a consensus candidate, but later revisited his decision, maintaining that a unique candidate must be found through compromise. This hesitancy and ‘Bafia dance’ by Tasong created suspicion among the councillors, many of whom accused him of wanting to impose Nkelle as City Mayor. The councillors said they must go to voting to get the unique candidate.
    “We must vote; we must vote,” chanted the councillors at the top of their voices.  
    As tension mounted, Tasong postponed the proceedings to the following morning at 8 am. He invited all the councillors for dinner at a popular hotel in town.
    But, suspecting the motive and the venue, many councillors, mostly Mewanu’s supporters, boycotted the dinner, saying the hotel was Nkelle’s campaign headquarters.
    Mewanu and his supporters said that Nkelle’s political masters from Yaounde, notably Senator Otte Andrew and Hon. Tabot Njalla, had asked for the postponement to give them time enough to buy over councillors to support their protégé – Nkelle Ngoh.

The Ultimate Victory
    The events on Thursday proceeded very fast. The party primaries in-house saw Mewanu collecting 42 votes, with just 33 for Nkelle. Greg’s victory drove the hundreds of anxious denizens who had crowded the precincts of the city council, into hysteria. Kumba denizens literally went wild in celebration. Bike riders packed their bikes; shop owners closed their shops; market women abandoned their merchandize, with all rushing to the City Hall to join the crowd in the celebration.
    Before long the information was all over on social media networks that Greg Mewanu is the new City Mayor of Kumba.
    But the celebration was not to last for long. It turned out that Mewanu had only won the primaries, but not the rerun election proper, which still had to take place, in the presence of the Meme SDO.
    But no sooner did the SDO arrive at the City Hall and the proceedings began than Nkelle Ngoh got up and introduced a point of order. He said Mewanu is an ex-convict and cannot be eligible for election as city mayor. However, the motion by Nkelle was overruled by the presiding eldest councillor, and this was not before Minister Paul Tasong and the SDO evoked a lack of jurisdiction, competence and relevance.
A lawyer, who was on stand-by, edified the sitting that Mewanu was convicted for a land matter and not a criminal offence. Besides, the lawyer said a convicted person can be rehabilitated after three years of the end of his conviction. He said Mewanu had been rehabilitated reason he has a non-conviction certificate.
    Having failed to get his motion through, Nkelle threw in the towel, allowing Mewanu to run unopposed. Mewanu got 64 of the 75 votes cast, with 11 blank votes.

A Victory of Hope
    Commentators say Mewanu’s victory sets a new dawn for K-Town. They said 12 years of Nkelle Ngoh has taken Kumba far behind in terms of development and Mewanu’s coming brings joy and hope that K-Town may regain its hustle and bustle of yore.
    Speaking to reporters shortly after his election, Mewanu said: “It is not a victory for Mewanu, but a victory for Kumba and all those who have been yearning for a new era of development in Kumba.”
    He beckoned the councillors and the populations to join him so that together they can implement his vision for K-Town, the difficult context of the Anglophone conflict and the covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding. He said brighter days lie ahead for Kumba.
    Mewanu thanked his predecessor, Nkelle Ngoh, whom he calls ‘grand frere’, for his selfless service to Kumba.
    Meanwhile, the two deputy city mayors from the 28 February election, Balike Esuka Victorine espe Ebanja and Sako Umana Mcmillan, were retained by the councillors.

Unprecedented Euphoria
    The euphoria that gripped the city following Mewanu’s election was uncontrollable. Many said it was unheard of in Kumba in the last three decades. A reporter likened the celebrations to the fever that gripped Cameroon when the Indomitable Lions defeated Argentina in the 1990 World Cup.
    Reports said Okada riders packed their bikes and waited outside to be sure that the result of the vote was not doctored. Market vendors abandoned their shops and crowded the arena. Others trooped into the bars to celebrate over a drink.
    Literally lifting their new ‘Super Mayor’ to the skies, the crowds paraded Mewanu from the city hall to his Alaska Street, Buea Road residence, with hundreds of bikes displaying in front.
    The Police were helpless in the face of the over 10.000-man crowd. But it was a peaceful and happy parade after all.
    Commentators said at long last the will of the masses has prevailed over selfish interests in Kumba. They said for several decades now candidates for political office were selected only on tribal and/or self-seeking interests.  
    Yet, for Mewanu as City Mayor, there is no time for celebration especially giving the circumstances of his victory and the context of the times.
    Perhaps the point should be made, that, Kumba is the economic capital of the SW region. It is also the largest city and has a typically business-inclined population that needs to be reassured and re-galvanized to action once again. Of course, the expectations are very high. 
    Getting the populations to ignore the separatists’ calls for ghost town will be a veritable litmus test for Mewanu. Let’s wait and see!
 
 

Kumba School Shooting: Ambazonia IG, Gov’t Trade Accusations

 -At least eight school children were murdered in Kumba at Mother Francisca Bilingual College by armed men, described by the Senior Divisional Officer of Meme, Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, as Ambazonia Separatist fighters. But the Separatists have said the perpetrators are Government forces. 

A statement from the Ambazonia Defense Council, reads that the Ambazonia Governing Council holds Government forces for carrying out the attack. The Interim Government adds that while they are carrying out investigations, they are not ruling out Government forces’ involvement in the massacre.
    “Let me also seize this opportunity to talk to all the parents, because I cannot understand that during the day Amba boys are attacking innocent children and the surrounding population are there without doing anything, all of them should be arrested, who do not support the affected children.” Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, SDO Meme Division, told reporters.
  

Volunteers transporting wounded victims to the hospital

 The Ambazonia Defense Council has also said their investigations have been launched but that as they go further to examine what happened, they have already been reliably informed that Government forces carried out the attack.
    The Communication Secretary of the Ambazonia Interim Government, Chris Anu, in a live broadcast said that previous events like the 14 February 2020 Ngarbuh massacre by government forces are indication that they are responsible
    “At the Interim Government we condemn this massacre and pay our sympathy to the families of the bereaved. We condemn this massacre that continues to be perpetrated by French Cameroun regime. We are urging the UN and international community to consider an investigation in Kumba.”
    The Divisional Officer for Kumba 1, Ali Anougu, on his part urged the people of Kumba to carry out their weapons and stand firm against the Separatists.
    “Please everybody must come out today. Please, everybody, come out and defend your children. What kind of independence do they want? Please I am telling you, my brothers and sisters…I am crying for the first time in my life, allow children to go to school,” he said to a wailing crowd.

UN Coordinator Condemns Shooting
    

Meanwhile, the UN Resident Coordinator, Matthias Naab, has condemned the Kumba school shooting that left at least eight schoolchildren dead and twelve wounded on Saturday afternoon.
    “I am shocked and outraged by the killing of innocent school children which were attending school to get an education. On behalf of the United Nations and the wider humanitarian community in Cameroon, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the children killed and our support to the wounded and their families and to all the community”, said Mr Naab.
    On 24 October, a group of armed men attacked Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba. At least eight children were killed as a result of gunshots and attack with machetes. Another twelve were wounded and taken to local hospitals.
    The World Health Organization has provided medical supplies to the district hospital and Médecins sans Frontières is supporting the hospital with medical supplies and personnel. The United Nations will continue to support efforts by the Government and non-Governmental organizations to provide necessary medical assistance to the wounded.
    The attack against school children is the worst atrocity since the resumption of the school year on 5 October 2020 in which more students enrolled in the North-West and South-West regions than in recent years.
     “Children have a right to education. Violence against schools and innocent school children is not acceptable under any circumstances and can constitute a crime against humanity if proven in a court of law. I call on the competent authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into this tragedy”, reiterated Mr. Naab.
    Mr Naab reiterated the United Nations’ call for all armed actors to refrain from any attacks against children and other civilians, and ensure that schools, medical facilities and their personnel are not subjected to violence or threats in any way.

Agbor Balla: Unacceptable
    

The Founder of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho, has condemned the Mother Francisca school shooting in Kumba, calling on thorough investigations that will lead to arrest and trial of perpetrators,
    “I strongly condemn the killing of school children at Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba. These gruesome and barbaric killings are gross violations of the right to life of these kids. It is unacceptable for anyone or groups of persons to harass, attack, and or kill children. It is a fundamental right for children to be educated. Hence, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes should be held accountable. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to their families,” Barrister Nkongho said.

Election of Regional Assemblies: ELECAM Reviews Candidates’, Parties’ Lists - The 4th Session as of Right of the Electoral Board of ELECAM has on 20 October 2020 held in Yaounde

 By Ashi Kwobo in Yaounde
The electoral board of Elections Cameroon, Elecam, has met in Yaounde for its 4th session as of right, by virtue of section 19 and section 259(3) of the electoral code.
    The session devoted to the adoption of resolutions to reinstate, disqualify and correct clerical errors on lists of candidates in view of the holding of regional elections on 6 December 2020, was chaired by the Chairman of the Electoral Board, Governor Enow Abrams Egbe.
    The review of the candidates’ and parties’ lists was with the aim to execute the decisions of the courts on pre-electoral petitions filed by candidates and political parties. This is in view of ensuring a smooth continuation of preparations towards a hitch-free elections on 6 December 2020.
    At the end of the session, it emerged that one (1) list submitted by one political party, and two (2) lists for the category of representatives of traditional rulers were reinstated. Also, clerical corrections were done on two lists from two political parties, and four lists for representatives of traditional chiefs.
    Meanwhile, one list of a political party initially accepted for the election was disqualified.
    In all, 10 lists were examined and either reinstated, disqualified or corrected.
    In view of campaigns for the regional election to kick-off in a month’s time, members of the electoral board of elecam will in the days ahead embark on field trips to the 52 divisional constituencies across the country, it was revealed.
    The field trips are with the view to sensitize and educate stakeholders, in the election, notably the traditional rulers, on salient aspects of the electoral process including the legal and institutional frameworks of the elections; the organization and functioning of polling stations and mixed electoral commissions; and the scope of the election and the distribution of seats.
    Stakeholders will also be reassured of Elecam’s steadfast commitment to comply with democratic principles and laid down regulations guiding elections this so as to ensure a massive participation at the polls.
    The Electoral board members will as well use the occasion to assess the state of preparedness of their collaborators on the field in view of ensuring a free, fair, transparent and hitch-free election on 6 December.

Horror in Kumba: Gunmen Kill Six Students in K’ba, Injure Ten Others

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
There has been nationwide condemnation following the gruesome killing of six students of Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy (MOFRIBA) in Fiango Kumba.
    

Parents of killed school kids were unconsolable

The murder of the kids took place on the school campus Saturday 24 October 2020. Administrative authorities in Kumba have blamed the act on Ambazonia separatist fighters.
    The gunmen stormed the school campus while catch-up classes were going on and opened fire on the students at close range, reports said.
    Gory images and videos of the macabre act went viral on the social media, with Cameroonians of all walks of life expressing unreserved indignation and condemnation. 
    The corpses of the slain kids were deposited at the Kumba District Hospital mortuary. Four out of the 13 badly injured students were evacuated to other hospitals for intense medical attention, while medics at the Kumba hospital battled to save the lives of the others. 
    Meme SDO, Chamberlin Ntou’ou Ndong condemned the act, promising that the perpetrators will be hunted and arrested by the military. He equally blamed the population for failing to intervene to save the lives of the innocent kids.
    “…Let me also seize this opportunity to talk to the parents because I cannot understand that during the day Amba boys will attack innocent children and the surrounding population are there witnessing without doing anything,” he wondered, ordering security officers to arrest all those living around the college.
    “…I have instructed that all of them should be arrested. All the surrounding population who did not support the affected children,” Ntou’ou Ndong said.
    He also blamed owners of private institutions that are operating without indicating their effectiveness to the administration as was recommended.
    “Without such notifications, it is difficult for security elements to know which schools to secure,” he opined.
    The Divisional Officer for Kumba I, Ali Anougu on his part, challenged the population of Kumba to rise up like one man and put an end to the barbaric acts of the Amba fighters.
    “…We call on the population to stand firm on their feet and let us face these terrorists today in Kumba. Let us stand firm and put an end to this nonsense happening in Kumba today,” he said, reiterating that no matter the tactics put up by the gunmen, the population will not continue to risk the future of their kids by keeping them home.
    The Member of Parliament for Kumba Urban, Tabot Lawson Bakia also added his voice to serial condemnations. Hon. Bakia called on the population to federate forces with the military to denounce separatists hiding in their neighbourhoods. He promised to collaborate with Mayors of Kumba councils and pick up the bills of all those injured by the gunmen. 

Hon. Tabot Lawson Condemns Shooting To Death Of Students Of Mother Francisca Bilingual Academy, Bamilike Street, Fiango K’ba, On Saturday 24-10-2020

I just received the shocking news of a terrorist attack this morning, Saturday, 24 October 2020 on students of Mother Francisca BILINGUAL ACADEMY, Bamilike Street, Fiango, Kumba II subdivision.
    

MP for K'ba Urban, Hon. Tabot Lawson Bakia aka Njalla

Arriving the scene, I came face to face with a gory sight: four corpses of young Cameroonians, some with completely shattered skulls. As I rushed to the Kumba District hospital to abreast myself of the situation there, I was, once more, painfully greeted by another corpse as the hospital emergency unit put on a fierce fight with the nine other critical cases.
    The dastardly attack has, at the time I was leaving the hospital, claimed the lives of at least 6 of the students. What is their crime? What were they guilty of to be sent to their early graves? When did the zeal to be educated become a crime that should warrant such barbaric, summary execution? When did going to school become a crime?
    It's against the backdrop of this gruesome murder of our children by terrorists, who pass for protectors, that I avail myself of the opportunity to condemn, in very strong and vehement terms, the bloody attack on innocent children in class while exercising their inalienable right to education.
    I call on the peace-loving population of the city of Kumba to remain calm and vigilant. I equally entreat my people of Kumba to collaborate with the defense and security forces by reporting suspected terrorists, (Separatists) persons within their vicinities to the defense forces, the SDO, DOs of Kumba I, II and III, myself and the City Mayor, as well as the Mayors of the three sub-divisional councils.
    Kumba denizens must henceforth denounce and expose these terrorists who claim to protect them yet slaughter them, including innocent school children on a daily basis.
    I urge parents to discard the fear these rascals want to instill in them, through this diabolic act. They should continue to send their children to school. The military is very alert to protect the schooling population.
    With an effective school resumption in the Metropolitan town of Kumba, made possible by the serene atmosphere that was reigning, more than 10.000 children of both the Basic and Secondary sections had taken to the classrooms for lessons. Their joy to regain learning rooms is huge.
    We would therefore not allow some drug addicts to ruin our children's future again. That's why we must all stand up as one man and denounce them and their dangerous activities intended to jeopardize the peace our town has enjoyed these few days.
     It should now be incumbent on us all to rise up and fight these outlaws who are cementing trouble in our towns and by extension, our Region. We must not allow these hoodlums to sabotage our school year any longer. Enough is enough!
    Permit me use this platform to call on the international community to bring to book those Cameroonians sponsoring terrorist  activities  back home in Cameroon,  while taking refuge in foreign countries. Their scare schemes shouldn't deter anyone, not at all.
    Trust in the government of President Paul Biya for your security, and that of your family and property.
    Again, I wish to salute the courage and determination of our defense and security forces and the administration for their steadfastness. I promise them my total collaboration.
    Before I end, accept my profound and sincere sympathy to those who lost their children in the macabre act, and a speedy recovery to the wounded.
    The city mayor, the Mayors of Kumba I, 2 and 3 sub-divisional councils and my humble self, have pledged to foot the bills of those injured during the attack and to give financial assistance to families that lost their children in the attack. The token will enable them to give the fallen children a befitting burial.
    May the Souls of The Little Angels Rest In The Bosom of the Lord.
    May The Judgement of God Fall On The Perpetuators of This Gruesome Act.

Hon, Tabot Lawson Bakia,
Member of Parliament,
Kumba Urban Constituency

Int’l Recognition: Samuel Eto’o Appointed Roving Ambassador in Chad

 Cameroon football icon and former striker of FC Barcelona, Samuel Eto’o Fils has been honored with appointment as Roving Ambassador by the President of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno.
  

Samuel Eto’o Fils

 The appointment of Samuel Eto’o was confirmed in a post published on Facebook via the official page of the Chadian Secretariat General of Government, SGG, on Friday 22 October 2020.
    The appointment comes barely days after the Chadian president received Samuel Eto’o in audience at the Presidential Palace.
    Eto’o was received in N’djamena on 18 October and held lengthy talks with the Chadian president on the development and promotion of football in the dessert nation.
    Eto’o later revealed that 15 Chadian kids would accompany him to Cameroon to study football at his alma mater, the famous Kadji Sports Academy in Douala. The academy has over the years cemented its reputation as a breeding ground for young talents.

End Anglophone Crisis: Celebrities Support Anti-Anglophone Conflict Campaign

 Many celebrities in Cameroon are using their platforms to speak out against the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.
    Online campaigns began few days ago after critics condemned their silence over happenings in the North West and South West regions of the country.
    

Blanche, Daphne and Muriel

One of those who reacted is Blanche Bailly, a renowned Cameroonian singer. She took on her social media to explain how she has also been a victim of the armed conflict,  which began four years ago. “I do want peace more than you can ever imagine, the artists are not your enemies,  we lived the bullet…,” she explained on her Facebook page.
    Bailly said artists have never been silent. “I understand that you are my fans and you want me to be verbal about things plaguing our society. Thanks for that trust. However, When the #anglophoneCrisis started, Artists came together under one voice and did a song, I was part of that project but you, same FANS attacked us and made us to Discontinue the project,” she went on.
    Popular actress and producer, Muriel also expressed worries about happenings in the English-speaking regions while Daphne warned against a replication of the prevailing war in Nigeria.
    After domestic and international pressure failed to mount pressure on the Biya regime to end the war, can something happen this time?

Management of Artistes’ Rights: SONACAM Adopts General Statutes, Internal Rules An Ordinary Session of the Cameroon National Society of Musical Arts, SONACAM, has on Saturday 24 October 2020 held in Yaounde.

 By Mercy Neba in Yaounde
The Cameroon National Society of Musical Arts, SONACAM, now has its general statutes and internal rules and regulations. The documents were examined and adopted on Saturday 24 October in Yaounde.
  

SONACAM protem boss, Sam Fan Thomas

 Over 1000 musical artistes took part in the Ordinary General Assembly that was convened at the behest of the Minister of Arts and Culture, and which had as guiding theme: “Saving SONACAM.”
    The artistes also examined and adopted an electoral code and created an electoral board to conduct General elections on 3 November 2020.
    Opening the OGA, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Pierre Ismael Bidoung Mkpatt, underscored the need to “help SONACAM find efficient and definite solutions that will enable it to operate with regulatory texts developed, examined and adopted by its members.”
    Bidoung Mkpatt hailed the presence in the hall of international and national music icons, saying that it was a demonstration of their commitment and resolve to contribute to the professionalization of musical arts in Cameroon.
    He saluted the collaboration that now animates relations between the Audit Commission for Collective Management, CCOGC, and SONACAM, noting that the good working relationhas helped in the drafting of the statutes, internal rules and the electoral code.
    Bidoung Mkpatt reiterated government’s determination to put order in the musical arts sector by providing consensus instruments to regulate the functioning of authors’ rights bodies.
    The OGA provided occasion for the minister to enjoin the artistes to pay homage to the departed colleagues including notably Manu Dibango, Nguea Laroute, Claude Ndam, Ntoumba Minka, Charles Lembe, Nyangwe Peter, Boma Sylvester etc.

As Peace, Normalcy Gradually Returns: Mamfe Mayor Provides Lodging, Succour for Returning Refugees from Nigeria

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
At least 220 inhabitants of Manyu Division who have for closed to four years lived in neighbouring Nigeria as refugees have voluntarily returned to Mamfe. They were happily received by the Mayor of Mamfe who provided them with temporal lodging facilities and financial assistance pending their reinstatement with their families.
  

Mayor Robertson Tabenchung Ashu

 Mayor Robertson Tabenchung Ashu told The Median that he has decided to transform the state-owned Youth Centre in Mamfe into a lodging facility for the refugees and displaced persons who have decided to come back.
    He noted that with assistance from the Ministry of Territorial Administration under the fund to carter for Internally Displaced Persons, the structure will be provided beds and mattresses.
    “This house is a Youth Centre built by government. I have partitioned the parlour into rooms so that we can accommodate 220 of our brothers and sisters who were living as refugees in Nigeria but who have returned,” disclosed Tabenchung, adding that these persons will be kept there for some time and all of them will be provided financial assistance to enable them to be able to feed. 
    He said he has renovated the structure to host them and provided it with good toilets, portable water, and electricity and relaxation lawn. Aside the allowances, the Mayor said the displaced locals will be provided steady medication and food stuffs.
    He said he is hopeful that with the ongoing plan to reconstruct and develop the North West and South West regions, the displaced population will be carefully taken care of and reinstated to their various homes through the plan.

Installation Ceremony: Eyumojock Mayor Pledges Dev’t, Peace

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
The Mayor of Eyumojock Municipality in Manyu Division, South West Region has called on all youth still carrying arms in the bushes to drop their weapons and join him to make the municipality a heaven of peace and development reference point in the country.
    

Manyu SDO installing Eyumojock Mayors

Ntufam Ayamba Jacques Ita made the appeal     following his official installation by the SDO for Manyu, Oum II Joseph, on 16 October. The deputy mayors of the municipality were also installed.
    “Today is a wonderful day as I have finally been installed as the Mayor. My role as Mayor is to serve, to empower, to develop and to improve on the living conditions of my population,” Ntufam Ayamba said, appealing for total and sincere collaboration of all in the municipality.
    The Mayor who doubles as the traditional ruler of Eyumojock town, promised to do his best to ensure the return of peace and normalcy in Eyumojock. He appealed to his brothers and sisters still carrying arms in the bushes to drop them and join him in the development process.
    “I am calling on my brothers who are still in the bushes to come out. It is now our turn. I am a Mayor who is young like them and one who understands their problems. Let us come together as a people and see how together we can develop this frontier municipality which should be a citadel and a reference in Cameroon,” he beckoned. 
    In an extra-ordinary council session that preceded the installation, Akat Peter Takang was unanimously voted (19 out of 20 votes) as 2nd assistant mayor, to replace Winifred Besem Ayuk who resigned due to incompatibility.  
    Installing Mayor Ayamba Jacques Ita, and Orang Regina and Akat Peter Takang (first and second deputies respectively), the SDO challenged them to be peace crusaders.
    He urged them to collaborate with the supervisory authority, encourage and support school resumption, create and encourage vigilant groups and assist displaced persons returning from Nigeria.
    The hitch-free installation ceremony unfolded in the presence of the population and some elite of Eyumojock including notably the MP. Hon Teku Teku Tanyi.

Nkambe Fish Farmers Cooperative Society: New President Promises to Boost Production

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
The newly elected president of the Nkambe Central Fish Farmers Simplified Cooperative Society has promised to revamp the fish farming sector in Nkambe and ensure increase in output. Frankline Ndzi Nformi made the pledge shortly after his election Sunday 17 October 2020.
    “…My first priority will be to ensure increase and regular supply of fingerlings and feed to members and also to encourage them to open more ponds in order to increase fish production here in Nkambe,” Ndzi Nformi revealed.
  

President of Nkambe fish farmers, Ndzi Nformi

 He explained that boosting of production in the sector will undoubtedly improve the financial status of members of the four-year-old association as well as create jobs for the population of Nkambe in particular and Donga Mantung Division in general.
    Ndzi Nformi takes over from the pioneer president of the association, Mbunkur Julius, who was recently elected into the Board of Directors of the Regional Fish Farmers Cooperative in Bamenda as regional Vice President.
    The dynamic and levelheaded Ndzi Nformi revealed that collaboration and team spirit will be key in his leadership especially as he and his team envisage regular holding sensitization meetings with members on best practices in the domain of inland fishing.
    The envisaged sensitization he disclosed will be done in collaboration with the North West Livestock and Fisheries Development project, LIFIDEP. He also noted that they will ensure getting partnership deals with other structures that will in the future train the population of Nkambe on fingerlings and feed production.
    He will be assisted in the running of fishing activities in Nkambe by Ngwati Louis voted as Secretary in replacement of Bup Elizabeth and Shufai Tamnjong of as member of the supervisory board.
    Nkambe Central Fish Farmers Simplified Cooperative Society was created in 2016 with headquarters in Binju. It currently has about 50 members drawn from other nearby villages like Kungi, Binshua, Mbot and Tabenken.
    Frankline Ndzi Nformi fondly called Ta Shey Frank is a time-tested leader with   rare managerial skills. The councillor of Nkambe council has once served as principal cashier at the divisional treasury in Nkambe before being appointed to Oku as Sub Treasurer in 2012. He currently serves in same capacity in Ako and doubles as the president of the administrative workers in the sub division.

Centre Region: Man Kills Wife, Rapes 9yrs -Old Daughter

 A 43-year-old man is currently being detained in Polo, a village in the Lekie division of the Centre region.
  

 Felix Ngouele

 Felix Ngouele was arrested on accusations of rape, after neighbors went finding why his 9-year-old daughter cries every night.
    Investigations later revealed that he had been harassing her sexually for the past two years.
    After his arrest, reports say he was further interrogated before revealing that he had killed and buried his wife, Lema Dorothee in a pit behind his house some six years ago.
    The lady’s parents reports add, had filed a complains against him at the time but it was dismissed for lack of evidence.
    He was accompanied by security forces to his home where they out was dug and the remains of his late wife exhumed.
    Over the past weeks several cases of rape and sexual molestation of especially minors have been reported in many parts of the country.
    This has since led to several calls for better legislation and sanctions over persons found guilty of committing such crimes in Cameroon.

Launch of Africa Amnesty Month: Gov’t Commits to Fight Illicit Flow of Small Arms

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
The Minister of External Relations has said government is more than ever before committed to wage a war against the flow of small arms and light weapons across the national territory.
    Lejeune Mbella Mbella made the revelation Monday 19 October 2020 while presiding over the official launch of the African Amnesty Month in Cameroon (SEPTAMM2020). The event at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel was under the theme “Silencing the Guns: a pledge to our future generations on the continent.”
    

Gov’t officials & other participants at the launching ceremony

He disclosed an estimated 100 million arms is in circulation in Africa with over 40 million owned by civilians with very few having the licence to own them. This poses a major problem for governments as weapons that elude control continue to flow in the continent, leading to conflicts and wars.
    Mbelle Mbella said in addition to participating in the AU-UN initiative to silence guns on the continent, the Cameroon government has also created specialised demobilisation and disarmament centres to encourage citizens bearing arms to voluntarily hand them over.
    He said the support from AU and UN to African States through the project is a great opportunity to work in a coherent and sustainable way towards the reduction of illicit possession of small arms and light weapons.
    Mbella Mbella said the initiative is an opportunity to promote peace and carry out awareness programs to educate the public on the dangers of illicit weapons and to reinforce the capacity of national actors fighting the illicit flow of small arms.
He said government will soon launch a nationwide capacity building workshop to refresh key actors charged with control of weapons, sensitise women on their role in the fight as well as launch a media sensitisation campaign on the dangers of owning illicit weapons.
    Ngalim Eugene, Executive Director of Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (CAMYOSFOP) who doubles as Cameroon’s Representative to the Africa Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) – an organ task with implementing AU policies through submission of advisory opinions, used the event to underscore the role played by civil societies in the adoption of the Amnesty Month by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Assembly of Heads of States of the AU.
    “The relevance of the civil society stems from the fact that she is the intermediary between the grassroots and the government but most importantly because she is directly in touch with the grassroots, serving as their mouth piece and in a position to transmit the reality on the ground to policy makers,” Ngalim said.
    He said the CAMYOSFOP has been at the fore, mobilising the public through activities including capacity buildings on arms control alongside the Cameroon Action Network on Small Arms, CANSA.
    Other speakers including General Bardeldin Elamin Abdelgadir Mohamed, Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), and Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) took turns to highlight the importance of the programme and dangers pose by the illicit flow of weapons.
    Dr. Fung said UNODA is assisting the AU in four key areas including; an enlarge sensitisation on the illicit flow of weapons, the dangers it has to progress and other social aspects, collection of the illicit weapons, destroying them and promoting community policing with hope that security officers can create a symbiotic relationship with the population in the community which they are called upon to secure and check flow of arms.

Combating Illicit Flow of Arms: Police Officers Urged to Partner with Civilians

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Police officers who took part in the training

Police officers and other law enforcement elements have been schooled on how to cooperate with the civilian population in the fight to check the illicit flow of small and light weapons in the country.
    This was during a one day workshop on community policing at the National Advanced Police School in Yaounde, on Tuesday 20 October 2020. It was part of activities to commemorate the Africa Amnesty Month, SEPTAMM2020.
    The workshop was organized by the NGO, Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace, CAMYOSFOP, an expert civil society organisation on the promotion of peace and arms control and an implementing partner of the SEPTAMM2020 project on “Silencing the Guns”.
    In his introductory remarks on the Amnesty Month during the training, the Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), General Bardeldin Elamin Abdelgadir Mohamed, said the training will empower the Cameroonian police corps and other security agencies on how to engage civilians in a friendly approach to voluntarily hand over illegally acquired weapons in their keeping. 
    He underscored the importance of involving citizens in the “Silencing the Guns” programme, assuring that the community policing approach if adopted will bring about order, reduce crime, enable police and civilians work hand in gloves to find common solutions to community problems and reduce deaths.
    In his keynote address, Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) said the community policing training in checking the circulation of small arms will help participants and experts propose recommendations that will be adopted to ensure its implementation.
    He said participants will be drilled on four key areas including the prevention of conflicts, proximity to civilians, partnership cooperation with local authorities and participation in resolution of community conflicts.
    On his part, Police Commissioner, Assiga Toma, Director of Training and Interim Director of the Police College who represented the Delegate General of National Security hailed the initiative and said it will be of great use to their elements in their fight to control illegal possession of weapons.
    The representative of the Minister of External Relations, Mouandjo Moundjo Ebenezer who doubles as Director of the Department of United Nations and Decentralised Cooperation said the training will also equipped officers with the knowledge and skills on how to apply simple and effective measures to store, manage ammunitions, reduce accidental or unintentional deaths.

Sensitisation Campaign: Y’de Residents Schooled on Breast Cancer Prevention

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
Inhabitants of Yaounde in the Centre region in particular and Cameroonians in general have been advised to regularly engage in sporting activities and conduct self-examination on their breast in order to avoid been affected by breast cancer.
  

Participants of the breast cancer prevention campaign

 The advice was given by Dr. Sinctieh Ngek, a medic practicing at the CBC health Centre in Ekoudoum, on Saturday, 24 October 2020. He was speaking at the end of a breast cancer awareness sports walk and sensitisation campaign.
    The event which took place at the Yaounde Parcours Vita was organised by the ‘Welisane Foundation’ in partnership with ‘Dare to Live Foundation’, ‘Rural Warrior’ and the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Centre.
    Welisane Mokwe Nkeng, founder of the foundation, explained that the awareness campaign was organised to round-up a month-long sensitisation that was launched by the foundation on 1 October 2020.
    “This is October and we call it pink October. It is the month to sensitise men, women, boys, girls on the prevalence of breast cancer in our community especially in Yaoundé. Statistics show one in eight women are going to have breast cancer in their life and this is a cause for concern. So, we are here to raise awareness, to support those who are battling with the disease, to encourage survivors and to form a coalition against breast cancer,” Welisane explained.
    She disclosed that prior to the sports walk and talk, the foundation had earlier launch sensitisation campaigns on online and traditional media. “We began with online sensitisation since 1 October 2020 with hashtags; pink cancer, punch cancer and early detection saves lives. We also have been on mass media – radio and TV, to talk about our activities and to talk about breast cancer and to sensitise the population about treatment, prevention and care of the disease, Welisane said. 
    She explained that the campaign ended with a sports walk which took the close to 45 participants to the summit of the Febe mountain and back alongside sporting exercises at the Parcours Vita to draw the attention of the population on the importance of sports in fighting the disease.
    “…We want other people to see that one of the causes of breast cancer is obesity. It is important for us to keep active, keep fit to be able to fight breast cancer and also we want other people to show awareness, support survivors and bring more people on board,” she stated. 
    Dr. Sinctieh Ngek in his sensitisation to participants on technics to individually prevent the disease equally underscored the importance of sports in fighting cancer in general and breast cancer in particular. 
    “Sport is a healthy living lifestyle and it helps to break down fat in the body. When this happens, it helps the person to shade down fat which is associated as a risk factor for developing breast cancer,” he explained, adding that breaking down excess cholesterol in the blood system is a strong factor that contributes to preventing the disease.
    Aside sports, the medic advised particularly females of reproductive age to carryout breast self-examination at least two weeks from the first day of menstruation in order to detect if there is a lump in their breast. Checking breast at least once a month he stressed will help in early detection, diagnosis and proper treatment. 
    He disclosed that there have been limited studies in the country on the disease in other to determine prevalence rate but stated that approximately, one in every eight women will develop the disease in their life while four out of every ten women in Sub-Saharan Africa will develop the disease in their lifetime.
    While responding to questions from participants, the medic encouraged all and sundry to ensure regular checks in hospitals. He said the free screenings that were carried out in the hospital as part of the month-long campaign as well as free scans for women with suspicious lumps led to the identification of some cases that would permit recommendation for appropriate care.
    Participants at the end of the campaign hailed the initiative, stating that the knowledge gathered from the campaign and health talk of the medic would be used to educate other people in their families, job sites and neighbourhoods.

Same-Sex Marriages: An Open Letter to the Catholic Pope

 Dear Pope Francis,

Your endorsement of Same-Sex-Civil-Unions is one that defeats the Christian faith and as a devoted Christian, it will be highly uncharacteristic on my part if I fail to critique your stance on the above subject matter especially when your position is solidly alien to the Christian faith.
    Your obscured subscription to LGBT through this problematic endorsement constitutes an affront to Catholicism and by extension to Christianity since the 'Church' has over the centuries kicked against such immoral behaviours.
    You will go down in history as the first Pope who gave a voice to the LGBT community and the first Pope whose prescription on this subject matter cannot be applied in any serious Christian setting since it goes contrary to the dictates of the Holy Book.
    You will go down in history as the first Pope who gave a voice to the LGBT community and the first Pope whose prescription on this subject matter cannot be applied in any serious Christian setting since it goes contrary to the dictates of the Holy Book.
    Undeniably, the LGBT community will carve your name in gold and will hold you in high esteem and that is a tendency that will soil your Papal credibility and image for good.
    Your Respectful Holiness, you have succeeded in lowering the standards of the Catholic Church. You have armed the enemies of the Christian faith with a nuclear arsenal to continuously denigrate the Church that was built by the apostles through the    ir hard work, dedication and sacrifice.
    Many Christian Hearts are profusely bleeding due to this singular Unchristian endorsement of yours.
    It is worth noting the fact that, as a spiritual leader your words have the clout to lead my Christians astray.
    It is my fervent prayer that you have a change of heart to retract and apologize to Christians across the globe for this repugnant position that has the propensity to drag the overall Christian faith in the mud.

'Long Live the Church'

'God bless the Church'

Pope's 'Shocking' Statement on Gay Marriage Causing Uproar Among Catholics

Pope Francis (C) waves at the end of his weekly general audience at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on October 21, 2020.

 Following Pope Francis’s announcement declaring support for civil union laws for same-sex couples, which breaks with traditional Catholic values that oppose homosexual relationships, the leader has garnered both criticism and support from people all over the world.
    Most recently, NBC reports that retired Philippine Bishop Arturo Bastes commented that he “had very serious doubts about the moral correctness” of the Pope’s stance on legalizing gay relationships.
    “This is a shocking statement coming from the pope,” Bastes said in a cell phone message Thursday, according to The Associated Press and NBC. “I am really scandalized by his defense of homosexual union, which surely leads to immoral acts.”
    Pope Francis’s comments occurred in a documentary about his life titled “Francesco,” which premiered in Rome. In the film, the pontiff said that gay individuals are “children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it [their sexuality].”
    While the leader of the Catholic Church expressed his support for gay civil unions, other branches of the church remain adamant in the traditional Catholic values.
    On Wednesday, following the announcement, Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, stated that Pope Francis’s comments are in diametrical opposition to the church’s stance on same-sex unions.
    “The Church cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships,” Tobin wrote. “Individuals with same-sex attraction are beloved children of God and must have their personal human rights and civil rights recognized and protected by law. However, the legalization of their civil unions, which seek to simulate holy matrimony, is not admissible.”
    Similarly, Brian Burch, the president of CatholicVote, told AP that the Catholic definition of marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman, and that Pope Francis “has no ability to change that teaching about the permanence and exclusivity of marriage.”
    Advocacy organizations supporting LGBTQ+ rights have, in contrast, applauded the pope’s stance.
    “By shifting Catholic theology in a more inclusive direction and making clear that LGBTQ people have a right to their own families, Pope Francis is letting LGBTQ Catholics know that being a person of faith and being LGBTQ are not mutually exclusive,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said. “While we at the Human Rights Campaign acknowledge this moment, we continue to push the Catholic Church, and all religious leaders, to fully embrace LGBTQ people and endorse marriage equality for same-sex couples, our right to have families, and to be full members of our faith communities.”
    Pope Francis was previously the archbishop of Buenos Aires and a cardinal before being elected as Pope by the College of Cardinals.

Cameroon Doing Business Forum: PM Recommends Strict Follow-up, Implementation of Recommendations

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
Prime Minister and Head of Government has said that the government will ensure strict implementation and follow-up of the Doing Business in Cameroon roadmap adopted to ease business transactions in the country.
    Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute made the statement after chairing deliberations at the 11th session of the Cameroon Business Forum which held in Yaoundé Thursday 22 October 2020.  The session was under the theme “COVID-19: proofing the business environment”.
    “…A number of exposes were given out to us. They were very rich and the debate that followed also was very intense and rich. It has enabled us design a road map that will be put into operation. We will roll it out under the supervision of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya and we expect that in the coming months, the reforms that have been suggested would effectively take place and make our economy stronger,” Dion disclosed at the end of the session.
    He explained that the session held out of Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic which equally restricted the attendance of the over 500 participants it usually have from all sectors of the private sector and government officials.
The adopted 2020/2021 doing business in Cameroon roadmap stressed on improvements in the creation of businesses, access to electricity, transfer of property, cross border trade among others.
    The PM in his keynote address while calling on all stakeholders to contribute at their individual levels towards ameliorating the economic situation, disclosed that the COVID-19 pandemic has had serious consequences on the business sector, leaving enterprises to suffer enormous losses.
    He told participants that from the last session in Douala, government has implemented a number of recommendations to fluidity business transactions in the country including the digitalization of procedures and the acquisition of naval vessels by the Douala Port Authority among others.
    The President of the Cameroon Employers Union (GICAM), Celestin Tawamba used the session to plead for a more subtly taxation policy to accompany the private sector in the recovery process.
    Ministers Lous Paul Motaze and Alamine Ousmane Mey of Finance and the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, respectively underscored the importance of the incentives put in place by government to support the private sector. Both ministers presented perspectives for growth for the economy after the health crisis. 
    The forum also featured an exchange session during which participants and members of government discussed on ways of improving the business atmosphere, accelerating files and settlement of litigations, incorporating online solutions to business problems and protecting investors.

Follow-Up Review: Fako’s PIB Execution Ups in 3rd Quarter

 By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

PIB Fako Divisional committee members in session

The chairperson of the divisional follow-up committee for the execution of the public investment budget in Fako division, Hon. Etombi Gladys, has congratulated stakeholders in the division for their engagement in improving the daily lives of the population through ensuring proper execution of projects.  
    She made the remark during the third quarter participatory divisional committee meeting for the follow up of the execution of PIB in Fako division for the 2020 financial year. The meeting took place on 23 October, at the Limbe 1 hall.
    Etombi was pleased with the reports she received from the technical follow up committee which showed that 2020 PIB physical execution stood at 53.93% as compared to last year same time that stood at 38.25% showing an increase of 15.28%.
    She explained that physical execution as at the end of June stood at 34.01%, with a rate of contract awards of 78.12%. 
    Acknowledging the improvement, she thanked all the stakeholders for contributing their quotas towards the positive results. He at once also prayed them not to relent..
    “I hope the spirit continues before the end of the year so that we can have a much better execution rate. The security problems are still a challenge in some areas but as I have always advice stakeholders to overcome these challenges and look for a way forward because our execution rate is better than that of other areas with less challenges”.  The chairperson stated. Madam Etombi went further to advised that all works that has been done already should be committed so that contractors will not be in a situation where they have done their work and are not been paid.  The financial came in to remind them of the deadline for engagement, prohibition to block credits and urge all present to always send financial documents on time.
    During MINEPAT delegate’s presentation of the level of execution of the 2020 PIB under administrative services as at September ending Tiko and Buea councils emerged as the best councils with the highest projects execution rates and Muyuka being the last council with execution rates still at 0.00%. he however advised them  on several issues like cancellation of projects that cannot be executed this year soonest, for them to the stop blame game amongst others.
    To their defense, the Secretary General of the Muyuka council  admitted that the socio political crisis in the region cannot permit them to effectively carry on with the projects assign to them but they have resolve to use local contractors who are familiar with the environment as well as involve the population in the process. “For the insecurity challenges, measures have been by hierarchy to see that things return to normal”.  The SG pointed out. He assured the committee that they will push those concern to work harder so that they don’t register 0.00% execution rate at the end of the year.
    During the discussions, most of the engineers complaint of laxity in follow up on the back of vote holders, poor communication amongst stakeholders as well collaboration. From reports, the chairperson called on mayors to build the capacity of their technical staff to follow up their projects effectively and for all stakeholders to work on their weaknesses to produce good results.

Non-Compliance to Regulations: Over 80 Public Contracts Cancelled

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Minister Talba Malla

The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Public Contracts has terminated close to 80 contracts awarded between 2018 and 2019 over what he terms the non-compliance with regulation.
    The decision was taken by Ibrahim Talba Malla early this week. He said the decision is in compliance with articles 182 and 184 of Presidential decree N°2018/366 of June 20, 2018 on public contracts code.
    The terminated contracts includes those for the construction of health centres, schools, electrification, water points, and administrative buildings among others. Out of the close to 80 contracts terminated, fifty-three were expected to be executed in the West region.
    Most of the cancelled works whose executions are said to have started in 2017 were either between 0% and 50% execution. Provisions of the code on public contracts indicates that the said contractors shall not except on special dispensation granted exclusively by the Minister bid for contracts for period of two years from the date of notification of termination.
    Several actions have been taken in these same direction yet cases of abandoned contractors and those wrongly awarded are abound. Just last year, Minister Talba Malla terminated contracts signed with 334 enterprises nationwide.
    Articles 182 and 184 on the public contracts code as cited by the minister states that a contract could be terminated in case of the death of the contractor, bankruptcy, judicial liquidation, outsourcing, co-sourcing or sub-order without prior authorization of the Owner or the Owner Master Delegate.

Bowing To Pressure: Biya Orders Suspension of Controversial Phone Tax -Urges government to review collection mechanism

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
Government has bowed to pressure from Cameroonians on different social media platforms and some political parties to suspend the collection of the controversial tax levied on telephones and tablets.
    The decision was taken by President Paul Biya Monday 19 October 2020. A correspondence to that effect was addressed by the Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh on the instructions of the President to the Prime Ministry.
    The letter requested the PM to suspend the law digitalizing the collection of taxes on phones and tablets, seek a more appropriate mechanism through which the said tax will be collected and forward to the presidency for approval. 
    The system was expected to shift the tax burden on buyers in cases where importers had not paid the tax of the gadgets. It had program to make it possible for mobile networks to automatically detect phone’s unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers once taxes on them had not been cleared.
    The Ministry oof Posts and Telecommunications and Customs officials had explained that the system will give users the option of making payment on the 33% tax in full or in installments, using their airtime.
    Government explained that the tax was introduced following drastic drop in revenue from the importation of telephones, despite an estimated 4 million telephones imported each year into the country. It estimated that informal importation and phone smuggling costs the country at least 12 billion FCFA each year and the new reform will help optimize the revenue collected on phones.