Amid brutalization by soldiers:

Anglophone lawyers refuse to be intimidated, vow to continue with street protests

-Activities completely grounded at NW and SW Courts

-Journalists, Teachers, Political Parties pledge their solidarity

By Boris Esono in Buea

Common Law lawyers marching for the rights in Buea

At least 50 lawyers were last Thursday 10 November 2016 arrested in Buea, South West Region, when gun-tooting soldiers and riot police pounced on Common Law Lawyers who had taken to the streets to protest what they described as government’s insulting indifference to their plight. 

The lawyers of the South West were queuing up with their colleagues of the North West Region who earlier on Tuesday 10 October 2016 also staged a similar street protest that heavily armed soldiers also dispersed using water cannons and tear gas. 

                The gun-totting riot police and gendarmes had manned strategic locations from Mile 17 right up to the police roundabout in Buea. They pounced on the lawyers as they got set to march on to the Buea Appeals Court to hand their Memorandum to the Procureur-General.

                Some brave advancing lawyers were ruthlessly beaten up by the trigger-happy soldiers. Others had their wigs and gowns seized and torn to pieces. Yet others were arrested and detained, while others who were still coming up from Limbe and Muyuka were halted at Muea and Mile 17. Some sought refuge in people’s houses and hotels as they watched their colleagues being molested by the soldiers. The lawyers did not conceal their indignation.

                “It is surprising and even shameful that in a country that claims to be democratic and respects the rule of law lawyers are beaten up and brutalized in public like common law criminals. It is simply incredible what is happening in our country. But things cannot continue like this,” lashed out one of the lawyers, Sesekou Barrister Ebi Stanley.

One people one power:

Anglophone Journalists in solidarity with C.L. Lawyers

By Johnson Batuo

The ongoing strike by Common Law Lawyers has received the backing of Cameroon Association of English speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) Meme, KupeMuanenguba and Ndian chapters.

                In a communiqué issued on Tuesday 5 November a copy of which was sent to The Median newsroom, Camasej states inter alia that after a careful evaluation of the Common Law lawyers strike, she has resolved to endorse the strike, in line with section II, Article 2A of the Camasej constitution.

                The communiqué jointly issued by CAMASEJ Meme, KupeManenguba and Ndian chapters noted that CAMASEJ is backing the lawyers because their demands are legitimate and constitutional and because the strike so far has been peaceful.

MTN accompanies small and medium-sized enterprises in Cameroon

Philisiwe SIBIYA CEO, MTN Cameroon

Douala, 11 November 2016. MTN Cameroon, leader of telecommunications in Cameroon, announces the signing of a partnership agreement with the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (APME), this Friday, 11 November 2016 in Yaounde. The ceremony organized for this event was presided at by a representative of theMinister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESSA), in the presence of Philisiwe SIBIYA, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Cameroon and Jean Marie BADGA, General Manager of APME.

                Within the framework of this partnership, MTN Cameroon shall avail its technology and know-how to 20,000 Small and Medium Enterprises operating in Cameroon since 2012. The SMEs concerned by this programmeshall benefit for example a pack which provides them with a website, professional email addresses and mobile phone as well as data access facilities.In addition, they will receive other productsto enhance their financial, personnel and customer management.Moreover, there will be a dedicated MTN support team within APME offices across the 10 regions of Cameroon.

2017 Finance law:

FCFA 4373.8bn proposed  as state budget

The president of the republic is expected to give his final say on the amount before the finance bill is eventually tabled in parliament

By Mercy Neba in Yaounde

H.E. Elung Paul Che, Minister Delegate 

to the MINFI in charge of the Budget 

Parliament opened for the third and last ordinary session for the 2016 legislative year on Thursday 10 November 2016.

                The session that has as main agenda the examination and adoption of the Finance Bill that contains the proposed state budget for 2017, opened without government haven tabled the said bill.

                This is against the standing orders of parliament which stipulate that the finance bill should be submitted in parliament not less than 15 days to the start of the budget session.

                However, information gathered by The Median are to the effect that the envelope proposed by the government as budget for 2017 stands at 4373.8, with a net increase of 138.1 billion when compared to the 2016 budget. This represents a percentage progression of 3.1%.        

                Yet, it is not immediately known if the budget would be submitted in parliament as it is. This is because the President of the Republic is yet to put his signature on the bill.

                It should be recalled that last year the proposed budget was increased by up to 488.1 billions, from 3.746.6 billions to 4.234.7 billion, after the Finance Minister had told the council of ministers that the budget was 3746.6 billions. This made a net increase of 13% compared to the initial envelope.

Fight against ivory trafficking intensifies

Ivory trafficker in police dragnet

A man was arrested in Yaounde on 7 November  2016 for illegal possession of over 15 ivory pieces including carved statuettes during an operation that was carried out by wildlife officials from the Centre Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife working in collaboration with elements of the 10th Police District. The man who sells carved ivory objects among other carved objects was arrested as he attempted to sell the ivory in a popular neighbourhood in Yaounde.

                Eyewitness accounts say he has been regularly selling ivory objects and this was bad fortune for him as this time around he fell into the hands of wildlife officials.

                The same accounts hold that the man is regularly supplied ivory objects by sculptors who buy raw ivory and carve them into objects. He attempted to resist arrest when wildlife officials and policemen swooped in on him and found plastic bags containing ivory objects.

                This was the third arrest involving carved ivory within one week. A couple of days earlier a trafficker was arrested in Melong in the Littoral Region with several pieces of carved ivory.

                Barely days earlier another trafficker was arrested in Dschang in the West Region and was found in illegal possession of several carved ivory objects. He owned a shop and investigations show this was the base from where he had been operating his illegal business for a long time now.

                These arrests fall within the framework of government’s wildlife law enforcement initiative that was started in 2003 with the prime objective being to track, arrest and prosecute all those breaking the 1994 wildlife law. According to the law, anyone found in possession of a protected wildlife species is considered to have killed or captured the animal and is liable to a prison term of up to 10 years.

Briefs

Enow Stanley shines again at AFRIMA Awards.

Cameroon’s Hip Hop Star, Stanley Enow alias Bayangi Boy (Etang-tiMohManyang) has once again mounted the continental podium. Enow Stanley was voted best African artiste in the HIP Hop category, in the Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, holding in Lagos, Nigeria. The artiste from Manyu Division had earlier in 2015 won the Award for the “Best male artiste in central Africa.”

                Stanley Enow won the Hip Hop Award in preference to fellow compatriots, Daphne, Franko, Locko and Wax Dey.

                He has attributed his continental recognition to his peculiar style of singing that pays attention to the day-to-day realities of African society and his use of pidgen apart from English and French.

                He calls on big companies to jump for the opportunity and support him after this recognition on the continental scene.

CANPA Condemns Police Brutality on Common Law Lawyers, Supports Crusade against Anglophone Dehumanization, Recommends Dialogue

Members of the Cameroon Anglophone Newspaper Publishers’ Association- CANPA have observed with dismay and total disbelief how security forces in the North West and South West regions have descended on Common Law Lawyers exercising their rights to peaceful protests against the wanton discrimination against Anglophones of former Southern Cameroons extraction, reducing us to subhuman standards.

                The Common Law Lawyers have, from every indication exhausted all avenues open to dialogue to resolve some of the teething problems affecting not only their profession, but Anglophones and their cultural heritage in the Republic of Cameroon. The Lawyers held meetings in Bamenda and Buea and came out with memoranda addressed to the government with clear proposals on how this so-called unified country could continue to forge ahead with all its people looking in the same direction and shaping a common destiny.

                Several months on, the government continues to behave as if all was well; because these lawyers happen to be of English expression and practicing in an area considered “Conquered Territory”, the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, Head of Government and the Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals to whom petitions were addressed have maintained a defiant silence, waiting for any move to go out maiming and torturing innocent citizens.