After Four Consecutive Kidnaps of Their Fon: Can Nso Pick the Pieces?

 Founded in 1396 and fully constituted in 1411, the over 600 years old Nso dynasty has stood tall, holding close to its nucleus, its long standing culture and pride; the throne.  It has a well-organized system of government often described as an ideal democracy for its participatory nature. It’s designated 25+ sub fondoms, traditional cults, notables and the common people have specialized roles that culminate into the central strength of its paramount throne seated in Kimbo (Kumbo).
  

Fon of Nso, Sehm Mbinglo I

 Its might has not been known by its age alone, lest about its is formidable culture, but much so for the great minds it produced to the world in the likes of Cameroon’s Socrates, Bernard Fonlon, West Cameroon’s first priest Fr. Aloysius Wankuy, first bishop, Mgr Paul Verdzekov, the lone cardinal for central Africa, Christian Cardinal Tumi, and a host of intellectuals and upright men who raise its flag high.   
    Since the start of the impasse ravaging the Anglophone part of Cameroon, Nso has suffered many losses in life and material including the first ever death recorded due to the crisis. Whereas its paramount ruler, fon Sehm Mbinglo I had echoed in November of 2017, that he needs his people safe from all forms of violence and oppression, and opted for pacific solutions to the crisis, violence finally got the best of his land and Nso finally becoming one of the most affected zones of Anglophone Cameroon due to the close to four years conflict.
    Like most villages in this war-thorn-zone, the Nso experienced a cultural recess, a huge blow to a people known to hold strong to their ways. This was heightened over the months leading to the abduction of the fon on three different events, feebly denounced by Nso sons, and especially the royal folk, leading to the assassination of two princes and the subsequent evacuation of the fon for medical attention in Bamenda, then Foumban and Yaounde.
    All of these, seen to be the worst that could be, were only a start, as the dreaded monarch, accompanied by his “eldest son,” Cardinal Tumi, met with Separatist Fighters in Baba, Ngoketuna Division in the North West region, after a triumphant reception in Bamenda town, which drew much attention from onlookers in the conflict hit town. While he was awaited by several other crowds at several villages along the Bamenda – Kumbo corridor, he was, on that November 5th, at about 5.30pm, abducted alongside Christian Cardinal Tumi and several others within his entourage. While the cardinal got released the following day, the fon regained his freedom on November 11, exactly six days later.
    This has come as a surprise to many, after Nso’s major cult, called “nwerong,” had on October 14th,  decreed after offering various appeasement sacrifices, that all enemies should take their hands off the throne and that Nso should stay united behind their leader to ensure a return normal life even within the war rid of hatred.
    The videos released by separatist fighters portraying the fon allegedly interviewed by some of theirs during the period of the abduction were received with mixed feelings and huge condemnation as the interviewers bypassed several elements of royal protocol upheld by the longstanding tradition and also, the respect for royalty, central to the values borne in the heritage of the British Southern Cameroons, purportedly thought to be protected by the fighters.
    Having had their fon stay in captivity for over 144 hours has been the most traumatizing event for Nso sons and daughters across the globe much so for their fear of the unknown given the eerie context characterizing the Anglophone regions.
    The close to ten thousand people who had left Kumbo on November 6th and several hundreds of others from Bamenda in search of the fon in Baba village, demonstrated that after all, the people stand with their supreme leader. In the wake of it all, albeit the frustrations and abuse of a longstanding culture and desecration of the sacred throne of Nso, coupled with the conditional release of the monarch, there seems to be great hope.
    Judging from the mobilization offline and on ground; one could not, but tell that the Nso people still have a uniting factor, the throne. It has no doubt been echoed on social media that the recent abduction, claimed to have been caused by the appearance of the fon’s name on an electoral list, was largely influenced by some Nso indigenes who hold differences with the throne.
    Whereas the humiliating turn of events frustrated most Nso sons and daughters thereby raising tensions and suspicion, it now seems to be a great opportunity for Nso to grow stronger based on two observed indicators:
First, the millions of people from its kin and beyond who came out to condemn the abduction of the fon, and their resilience through difficult topography in search of their fon tells of deep hearted regard and love they have for their throne.
    Second, the social media hype which brought about the spread of controversial and largely unfounded claims, unhelpful to the short impasse, were successfully controlled by the tribe's social front, Nso Development Association and Nso's most respected secret cult, the6 Nwerong, bringing Nso to one voice.
    The biggest challenge however, remains the question of keeping politics away from the throne. Whereas the separatist fighters mentioned that the throne must be seen to be clear of state politics, the Nso man has generally expressed the desire to be its fons eyes and shields.
In an interview with a Nso notable in Yaoundé who opted for anonymity, he said "we are more resolved to be our fon's 800 eyes as well as his 800 shields. We desire neither state protection nor cover from the separatist fighters." He further mentioned that "the fon of Nso must be allowed to his people, and not tossed about just like anyone."
    This position has been expressed by many others who think politicians from both sides of the warring camps should stay off the throne. In fact, in its outing of October 14th 2020, the Nwerong had decreed that the palace is for everyone, however, that everyone coming  close to the throne must do so as natural persons, keeping away their political affiliations or ideologies.
    The current dispensation puts the fon on a hot seat as leader, to cement the unity amongst his people, a thing he was seen to initiate when he spoke to his people on 5 November. “let us forge on as one, in a true covenant of love.” True collaboration from all sons of Nso could well put this through. And like Bernard Fonlon questioned: “Shall Nso MAKE of MAR?

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

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.

Recognizing & Mentoring Gifted Talent:

Bony Dashaco Awards Fcfa 1m to Two Sisters with ‘Angelic Voices’
-Two sisters with angelic, spell-binding voices were the winners of ‘The Bony Dashaco Foundation Voice Award 2020’, for their song which went viral on social media recently.
By Mercy Neba in Douala

 

 

Bony Dashaco making his remarks after handing the fcfa 1 million cash prize

 

Bony Dashaco will not stop impacting lives and making news headlines in the process. The Founder/CEO of ACMAR Media Group and Dash Holdings, last week put unending smiles on the faces of two young girls, when he invited them to his Porsche office in Bonapriso Douala and handed them a cash prize of Fcfa 1 million as a reward for their spell-binding song, whose video recording took the nation by storm, after it went viral on social media.
    Discovering the song on Facebook, the staffers of ACMAR Group drew the attention of their CEO, Bony Dashaco, who is also the promoter of Bony Dashaco Foundation. Listening to the song, the latter could not conceal his relish for the spell-binding rendition and the ‘angelic voices’ of the two sisters, Ange and Ruth.
    Bony immediately declared them the winners of the Bony Dashaco Foundation Voice Talent Award for 2020. He announced the decision on his Facebook page on 1 August. He asked for any person(s) who knew the two sisters to ask them to get to him or provide their contact to him.
    “Hello Africa, Cameroon has got talents. We finally discovered our two stars and winners of The Bony Dashaco Foundation Voice Talent Award 2020. We have invited them to our head office location in Douala to collect their Award….,” said Bony Dashaco on his Facebook page.
    During the Award ceremony at the head office of ACMAR Group in Douala, Bony Dashaco and his staff had the singular opportunity to witness a live rendition of the award-winning song by the two sisters.
    Before handing the cash prize to the laureates, Bony congratulated them for their immense God-given talent and for their spell-binding voices.
    The ACMAR CEO said the foundation that bears his name: Bony Dashaco Foundation, has as one of its missions and objectives to identify, encourage and mentor young people with exceptional talents and viable projects.
    “You are the winners of The Bony Dashaco Voice Talent Award 2020. Congratulations!” said Bony Dashaco to the happy laureates. He exhorted them to use the cash prize to harness their talent so that they can go to greater heights.
    For their part, the two sisters, Ange and Ruth, could not conceal their joy and appreciation.
    “I am overwhelmed to the extent that I lack words to express my feelings of joy,” said the elder of the two sisters, Ange.
    As for Ruth, the younger of the two, she invoked God to reward, replenish and protect Bony Dashaco, saying only somebody with a kind heart can think of lending a hand to the youth in his community.
    The song that won the Bony Dashaco Foundation 2020 Voice Award, is a gospel song that is sung in
Douala dialect.
   

Manyu Leadership: The Need for Unity!

By Dr. Joachim Arrey in Canada*

The land known as Manyu Division used to be a land of love and unity, even when poverty was still stalking the inhabitants of the division like a stubborn shadow.

               

Manyu political leader, Victor Mengot Arrey Nkongho, presiding at the finals of a subdivisional football 

tournament for men and women, in Eyumojock, in 2017

The division's political leadership enjoyed the support of the people and there was that understanding that peace was a prerequisite for prosperity.

                There were disagreements, but the general atmosphere was characterized by love and understanding.

                Personalities such as A.D. Mengot, Emmanuel Tabi Egbe, W.N.O Effiom and others were great sources of inspiration.

                Emmanuel Tabi Egbe, who was the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, was a symbol of what many young people of Manyu Division wanted to become. His success in politics was a great inspiration.

                But it was the love he had for his people that made him the special one. In his Village, Batchuo Akagbe, he was highly loved and respected, and that love spilled over to the larger society.

                 He helped many people of Manyu descent and it was normal for people from other parts of the country to hold that the Post Offices in the country belonged to Manyu Division.

                Each time there was a cabinet reshuffle, the people of Manyu had only one thought in mind - Was E.T Egbe still part of the cabinet? That was how much he had endeared himself to his people.

                Then came the Minister of Mines and Power, Michael Kima Tabong, who did his very best. He had the people's blessing immediately he was appointed and he made sure he never disappointed. Michael Kima Tabong has remained in so many minds despite his demise.

                Others like Jacob Ayuk Takem, Ebot Ogork Ntui, Jerome Eta and Peter Agbortabi, all have done their best. Their best might not be as good as some would have loved it, but these people could do only so much.

                Life is like a storey building. Some people build the foundation and different people put up the various floors. That is how the people of Manyu should view life.

                No single Minister or leader from that division will ever help everybody. Their best should be appreciated and built upon. It should not always be the blame game. The people of Manyu must also learn how to be appreciative. You never look at a gift horse in the mouth.

                Today, our leaders are few and they do not really occupy strategic positions. But they need to be supported so that they too can gain greater visibility.

                Manyu has the population. It abounds in intellectual resources. Its Diaspora is vibrant and the numbers are there to help the Division grow by leaps and bounds.

                But this can only happen if the people stand by their leaders as they did in the 70s and 80s. Minister Mengot Victor Arrey Nkongho and Senator George Tabetando are incontestably the current leaders of that Division.

                They must have come under heavy criticism over the last years because of the conflict that is tearing the country apart, but they need the support of the people if they must make those giant strides that will enable them bring home the bacon.

Manyu:

The Blame Game Should Not Be Our Game

For decades, I have heard generations of Manyu sons and daughters blame their misfortunes on others. If it is not a minister, it is a village chief that is responsible for our unfortunate fate.

             

Dr. Joachim Arrey, technical writer, journalist and translator

   If the minister or the chief is not to blame, then it is a brother or a cousin who has succeeded and who is supposed to carry the family’s burden on his head.

                If the issue is not with a brother or a cousin, then their wives are very bad or too greedy. This blame game has been on for a long time. Everybody seems to be bad except us. And if every Manyu man is bad, who then is good among us?

                If we stand in public and condemn others, who then will ever be good among us? Have we forgotten that when we point one finger at the other person, we are unconsciously pointing four of our own fingers at ourselves?

                The blame game should not be our game. It is a game for the weak. A game designed for the lazy and desperate. We don’t have to fall into that trap. It is not designed for us.

                I grew up with the mentality that in life, only two people owed me something – my father and mother. They were the two people who decided to bring me here on earth. If along the line someone decides to give me a helping hand, I would thank them and praise God.

                But I always make sure that I replicate that act of goodness without expecting any gratitude from the receiver of my act of kindness. I cannot ask everybody to be like me. I just want the world in which my children will live to be a better place than the one I met.

                The worst thing that can happen to a man is for him to spend time speaking evil about someone else. Let’s not forget that what we put out there is exactly what might come back to us.

                But how can the people of Manyu walk away from their blame game? Instead of blaming, I think we should be doing. If we think our ministers and lawmakers are not good for us, we must do something to demonstrate that we are different. What are we therefore doing to be different from them?

                We must make common cause to achieve some of our collective goals. There is power in numbers and we are many. We cannot sit and wait for others to come and bail us out of the underdevelopment that has been ours for decades. We must act. We must use our numbers to make a difference.

The French Knee on Africa's Neck

***By Martin EWOMA***

By some coincidence, I saw in 2020 in the French capital of Paris and of course enjoyed the many delights of what France and Paris is known for. During one of our dinners complete with all the trimmings of a French soiree, one of the guest said, “L'anne 2020 sera parfaite parce que, Dieu lui meme a déjà donne 20 sur 20”

              

Chief Martin Ewoma

  Literally translated means that, the year 2020 would be perfect as even the good Lord has decreed by giving full marks of 20 on 20 a perfect score.

                That was in January and everything seems fine then with some very faint news reports about some virus (now called Covid 19) in Wuhan China. This seemed very far away then.

                While the world was and is still grappling with its response to the Covid 19 global pandemic, we all watched in horror an even more dangerous virus that has been with us for more than 400 years.

                While Covid19 is new and frantic efforts are being made to find a vaccine and possible cure, the 400 year old virus called “Racism” is very much  alive and efforts to find a vaccine talk more of a cure are at best limited to fine speeches by some well-meaning individuals and leaders.

                We cannot not talk about the horrific death or execution or lynching of Mr. George Floyd on May 25, 2020. His death should not have happened. One can only postulate that, the cavalier and nonchalant attitude with which  his killer carried out this heinous act  is a strongly held belief  and  confidence that the system in place would condone and in some cases has sort to make excuses for such inhumane behaviour.

                Thankfully, it seems the world is waking up to what black folks (people) have been crying about for far too long. Or as Will Smith famously put it, “ Racism has not changed, its now only being filmed”. If anything good does comes out of this sad episode, then we can say Mr. Floyd’s death like others before him has not been in vain. I feel duty bound at the point to pay homage to his family and to all those who have lost their lives senselessly because of their skin colour.

                What Mr. Floyd’s death represents is a system that allows for a people to be denied their humanity. For them to be put in a position of perpetual servitude so the other, the "white race" remains prosperous and thereby claim superiority.

                The so-called advanced western democratic countries whose wealth has been built on the backs of the slave trade most now begin to reckon with the realities of the 21 century. The black man and black race has had enough and to quote the Rev. Al Sharpton speaking at Mr. Floyd’s memorial, “ We have been denied education and even though we were put in underfunded schools, we still rose and would do better if we did not have your knee on our neck”

                This “Knee on the Neck” by the French since granting independence to its African colonies has stifled growth and any other form of human advancement in these countries. The so called “Colonial Pact” that France forced on all African countries to sign as a  prelude to independence cannot be described in any better way than that, “The French firmly placed their Knee on the neck of these African countries.

                As an example, in 1958 the late President of Guinea, Mr. Sekou Toure refused to sign what amounted to an acceptance of  the French knee on the neck of Guinea. His rejection was put in very simple terms,“I prefer freedom in poverty than riches in slavery”

                This singular act of defiance drew the wrath of the French state who reduced themselves to the meanest acts to spite and punish Toure by crippling the economy before they left. It is alleged that even the toilets were blocked with concrete to ensure a most difficult and frustrating start to the nascent  state of Guinea.

Special Status for Anglophones is A Mockery

- Dr. Simon Munzu

Dr. Simon Munzu

Dr. Simon Munzu, co-convener of the 1993 All Anglophone Conference says the Special Status for the North West and South West Regions is a mockery of the people of these regions.

                Although he was given a voice at last year’s Major National Dialogue, Dr. Simon Munzu insists that this far, there is nothing special in the much-talked-about special status for the North West and South West regions which was intended to solve the on-going Anglophone crisis.

                In a 5 June 2020 interview with The Sun, the unrepentant Anglophone Federalist that Anglophones have held their breath and waited for too long for the Government to come up with the content of the special status.

                “With deep regret, I would say, nothing! Remember that the Major National Dialogue was organized specifically to examine ‘the situation in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon’. Its overall objective, as announced by the Head of State who convened it, was to find a lasting solution to the crisis in these two regions so that they could return to normalcy,” said Munzu. “After several days of deliberation in a forum organized by the Government, it was officially recognized, for the first time, that there was an Anglophone problem.”

                Participants at the Major National Dialogue recommended that to resolve the Anglophone problem the two Anglophone regions should be granted a ‘special status’. In implementing the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, the government was given a blank check to give content to the specific recommendation concerning ‘special status’, Munzu opined.

                “We all held our breath and waited with great expectation for the Government to come up with the content. We ended up being very disappointed. I have read the Law on Decentralisation that was promulgated on 24 December 2019 over and over and over again. It contains some provisions in Part V of Book IV entitled ‘Special Status of the North West and South West Regions’. I regret to say that these provisions do not contain anything that confers any meaningful ‘special status’ on the two Anglophone regions. It is hard to see how they can lead to the resolution of the Anglophone problem,” Munzu explains.

                His words: “On the devolution of powers, the two Anglophone regions do not have any powers different from those enjoyed by their Francophone counterparts. The regional councils in the Anglophone regions comprise 90 members that are supposed to reflect the sociological composition of the region, exactly as is the case with those in the Francophone regions. The only difference is that, in the Anglophone regions, the law says that 20 out of those 90 regional councillors must be traditional chiefs, whereas in the Francophone regions the number of traditional chiefs is left to be decided by each council according to its local sociological realities.

Anglophone Crisis:

   “Covid-19 is More Friendly to Us than The Military”

– Former Student Leader, Tata Mbinglo, Tells President Biya

Soldiers are stationed in all major towns in the NW and SW regions

Tata Kwawi Mbinglo, one-time President of the University of Buea Students’ Union, UBSU, has called on President Paul Biya to “kindly restore a society where we the youth can dream and live up to our expectations just like you had your chances.”

                On Friday, 33-year-old Mbinglo said President Biya’s military has departed from its mission to protect the territorial integrity of the country to now carrying out acts that bring dishonour to the country, citing the February 14 killings in Ngarbuh and the death in military custody of journalist Samuel Wazizi.

                The former UBSU President said the novel coronavirus has proven to be friendlier to Cameroonians than the military. “Covid-19 is now more friendly to us than your military,” Mbinglo told President Biya.

                The youth leader posted his comments under a post on the President’s Facebook page. President Biya had posted:  “Today, I granted successive audiences to French Ambassador Christophe Guilhou and outgoing South Korean Ambassador Bok-Ryeol Rhyou.”

                Tata Mbinglo went under this post to present his worries in the hope that it gets the attention of the 87-year-old leader who is Africa’s second longest-serving Head of State.

                Mbinglo wrote: “Mr. President, you are president today because you grew up in a society where your dreams could be realized. You had all the opportunities to live your dreams, but today, we the youth are not safe. We are illegally arrested, molested, tortured, and killed by your military. We no longer dream under your government because the only thing we hope for is the air to breathe and live even just a year longer.

Anniversary:

Fako Heart Centre Buea Fêtes One, Records Zero Mortality

Fako Heart Centre, Buea, has on 1 June 2020, clocked one year. The Centre is celebrating its first anniversary with “zero mortality”.

Fako Heart Centre is a purpose-built Specialist Cardiac Hospital which specializes in Heart and Lung diseases. It is a Centre of Excellence for Stroke Prevention. Since its creation exactly one year ago, there has been a significant drop in sudden cardiac deaths within the South West region. Celebrations to mark the anniversary were organized at the Centre, situated adjacent to the Buea Mountain Hotel on 2 June

Fako Heart Centre Buea is equipped with modern, state-of-the-art medical kits for diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of patients presenting heart and lung issues

Dr. Fred Perry Kemah (MB, BS, MD, PhD, FRCP, FESC), a Consultant Cardiologist at Fako Heart Centre Buea, noted that since the advent of the Heart Centre, “patients now enjoy local access to specialist cardiac medicine. “This is a consultant cardiologist-driven service….. The high quality of care delivered at Fako Heart Centre is based on several factors including the huge number of nursing staff trained to deliver not only medical care but also social care,” remarked Dr. Kemah.

                “Fako Heart Centre is unique in terms of its services in the sense that it offers a tailored service in keeping with Western standards. That is to say, upon arrival at the centre you have your vital parameters checked at the triage and patients are escalated based on the findings from the triage. If for example, a patient comes in with a blood pressure of 180 or 200 systolic, and 120 diastolic, that is being flagged up as an emergency. If a patient comes in with oxygen saturation of less than 92, it is being flagged up as an emergency. If a patient comes up with fever, that is being flagged up as an emergency. That explains why Fako Heart Centre offers a fantastic triage service,” further explains Dr Fred Perry Kemah.

                He added: “On top of that, Fako Heart Centre completes its preliminary consultation with complete work up of blood tests, ECG (Echocardiogram) which gives the clinician after consulting his/her patient with a working diagnosis. Therefore, at Fako Heart Centre, the diagnosis is always established immediately after consultation. It's being perceived as slightly expensive because it is all-in-one. At Fako Heart Centre, patients are seen immediately, have their bloods done immediately, have their investigations done immediately, before going back home, unlike other specialist facilities where patients are being seen, go home and come back the next day for other investigations and so on and so forth. Fako Heart Centre does everything at the same time because we don't waste time in cardiac medicine. With cardio-respiratory medicine, time is of the essence,” he added.

                The London-trained Consultant Cardiologist continued that: “Fako Heart has a track record so far with zero mortality in 12 months. This is based on good medical practice and that involves working within our capacity and communicating clearly with patients about the critical situations patients find themselves in. If we identify non-cardiovascular patients, we refer them to the appropriate specialist on time. If we receive a patient in a critical and terminal condition, we advise the patient about their critical and terminal state and of course no need keeping them in a private institution where they'll spend money with a very poor outcome. In that case we arrange for alternative measures”.

Treatment at early stage

                “In addition to that, we start treatment at a very early stage when we suspect a particular condition and of course we seek advice when necessary. This has been so feasible to make us unique that after 12 months our mortality is zero,” Dr. Kemah noted.

                “That aside, we take patients’ feedback (response to our questionnaire) very seriously to enable us progress in terms of the services we provide. We offer a wide range of investigations which makes us unique in terms of non-invasive cardiovascular medicine. We have our highly skilled nursing staff working in our triage, we have our lab which offers a wide range of blood investigations including cardiac specific blood tests notably troponin for heart attacks, d-dimers if we suspect deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, BNP for acute heart failure and of course CRP for signs of inflammation and PSA for assessment of the prostate,” he added.

                Meanwhile, the renowned cardiologist went ahead to say: “In addition, we offer a wide range of non-conventional cardiovascular ultrasound studies; carotid doppler studies, that is, supra aortic blood vessels, thyroid ultrasound studies, breast ultrasound studies, muscular skeletal studies, abdominal ultrasound studies including liver, spleen and the kidneys, pelvic ultrasound studies, gynecological ultrasound studies, prostate studies and so on. This makes us unique in the sense that if patients come for example with breathlessness in conjunction with leg swellings, we always try to exclude clots in the legs which have travelled to the lungs”.

Only Centre with Tilt Table Test

                “More to that, apart from our modern ultrasound devices, we are the only centre in Cameroon offering a tilt table test. This is a test designed to establish the diagnoses in patients presenting with collapse after blood works, ECG and echocardiogram are unremarkable. The tilt table test helps to establish vasovagal causes of collapse. As you know, recent studies have actually highlighted the need and utility of rehabilitation service. Fako Heart Centre is the only cardiac centre right now in the region delivering acute cardiac care. That is, at the point of entry, we assess you and prior to discharge you undergo a cardiac rehabilitation programme that gives the patient fitness to go back to community life,” Dr Kemah said.

                “And again as per recent guidelines from the European Society and American Society of Cardiology, most of our patients are seen within a timeframe of two to three weeks, especially those with acute heart failure. As we celebrate our first anniversary, we are offering heart screening with a view to identifying healthy people in the community with potential risk factors of cardiovascular diseases,” he added.

                “We take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported us throughout this process; the Owner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fako Heart Centre, Mrs. Irene Nalowa KEMAH, our entire and very committed staff, the staff at CRTV and Mount Cameroon FM Buea, the President of the Cameroon Medical Council, all Members of the Fako Heart Centre Board of Trustees (BOT), including Justice Njonjo Njie, Mr. Walla Henry Ekema Wotany, Justice Beatrice Nambangi, Auntie Becky Effoe, Mr Gobina Simon, Mr Kolle George Nkume, Mr. Namaya Eyoh Senior, Mme Agnes Nduma Mbwaye, Mbua Emmanuel Mbua” Dr Kemah noted.

Long-term plans

                Concerning the Centre’s plans for the future, Dr Kemah said: “Our long-term plan involves creating the interventional lab so that patients no longer need to travel abroad for interventional approaches. By doing, that we'll complete the invasive aspect of cardiovascular medicine in our region. That entails much more effort and of course financial commitments. We'll do whatever it takes to deliver those services which are Paramount and will help save lives. Thank you”.

Free 1st anniversary consultations

                Meanwhile, as the Centre fetes its first anniversary, it will from June 1 be offering free consultations.

Nutritional Advice During the Coronavirus Pandemic*

By Julius E. Oben**

Julius E. Oben

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the first case in Cameroon of which was reported by the Ministry of Health on 6 March 2020.  To date, more than 800 cases have been reported in Cameroon despite the measures that were put in place by the government.  Key amongst these measures were recommendations on hygiene (handwashing and/or hand sanitizing) and social distancing aimed at limiting transmission.
    Other theories have been put forward as to how best to manage COVID-19, ranging from the use of pharmaceutical products like chloroquine to food supplements.  For any of these to merit any serious consideration, it is important to know how the body actually reacts to viral infections.  The human body generally has the appropriate mechanisms to defend itself against bacterial or viral (pathogen) attacks.  The first line of defense is generally through the physical barrier provided by the skin and associated structures like dermal and nasal.  If the pathogen however goes through this first line of defense into the body’s circulation, the second line of defense – the immune system immediately kicks into play, producing a variety of substances to get rid of the foreign substance which is also known as antigen. One of these substances called antibodies recognizes features of the antigen and attacks it continuously to get rid of it.  The immune system’s ‘memory’ can now have the ability to produce antibodies in future if it sees the same pathogen again like in the cases for viruses that cause chickenpox or polio, destroying it before the symptoms become serious.  For some other viruses like coronaviruses that cause the common cold, their recognition by the immune system seems to be lost after a short while, making people vulnerable to suffering frequently from colds.  Since SARS-CoV-2 has only been recently discovered and presently causing havoc worldwide, it is not yet known how the immune system or the immune system’s memory is going to handle it.  It is therefore important for the body to have an efficient immune system.

Gov’t Dismisses Assassination Attempt on Kamto

Acts of Violence Perpetrated Against a Non-Commissioned Officer of the National Gendarmerie in Garoua – North Region

The Government of the Republic of Cameroon hereby informs the public that on Friday, the 13th of March 2020 at about 1:30pm, a Non Commissioned Officer of the National Gendarmerie serving at the 3rd Gendarmerie Region in Garoua, in the North, was violently molested by supporters of the caemroon Renaissance Movement Party (CRM), members of the delegation of the leader of the said political party, while on transit through the town of Garoua.

                The images relaying these acts of incredible violence exerted against the personnel of the National Defence and Security Forces have been largely disseminated over the social media since the occurrence of this inadmissible incident.

                Without any remorse, talk less of any regrets with regards to the gravity of the act committed, some militants of the said political party have inadvertently tried to justify this assault perpetrated against the personnel of the National Gendarmerie by alleging that the former had tried to undermine the physical integrity of their political party leader.

                In any case, the information crosschecked by competent specialized services confirms in an incontestable manner that the abused staff sergeant and some of his colleagues were regularly assigned on a classic intelligence gathering mission in conformity with the professional usage and prerogatives of rights vested on the law enforcement forces and was not in any way assigned to attempt on the life of the CRM leader.

CODE Promises Hard Times for Biya over Alleged Assassination Attempt on Kamto

The very virulent CODE group which has outstripped the BAS in the hunt against Paul Biya and his relatives in the diaspora has firmly condemned what they say was an assassination attempt against Maurice Kamto.

                The CODE (Collective of Democratic and Patriotic Organizations of Cameroonians of the Diaspora) which has vowed to make life unbearable for President Biya in the diaspora, has renewed its commitment to Maurice Kamto in these terms: “The CODE is already ready and awaits only instructions from  Professor MAURICE KAMTO, the president-elect of the people of Cameroon and therefore, God’s elected president.“

CODE statement

                At the time when our country Cameroon is going through one of the darkest periods in its history, with the added bonus of the English-speaking crisis which mourns its thousands of families on a daily basis, certain activists claiming to be from the revolutionary and fighting diaspora, excel more and more in the settling of scores and homeless incriminations.

                This is how the canvas is constantly inflamed by the positions of some well-known agitators, rather of bad quality.

                These lawless men and women, for reasons that reason itself ignores, accuse certain emblematic figures of the revolution of being at the heart of the dramas that occurred in Bamenda in the North West region and in Ngalim, in the Bamboutos department, in the West of our country in full descent into hell, respectively.

                Gathered urgently in Brussels in Belgium, Friday March 13, 2020, we, founding members of the CODE (Collective of Democratic and Patriotic Organizations of Cameroonians in the Diaspora), strongly and firmly condemn these distractions from these troublemakers whose objective unacknowledged is to serve the dictatorial regime embodied by Paul Biya, who has become the number 1 public enemy of his country.

                That Commander Calibri CALIBRO, founder of the BAS and spokesperson for the revolution, Sandy from Boston and Brice Nitcheu, founding member of the CODE, dissociate themselves from this approach which aims only to weaken the Cameroonian revolution in the diaspora and takes witness national and international public opinion.

Gov’t Calls for More Vigilance after 2nd Coronavirus Case

Cameroon confirmed the central African state’s first case of COVID-19 on its territory Friday. Officials say it was discovered in a French citizen who arrived in Cameroon on Feb. 24.

               

Two Coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in Cameroon

Cameroon Health Minister Manaouda Malachie says the 58-year-old man was immediately placed in solitary confinement in a special hospital in. Malachie credited surveillance measures put in place by Cameroon after COVID-19 appeared in China with detecting the case and called on Cameroon’s population to be calm.

                He said shortly after it was suspected the man was a carrier of the virus, he was immediately confined to avoid contact with others. Malachie said health officials started tracing the people the infected man contacted from the airport of departure through the plane’s arrival in Cameroon, as well as taxis or cars he used. They also disinfected places he visited.

                Malachie said this wasn’t the first case in which COVID-19 was suspected, but previous cases were found to be negative after thorough investigations.

                Malachie called on citizens to be calm and vigilant, saying that medical staff in the country has been advised on how to handle coronavirus cases.

                But news of the first coronavirus in Cameroon has scared people. Some rushed to hospitals and pharmacies to ask for advice or buy medical facemasks.

                Forty-three-year-old Isaac Dufe, who bought three masks for his wife and two-year-old baby, said he doesn’t have confidence that the Cameroon government will be able to control the virus’s spread should many more people be found with it.

Cameroon’s Pathetic and Chaotic Response to the Coronavirus

By Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai, Boston, USA

A day after the IMF/World Bank announced a $50 billion aid package to help poor countries contain the coronavirus outbreak; Cameroon confirmed its first two cases of the deadly virus; a 58-year-old French national and a Cameroonian who came in contact with him, after he arrived in Yaoundé on Feb 24.

                The public health minister said in separate communiques that both patients were isolated at the Yaoundé Central hospital where they are receiving “symptomatic treatment” (whatever that means). The Health minister also ask those who had contact with the index case to call a toll-free number to “receive appropriate care” while assuring public opinion that “everything is being done to contain this outbreak without undue delay, in conformity with the high instructions from the President of the Republic, HE Mr. Paul Biya.”

                The feudal deference to Mr. President aside, the health minister’s belated effort to calm frayed nerves cannot be taken to signify successful containment; rather, it is an expression of a luxurious desire which signposts the absence of an emergency healthcare plan that should have been activated to contain the virus. This unpreparedness is most pathetic and tragic and Cameroonians deserve better.

                It is indeed embarrassing to note that this epidemic has taken Cameroon unawares. How can the government’s containment strategy be anchored on self-reporting using a toll-free number? What happens if someone calls and reports that he/she is witnessing symptoms of the coronavirus? Is there a team of trained health personnel with the appropriate test-kits, including an ambulance ready to take such a patient and all those who have been exposed to him to a quarantine facility, assuming such a facility even exists?

                Alternatively, will such a patient be ordered to self-quarantine at home; and how will the patient be monitored? Amid global warnings about the coronavirus that has claimed over 3,000 plus lives and infected no fewer than 100,000 people, the health minister’s verbal pugilism advertises in spectacular fashion, a certain poverty of ideas on the part of those who govern Cameroon even in matters that are supposedly routine; and is indicative of a failure of leadership in the country. This is a public shame to a nation that should have outgrown primary healthcare challenges.

                As official rhetoric and public grandstanding drives fear into the complex matrix over the unfolding coronavirus crisis, the gravity of the epidemic demands an urgent, robust and holistic national response, beyond laconic press statements designed to aggrandize the president. Even more disheartening, there is still no concerted effort by competent health workers to screen passengers arriving at Cameroon airports to determine whether they are sick or exhibited any symptoms of the coronavirus.

Catholic Bishops Write to President Biya

 Bishops worldwide have written to Biya on the killings in NOSO

Dear President Biya,
We, the undersigned Roman Catholic bishops from across the globe, write to respectfully urge your government to participate in proposed Swiss-led peace talks aimed at ending the violence in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions.
    We stress that we are impartial. We are motivated by our concern about the suffering of unarmed civilians, and the stability and prosperity of Cameroon. Violence and atrocities on all sides have forced 656,000 Anglophone Cameroonians from their homes, kept 800,000 children from school (including 400,000 from Catholic schools), caused 50,000 people to flee to Nigeria, destroyed hundreds of villages and resulted in a death toll of at least 2,000. Each of these lives is precious, and we mourn their suffering and wish to prevent more loss of life and innocence.
    There will be no military victory for any side. A lasting solution to Cameroon’s problems must come from a mediated process that includes Anglophone armed-separatist groups and nonviolent civil-society leaders. If all parties treat each other as they wish to be treated, a solution is possible.
    We applaud the Cameroonian government’s Major National Dialogue several months ago.

Anglophone Secessionists Will Not Drop their Arms

– Political critic, Dieudonne Essomba

The massacres of the populations in a village in the North West lead me to recall what I asked long before the outbreak of events, namely that it was necessary to immediately return to the 1961 Federation or any other renewed formula and this for many reasons:

Dieudonne Essomba

1. Anglophones no longer want a unitary state. They really don’t want more, no matter what reforms they can make. The unitary state reminds them of all that has been done underhanded, violent, brutal and dishonest. It is the word “unitary” itself that fuels the war and it must be noted. We do not know exactly what the government gains by maintaining this word despite the blood flows;

                2. In matters of Secession, the English-speaking Community enjoys three decisive advantages which have made it impossible to maintain them in a unitary State:

                a. They are too numerous because a secession which covers 20% of the population is no longer controllable by a unitary state; for information, the Secession of Cabinda, Casamance, Corsica or Tibet does not cover 2% of the population;

                b. They have already lived under a federal regime, and they perceive this time as an age or which harbored an irrepressible nostalgia;

vs. They have international legitimacy because they came to French-speaking Cameroon under the aegis of the United Nations. In the event of a conflict, their situation will attract the attention of the international community, which will impose its solutions.

                3. Finally, in operational terms, the Federation makes it possible to better combat the Secession by 3 mechanisms:

                a. It dries up the activity of the Secession since it also has its supporters

                b. It opposes a local police force that comes from the same sociological background, a better knowledge of the terrain and has less of the same legitimacy.

                The national army then comes to support. Conversely, the National Army directly confronts the Secession, it does not enjoy popular support and commits a large number of blunders which gives it the appearance of an occupying force.

vs. It makes the attacks of the Secessionists very difficult, the majority of the infrastructures are visible specific to the local state.

                The people do not know that they expect nothing from the central state if these infrastructures are destroyed, which leads them to dissociate themselves from the actions of the Separatists.

                Unfortunately, our positions were fought on emotional and ideological bases. Furthermore, we have been accused of all the names of birds: antipatriots, pro-Ambazonians, traitors, etc.

Because what these wanted, it is to get rid of our posture of cold analyst and great patriot to encourage the government to go to sink in the stinking swamp where it struggles now desperately, without that we see exactly problem.

                And the facts are there, hard and relentless: the English-speaking Secessionists will never lay down their arms unless they are beaten, which is unlikely with the unitary state! You must never believe that there will come a time when the Secessionists, listening to the voice of wisdom, will quietly lay down their arms to return humbly to the unitary state. Of course, there will be some defections, but with little impact on the course of events.

Drawing a Line in the sand:

UN Has Responsibility to Protect English Speakers in Cameroon

By Felix Agbor Nkongho and Rebecca Tinsley

It is an odd thing to live somewhere gripped by deadly conflict. One may imagine that the pain and challenges of one’s day-to-day life would also weigh heavily on the outside world. But that is not usually the case. In many crises, the rest of the world does not know – or does not want to know.

              

President Biya says he thought Anglophones couldbe assimilated, but they proved difficult

  If you live in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, for instance, you might wonder why the atrocities that have been happening on your doorstep for the past three years are rarely mentioned in the global media or at United Nations meetings. There are no consequences for Cameroon’s government soldiers and radicalized separatist militias’ actions, which have looted and burned homes and schools, while killing and mutilating civilians. Some 656,000 English-speaking Cameroonians have abandoned their besieged villages. And on Feb. 14, state forces allegedly perpetrated a massacre in the remote locality of Ngarbuh, killing at least 20 people – including many children. Only then did the crisis manage to make the news.

                The Cameroonian government, led by Paul Biya, who has served as President since 1982, has signed numerous UN conventions promising to uphold human rights; yet, it repeatedly violates them without repercussions. Cameroonians are left to feel that impunity will triumph so long as the UN lacks the power or will to enforce its high-minded conventions.

                To cite Juan Mendez – an Argentine lawyer, torture survivor and former UN rapporteur and adviser on the prevention of genocide – one must be a grain of sand in the eyes of the world’s diplomats and decision-makers. That is how suffering gets attention: with persistent irritation of international bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

                With a firmly lodged grain of sand, would the UN be able to end Cameroon’s impunity using international law? Yes, if the 2005 Responsibility to Protect doctrine (R2P) is invoked.

                The UNHRC meets in Geneva at the end of the month, and it is doubtful that the worsening security situation in Cameroon will be on its agenda. However, the council surely has enough information on what is happening in Cameroon to consider R2P. In 2016, peaceful demonstrations by English speakers were met with disproportionate force. In 2017, the UNHRC received a report detailing the UN’s concerns about the lack of freedom of expression or assembly in Cameroon, the arbitrary detention and torture of journalists and opposition politicians, the lack of independence among the judiciary and the people running elections, and discrimination against the English-speaking minority.

                In 2018 and 2019, the conflict in Cameroon spiralled out of control. International human-rights groups have reported that the francophone-dominated government allows the military to use lethal force against armed separatists and civilians alike. As a result, some separatist militias have become increasingly extremist and violent, and social-media platform WhatsApp is now saturated with videos of torture and death perpetrated by both sides. Moderate anglophone activists and innocent civilians are caught in the middle, and cruel violence and horrific acts increased in the period around legislative and municipal elections held on Feb. 9, with no end in sight – all this, before last week’s Valentine’s Day massacre.

                The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visited Cameroon in May, 2019, and urged the government to hold members of its security forces committing abuses to account. This diplomatic language was echoed by the Council of the European Union. However, it is not just a few rogue elements committing human-rights violations: Cracking down on the English-speaking regions is actually government policy.

Anglophone Crisis:

US Citizens in Cameroon Told To Avoid Crowded Areas

American citizens living in Cameroon have been warned to be careful

Following a stir after the body of the teacher who was fatally stabbed at the Lycée de Nkol-Bisson was lifted, the American Embassy in Cameroon feared for the safety of Americans living in Cameroon by giving them specific instructions to protect themselves.
    More than a thousand demonstrators invaded the surroundings of the University Hospital Center in Yaoundé (CHUY) on January 30, 2020. The came to witness the lifting of the body of the late Boris Njoni Tchakounté who was killed in the exercise of his duties a week ago.
    The defense forces repressed the crowds which comprised mostly teachers and students. The soldiers sprayed water canons and teargas at the crowds which went violent in response. It caused fear around the University of Yaoundé 1 and the American School of Yaoundé (ASOY) located not far from there.
    The US Embassy had no option than to call its citizens to be watchful.
    “American citizens are advised to avoid this area until further notice,” reads a note published by the American Embassy..