Life Presidency Agenda:

Can Parliament stand on Biya’s way?

Political pundits have predicted that the president of the republic will introduce a bill in parliament bearing significant changes in the country’s constitution. And the changes in question will only pave the way for the president to put paid to his life presidency agenda. But the question Cameroonians are asking is: Will the MPs stand on the way of the Lion Man or will they give him another go ahead?

By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Yaounde

Only Parliament can stand on the way of

President Biya given the paltry opposition we have

Both the upper and lower houses of parliament are expected to begin meeting on Thursday, 10 March 2016 for their first annual session in 2016. Generally, the March session is one in which not much is done by senators and MPs; it is a session in which they come and make some pleasurable noises amongst themselves and enjoy the advantages accruing from their positions as representatives of the people. Besides the renewal of the different bureaus of both houses, their major task during the March session is to examine and adopt government bills.

                However, the monotonies and formalities that are usually witnessed in the Senate and National Assembly during March sessions may give way to some serious work this time around, given the seemingly loaded political agenda of the president of the republic.

                Political analysts say that nothing will stop President Paul Biya from anticipating presidential election and presenting his candidature. At least that is what supporters of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement CPDM party have been demanding from their party chairman of late in their so-called people’s call. The communication secretary of the CPDM, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo has also not missed any opportunity to tell Cameroonians that “the elections will be anticipated and that Biya will continue to be the president whether they liked it or not.”

Panic grips Y’de with hint of likely Boko Haram attack

By a correspondent in Yaounde

There are fears Boko Haram terrorists have entered Yaounde

Panic has gripped Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, after a confidential letter from the country's defense minister leaked to social media stating that Boko Haram terrorists had arrived in the city.

                The letter from Joseph Beti Assomo to top military officers called for vigilance and additional deployment of troops to ministerial buildings and public areas, such as markets, churches and schools. Military officials said the leak occurred because of lapses in their information system.

                In light of the information, some residents have decided to lie low. Businesswoman Belinda Tatah said that when she heard Assomo had urged the military to stop a possible terrorist attack in the capital, she decided to avoid all public places and gatherings.

                "You know, if the minister of defense signs a confidential note that there are terrorists in town, any normal human being should be afraid," Tatah said. "That is why I have decided not to go out, because I am too scared."

Anticipated presidential election:

Churchill Monono opens Biya’s campaign with book launch?

The journalist and career diplomat simply fell short of asking attendees of the book launch to come out en masse and vote for President Biya when the time is right. But he strongly insinuated this in many ways.

By Douglas A. Achingale in Yaounde

H.E. Churchill Monono literally gave it

all to Biya in his book

He might not have intended the launch of his new book to be a squealing call for the people of Buea in particular and Fako division in general to vote massively for President Paul Biya in the coming presidential election. But the 1 March 2016 event turned out in various ways to be so. At the launch of “Buea: Capital of the Cameroons (Symbol of the Nation and of Reunification)”, at the Solomon Tandeng Muna Foundation in Yaounde, the pivotal message of the book came out much stronger: that President Biya is unquestionably the light that has shone and is still shining luridly on Buea and Fako division. 

                Speaker after speaker extolled the stupendous writer that Churchill Ewumbue-Monono is for the profundity of the research that gave birth to this work with outstanding artistry. They and the other attendees sided tenaciously with the author in his view that if the headquarters of Fako division has a complete facelift today, it is thanks to the special concern that the President has for its people and, in a broader context, for all Cameroonians.

                Hear part of what Monono highlights in the work about President Biya’s unalloyed determination to render Buea more attractive and conducive: “Fortunately, God gave Cameroon President Biya…Thirty years since President Biya promised to preserve the town’s heritage and to guarantee a better future, Buea has changed significantly. It was upgraded to a sub-division and his government has since created 10 new secondary schools, 8 high schools, 40 primary and nursery schools, a regional hospital and a dozen health centres. The town has also witnessed the construction of roads, low-cost houses and government buildings. The golden jubilee celebrations of Cameroon’s reunification in Buea were therefore in line with President Biya’s pledge to preserve this historic capital’s heritage and guarantee its future…”  

USA Sets up Secret Base in Cameroon

The United States has set up a secret military base in Garoua, Cameroon, to increase monitoring and patrolling operations in Africa, said an online report by The Intercept.

                The base was opened in early February and has currently four Grey Eagles unmanned planes to collect data to share with local active troops in the surroundings of the Lake Chad, said the report.

                Cameroon represents a strategic site for the United States in its so-called struggle against terrorism in West Africa, given the attacks staged by Boko Haram in this region.

Legal conflicts:

Can the Camerounese Supreme Court do justice to Cameroonians?

By Ayah Paul Abine, Advocate-General, Supreme Court

Ayah Paul Abine

It is notoriously repetitive, but we still wish, for emphasis, to begin by recurring to the conspicuous fact that there are two juxtaposed legal systems in Cameroun/Cameroon: the Common Law and the Civil Law. The third arm is the crude gloss over the two systems christened “national laws” by misnomer.

                “By misnomer” because, in reality, both the national substantive and adjective laws in the domain under consideration are but a nefarious pigmentation of the French Civil Law singular lotion…

                The law on the structure and functioning of the Supreme Court is no exception to the general rule. It admits of no contention that it is “national” only insofar as it is relative to jurisdiction ratione loci. But it is beyond doubt that it is the ramification and by-product of the Civil Law system, fastidiously hostile to any influence from the Common Law system.

What is Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya up to?

Dear Editor

 I am an avid reader of your very authoritative and renowned newspaper. In fact, I read every issue of the paper and am particularly pleased with the skill, courage and professionalism with which you handle your news items. There is no gainsaying the fact that thanks to The Median, I have had authentic insights into many important happenings in this country and even out of Cameroon.

                The depth and maturity of your analyses leave me with no doubt that the sources of your information are very dependable. This makes me believe that you can permit me to have a clear understanding of why the Sultan of Bamoun, Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, recently took a position in the CPDM that has generated so much discussion and argument.

In defiance of court’s ruling:

Doors of Afrique Média will remain sealed- Essoka The Yaounde court of first instance last week ordered the NCC to remove the seals it placed on the doors of the Yaounde office of the pan-African television channel with immediate effect. But the President of the NCC Peter Essoka has said the seals would not be immediately removed because the NCC will appeal the court ruling.

By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde

Peter Essoka, President of NCC: Sanction on

 Afrique Media are maintained until... 

At a time many thought the case pitting the National Communication Council, NCC, and Afrique Média television channel that had dragged on for seven long months was finally over, there are indications the matter is far from over.                                              Though the president of the Yaounde court of first instance, Rebecca Grâce Bongueno, last week declared Afrique Media not guilty and ordered that the seals placed on the doors of the Yaounde office of the television station be removed with immediate effect, the president of the NCC Peter Essoka has said the court’s decision would not be immediately applied.

                Essoka says the NCC will appeal the court’s ruling, and this means the execution of the court judgment would be stayed.                                               

                The court had given the possibility to any bailiff who is territorially competent to remove the seals from the doors of Afrique Media, but it is unlikely the seals would be removed given the NCC’s determined stance.