Limbe I Council lends hand to primary schools

By Boris Esono in Buea

Mayor Rodanny Mbua Mokako and Inspector of Basic Education

handing minimum package to head teachers

The Limbe council in its yearly commitment has handed didactic materials to head teachers of primary schools on Wednesday October 18, 2017 at the conference hall of the council in down beach, Limbe.

            Speaking during the event the mayor Rodanny Mbua Mokako said the year 2017 has been a very difficult one for the education sector, the council and the country. He regretted the fact that very few taxpayers pay taxes.

            But Rodanny Mbua said because education is very important in the society the council must always give its widow’s might to the basic education sector.

            He tasked the regional treasury in Buea for delaying the disbursement of the minimum package allocation and blamed publishers for not respecting deadlines in supplying books and lack of children not have birth certificate and told head teachers that the council will support to produce birth certificate to children.

Between Federalism & Independence:

Anglophones must choose freedom or death

The government should be under no illusion that the struggle is over because the resistance has just begun.

By Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai*

As distraught Anglophones continue to query and reject the very basis of the Cameroonian State; with a majority favoring independence, the leadership of the Anglophone struggle remains embattled on all fronts over its tepid response to the violent crackdown by security forces in the wake of the October 1 restoration of independence, in which hundreds of Anglophones were killed, hundreds more detained or missing, with thousands forced to flee to neighboring Nigeria. From all indications, the independence restoration was a political misadventure, given the growing chasm within the fractious leadership, unvested with the history of liberation struggles and the taxing and quite complex challenges of navigating global power relations. Amid the apparent despair in the face of genocide, the government seems poised to run down the clock through the backdoor without genuine dialogue to resolve the crisis. The mistaken assumption is that differences between federalists and restorationists will divide and kill the struggle. This is a fatal mistake because Anglophones remain resolutely committed to the struggle. In the face of genocide, the message Anglophones have sent to the government is clear and unequivocal: give us freedom or death. The government should therefore be under no illusion that the struggle is over because, if anything, the resistance just began.

            This is no time for public grandstanding; nor is it a moment political self-aggrandizement. The struggle is at crossroads and whether you support federalism or independence, the question every Anglophone must ask is this: Besides the token measures of appeasement, what has changed in the past 13 months? Has government through its actions and utterances of its spokespersons shown any interest in dialogue, let alone a desire to consider federalism? Without demagoguery, the truth is that nothing has changed. The government has shown no interest in dialogue and regime apologists have repeatedly foreclosed any debate on federalism. It is now clear that Anglophones will never get federalism unless the regime is pressured to realize that the two options to resolving the crisis is either federalism or independence. The catch-22 here is that only pressure for independence by restorationists will force Biya's hand towards federalism. It therefore stands to reason that all Anglophones should raise their voices for independence until the rising crescendo becomes too loud to be ignored. 

Traditional notable arrested with fresh leopard skin

A traditional notable in the West region was arrested on October 18, alongside another suspect during a sting operation carried out by the Nde Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife for attempts at selling two leopard skins in Bangangte.

A fresh leopard skin, an older one and pangolin scales were seized during the operation. According to a source that spoke on condition of anonymity, one of the alleged traffickers had travelled all the way from Bangolap, a few kilometers from Bangangte, on a bike with a leopard skin and pangolins scales, met the traditional notable who also had a skin. When they were about to make business with the carefully concealed products, wildlife law enforcement officials arrived on the scene and arrested him.

            The operation was carried out in collaboration with the gendarmerie company in Bangangte and with the technical support of LAGA- an international organisation specialized in wildlife law enforcement. Following information coming in from early investigations, the skins were from a neighboring country. Further Investigations on the existence of a possible network of traffickers of leopard skins in the country are expected to be initiated by the conservation group LAGA. The source that spoke on condition of anonymity said the traditional notable had left several leads while carrying out his alleged trafficking. He is alleged to have sold at least 10 skins a month to his arrest.

            A case file has been established against the traffickers who will be facing the courts in the near future. According to section 101 and 158 of the law governing the wildlife sector in the country, anyone caught in possession of part or whole of protected wildlife species is liable to a prison term from 1 to 3 years and or payment of a fine up to 10 million francs. 

            These sanctions, accompanied with other wildlife law enforcement measures, are intended to hamper traffickers from freely exercising their criminal activities and government is also using several other policies to this effect. A couple of days after the arrest of the two, the 17th Meeting of Parties to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) took place in Douala and wildlife law enforcement was of critical interest to conservationists who came from several Central African countries to take part in this yearly event. They believe, it is part of a serious effort to stem extinction.

African Champions League final:

Wydad will not sit back against Al Ahly

Wydad Casablanca coach Hussein Amotta said it would be "suicidal" to defend to earn the goalless draw that would win the African Champions League title.

            The Moroccan side host Egypt's eight-time winners Al Ahly on Saturday in the second leg of the final after last weekend's 1-1 draw in Alexandria.

            Wydad are seeking to win the competition for the second time after their 1992 triumph over Al Hilal of Sudan.

            "Ahly boast one of the best attacks in Africa so it would be suicidal to sit back and defend against them, hoping to win on away goals," 48-year-old former midfielder Amotta said.

            "We must attack because there are flaws in the Ahly defence, while not giving our opponents space to catch us on the counter.

            "Wydad achieved a great result in Egypt by holding Ahly, one of the most experienced clubs on the continent.

            "But this final is far from decided. I want my players to relax, attack when it is opportune and try very hard to score the first goal."

            Wydad boast a perfect Champions League home record this year of six victories.

            Among their victims were Ahly in the group stage with goals from now-departed Congo Brazzaville striker Fabrice Ondama and midfielder Walid El Karty delivering a 2-0 win.

Stop competing with youths for UN jobs

-Amina Mohammed tells Nigerians

Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General and former Minister of Environment, has urged older Nigerians to stop competing with younger Nigerians for UN jobs.

NAN reports that Mohammed spoke at a cultural night organised by Nigerians working at the United Nations Systems in New York.

            She said Nigerian employees in the UN system are getting older, pointing out the need to groom younger people by allowing them to fill available job openings.

            “Whenever there are opportunities, try and pave the way for the young ones; you are getting old and we want to see the young ones in the system,” Mohammed said.

            “We need to give the youth the opportunity because if we don’t give them the opportunities, they can easily fall victims of crimes.”

            She said the older Nigerians in the UN system should think of bringing their expertise home rather than competing with young Nigerians for jobs in the UN.

            “Home really does need us; there are leaders and we are trying with the professionals that we see in the United Nations.

Oyongo Bitolo confirms Montreal departure

By Boris Esono in Buea

Oyongo Bitolo

The Cameroonian left back, who missed the second half of the 2017 season after picking up an injury on international duty in June, confirmed to media at the team’s post-mortem press conference that he would be leaving for a European club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of 2017 saying, “I know where i’m going to play, but it’s confidential at the moment.”

            Like any separation, it’s hard to leave a family,” Oyongo wrote. “I arrived in Montreal as a child, I leave as a man. Thanks to you, I have reached a milestone on both a sporting and a human level.

            “Thank you for the support you have always given me, especially in the difficult times. I will never forget you; will never forget the love you have brought me. My heart is forever blue white and black. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much.”

2019 AFCON:

SW Regional Organizing Committee Installed

By Boris Esono in Buea

AFCON 2019 Buea, Limbe Regional committee Members

Members of the 2019 AFCON sub organizing committee for the SW (Limbe and Buea) have been tasked to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to get the region ready to host the event successfully. The call was made by the head of the SW regional organizing committee, Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai last Tuesday October 24, 2017 in Buea, while formally installing the committee members to their various functions.

            Governor Okalia Bilai called on the members to play their roles diligently to ensure a successful AFCON come 2019.

            “We are in a privilege position because we hosted the 2016 women’s AFCON. So most of the members already know what they have to do. I want to count on their experience to make sure that mistakes that occurred in the women’s edition will not happen again,” Gov. Okalia said, exhorting members to demonstrate a high sense of commitment and duty consciousness in the execution of their various tasks.

            “Members should go to the field and prepare their plan of action because it is through the chronogram and plan of action that they will be held accountable. They also must take into account the expectation of the hierarchy to work towards a hitch free event.”

            The organizing committee of 2019 AFCON was setup to prepare the grounds for a successful hosting of the event.