Biya Says the Gov’t is Winning the War Against Ambazonia

President Paul Biya, on Thursday held his first cabinet meeting since 2015 and on the back of a recent reshuffle. The event took place at the Unity Palace in the capital Yaounde.

            According to a statement on the website of the presidency, Biya’s address to his appointees centered around security, decentralization, upcoming elections and the hosting of the African Cup of Nations among other issues.

            There was no explanation as to why he called the session and no other officials were permitted to speak about what went on in the conclave.

            Portions of Biya’s address focusing on security said the government was winning the fight to secure the country’s Anglophone regions and the Far North – which is riled by incessant attacks from the Boko Haram group.

            “Thanks to the firm action of our defence and security forces, we have been able to drastically curb the atrocities perpetrated by criminal groups in the Far North, North-West and South-West Regions.

            “Efforts in that regard need to be continued, especially to ensure that economic and social activities return to normalcy,” he added.

            The president had told his cabinet that “the best way to serve the country is to do everything, to make all the sacrifices that are needed,” the prime minister said.

            “There are a lot of things to do,” Biya had added, singling out the Africa Cup of Nations annual soccer tournament that Cameroon is to host next year, and the presidential election in October this year.

            Biya has ruled the Central African nation since taking over from a retired predecessor in 1982 and then winning six successive elections.

            The meeting came as Cameroon faces a violent separatist movement in its western Anglophone region that a military crackdown has failed to quell. The rest of Cameroon speaks French. In an apparent attempt to smooth it over, Biya appointed two officials from the region to top positions earlier this month.

Worsening crisis:

Ekondo-Titi Mayor Buried in K’ba, as ‘Amba Hit Boys’ Block Road to Ndian

-Reports say travel to Mbonge subdivision and Ndian division was impossible throughout the weekend as Ambazonia fighters mounted road blocks and collected tolls from commuters

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Ekondo-Titi Mayor Mbongo Alfred Ngoe has been buried in Kumba

Elements of the ‘Ambazonia Defense Force’, ADF, rendered thousands stranded in kumba and Ekondo-Titi last week after they blocked circulation of vehicles along the Kumba-Mbonge-Ekondo-Titi road. The road block followed the administrative ban on motorbikes across some towns and divisions in the Southwest Region for a period of 7-10 days renewable.

            The ‘Ambazonia’ soldiers for all throughout last week blocked the road thus making circulation of goods and persons impossible between Meme and Ndian divisions.

            They first blocked the road on Saturday 10 March 2018 leaving commuters stranded for hours in both Kumba and Ekondo-Titi.

            They blocked the road again on Friday 16 March 2018 for close to six hours, thereby compelling family members to bury the Mayor of Ekondo-Titi, Mbongo Alfred Ngoe, in Kumba. The Mayor died on Friday 2 March 2018.

            Sources close to the family of the late Mayor told The Median that when they learned of the road block by the Amba guys some family members proposed that they seek military assistance from the Meme SDO to escort the corpse to Ekondo-Titi. Yet others suggested that they avoid the risk and bury the corpse in Kumba.

            It is however not immediately clear if the military assistance was denied them. But we can confirm that no mourners could travel to Kumba from Ekondo-Titi to witness the coffining of the corpse at the Kumba Mortuary on Friday.

Matters Arising:

Buea DO Chides Prof. Ephraim Ngwafor Over “Illegal” SOBA Meeting

The DO has in a release, declared the SOBA EGA on 10 March 2018 in Buea ‘illegal’ and ‘suspicious’, saying any furtherance of its outcome will be considered a threat to public peace and security and treated as such.

By Ojong Steven Ayukogem with reports from Buea

Some Sasse Old Boys in Group Photo After Their EGA at BIROCOL Soppo-Buea,
with Prof. Ngwafor on Front Row, 1st From Right

The DO of Buea, Kouam Wokam Paul, has fired a stinging rebuke at the president of Sasse Old Boys Association, SOBA, Prof Ephraim Ngwafor, condemning some members of the otherwise highly respected alumni association for ‘forcefully holding an undeclared meeting’ of SOBA at the campus of the Bishop Rogan’s College, BIROCOL, Small Soppo-Buea, on Saturday 10 March 2018.

            The Buea DO says his vexation is grounded on the fact that SOBA had on 2 March 2018 received an authorization from the DO of Douala 5, to hold an Elective General Assembly EGA within his administrative unit on Saturday, 10 March 2018, but that the same DO withdrew his authorization on the basis of a court judgment (No HCF/037/M/2018 of March 8) from the High Court of Fako in Buea, which court judgment was served the Principal of Sasse College, and which the very learned and respected law Professor, Ephraim Ngwafor, also confirmed receipt of a copy in Douala.

            In his strongly-worded rebuke to Prof Ngwafor dated 13 March 2018 and with the SW Governor, the Fako SDO, the Bishop of Buea, the Principal of Sasse and the Chairman of the care-taker Committee of SOBA copied, the DO noted that “the administration of Buea was very vexed and disillusioned in the fact that very responsible persons from the prestigious Sasse College should engage in disrespecting legal jurisdictions as well as violating court judgments”.

Senatorial Election:

CPDM Campaign Gets Unenthusiastic Response from Buea Councilors

Invited for a campaign meeting through a bailiff, the councilors of the Buea Municipality snubbed the invitation, saying due procedure was not respected. They rallied instead with the Mayor for a parallel meeting at the City Hall.

By Boris Esono in Buea

David Mafany Namange, CPDM Fako III-Buea Section President has said he would invite
the Buea councilors properly next time

Councilors of the Buea Municipality stayed away from a meeting called by the Buea CPDM section president to launch senatorial campaigns in Buea, last Thursday, 15 March 2018, preferring instead to attend a parallel meeting at the city hall called by the Mayor, Patrick Ekema Esunge, on the same day.

            The Median learned that 33 of the 38 councilors of the Buea municipality snubbed David Mafany Namange’s invitation and stayed away from the meeting at the CPDM secretariat, while only four honoured the invitation. The four included Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh, Dr. Mrs. Ojong-Nkpot Comfort (4th deputy Mayor), WCPDM President Hannah Etonde Mbua and Chief Njie Mandengue.

            It emerged that the 33 councilors did not take kindly the fact that they were served invitations for the meeting through a bailiff, something which they considered unedifying.

            “Why should bona fide supporters of the party be served invitations for a party function through a bailiff? Is that what the party texts stipulate?” wondered one of the ‘dissident’ councilors, extrapolating that the president by his action did not trust that they would attend the meeting if ever he invited in the appropriate manner.

            Reacting to the boycott by the 33 councilors, the section president, Mafany Namange told reporters in Buea that it was a non-issue. He said it was a campaign planning meeting which did not require all the councilors to be present.

            Mafany said he invited just the CPDM section executives and the Mayor and his assistants for the meeting. He however regretted serving them the invitations through a bailiff, promising to invite them properly for another meeting billed for Tuesday 20 March.

            “Councilors were not expected to attend this meeting. The meeting was just a gateway for us to meet them in person on a later date. We invited only the section executives and the Mayor and his deputies. It is unfortunate that the mayor and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd deputies did not show up. But the meeting went on as planned,” noted Mafany Namange, adding that “in every human society there are discrepancies from time to time.”

            He called on the various campaign stakeholders to start working immediately, noting that the time ahead of them is short.

“We might not be friends or acquaintances in the quarters but we are militants of the same party and we should all work for the interest of the party. We should have respect for party hierarchy and texts; we should build bridges and not create division. We should always put the supreme interest of the party above individual interests,” prayed the rather benign and soft-spoken Mafany. 

            Meanwhile, the Buea Mayor also said in a release sanctioning his meeting that he too invited the councilors so that together they could brainstorm on the forth-coming election and also discuss other issues affecting them as councilors.

            Patrick Ekema during the conclave at the council chambers cautioned the councilors to demonstrate a high sense of maturity, consciousness and dedication during ‘these trying and defining moments’, as well as eschew all forms of provocation, slander and intimidation.

Senatorial elections in NW:

CPDM Sure of Victory, SDF & UDP Strategizing

By Njodzefe Nestor

UDP’s President, El Hadj Lawan Bako during his campaign launch

Campaigns to woe councilors in the 34 councils in the North West region have reached a decisive phase with party officials and list leaders of the parties that invested candidates for the upcoming senatorial elections in the region crisscrossing the various divisions with “lofty promises”.

            Despite the “sins” of the outgoing CPDM Senators, the party is confident that they will still win again. The SDF has however promised that they will crush the CPDM given that they have had a “horrible report card” from their last mandate. They UDP even though without a single councilor in the region is challenging councilors to shun the so called party discipline and vote for the UDP.

            The list leader of CPDM Regina Mundi, during the launch of campaigns in the North West region by Prime Minister Philemon Yang said they are into the race to take care of the interests of youths and women in relation to certain laws that protect them in the society.

            The seasoned pedagogue and astute politician dismissed as rumours what had hitherto been making rounds in the region alleging that CPDM councilors within Mezam are demanding FCA 1 million each before they go to the polls.

            Asked to evaluate the mandate of the outgoing senators, Regina Mundi was outright that it was not a moment to judge who did what and where but a time to work for progress.

Dialogue & Reconciliation Mission:

Paul Atanga Nji Enters Bamenda in Triumph

-Tells his NW kindred: “Disorder and violence do not pay”

Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji visited the NW region
 from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March 2018

Few days after his official installation as Minister of Territiorial Administration and few hours after receiving directives from President Paul Biya, Minister Atanga Nji Paul was in the North West region on what he described as “a 3-day mission of sensitization and dialogue” at the behest of President Paul Biya.

            While in the region he boasted that the president has addressed more than 90 percent of the demands raised by Anglophone teachers and lawyers.

            “The Head of State has instructed me to discuss and dialogue with you; to have all your worries and send to him. But one thing is obvious, all the worries that started from the lawyers and teachers, i can tell you with confidence, that the Head of State has solved more than 90%. He has even gone above what the teachers and lawyers were asking," he revealed.

            Minister Paul Atanga Nji who is also the permanent secretary at the National Security Council said his maiden visit to his native region after becoming the MINAT was also provoked by the unending security concerns in the region. It is worth noting that two government officials have been kidnapped in the region with many military officers murdered by unidentified persons.

High points of the visit were in camera meetings with different stakeholders amongst them the NW Governor, SDOs, DOs, forces of law and order, religious authorities, leaders of various teacher trade unions, Bike riders, leaders of political parties, economic operators etc.

Cancellation of CPDM West Senatorial List:

Constitutional Council to Rule on SDF Petition Today

By Innocent Kum in Yaounde

Justice Clement Atangana

The Constitutional Council will today pass its verdict on the Social Democratic Front, SDF petition against the CPDM list in the West Region.

            When the council meets today, it is expected to continue the examination of the SDF petition against the CPDM West region senatorial list which was amongst some six others filed at the newly created structure.

            Meeting for the first time Thursday since the structure went operational, the eleven members headed by the council president, Justice Clement Atangana examined some six partitions filed-in by candidates and political parties against some of the lists published by last week by the election managing body, ELECAM ahead of the March 25 Senatorial elections.

            Amongst those the various petitions heard during the session was that of the SDF against the CPDM list in the west regions.

            The SDF is demanding the council to reject the CPDM list in the West region on grounds that the ruling party fielded a fictitious candidate.  SDF lawyers during the session on Thursday argued that the said candidate doesn’t exist and went ahead to challenge the CPDM to present the individual before the constitutional council.

            After deliberations in conformity with the law, which followed hours of heated debates and examination, the Constitutional council ordered the appearance of Teingnidetio Jean, the person whose individuality is being questioned on the CPDM list in the West Region to appear before the tribunal on Monday. He thus expected to appear today, Monday before the court at 12:00 pm for a continuation of the hearings.

            For four others petitions filed at the constitutional council, the court observed that four of the litigants did not respect the law as the complaints were brought forth by persons who were neither candidate nor political party taking part in the election or any person serving as a Government representative in the said election. Before dismissing them, the Constitutional Council declared the petitions non admissible because they did not respect Section 129 of the Electoral Code.