Inside Cameroon

Zimbabwe’s 92-year-old president Robert Mugabe could be vying for a further term in office in the 2018 elections. According to the country’s ruling party Zanu PF, Mugabe is certain to be endorsed as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2018 polls.

The party’s secretary general Ignatius Chombo revealed that Mugabe will get the endorsement at the party’s annual conference this week, saying that Mugabe brings “wisdom and unity” to his leadership of Zimbabwe, which is struggling with a dire economic situation that has prompted periodic protests against the government.

This is a confusing twist of plot, coming after Mugabe’s announcement in early November that he would retire. Speaking to a group of war veterans in November, Mugabe admitted that the country’s economy is crumbling and said he would retire. He has previously said that he would die in office,although he said he is open to retirement if asked by his party. He has also dismissed demands by once stalwart war veteran supporters to quit, saying he was in power by popular vote and accusing critics of plotting his ouster with longtime Western opponents.

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Rita Akana

14.Dec.2017

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed a multi-million dollar partnership with Ghana on his first trip to Africa since taking office. Germany hopes the accord might help curb migration to Europe.

Germany has agreed to grant Ghana $118 million (€100 million) to promote renewable energies, energy efficiency and vocational training.

The two countries signed the “Investment and Reform Partnership” agreement following talks on Tuesday in Ghana's capital, Accra, between German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and  Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Germany earlier this year signed similar partnerships with the Ivory Coast and Tunisia. "German businesses are happy to go where there is a democracy perspective," the German president said, adding that "Ghana has shown the world over the past 12 months that it is possible to move away from a difficult situation by taking determined action."

The agreement is aimed at attracting private investment, creating jobs in the West African nation and discouraging illegal migration, said Steinmeier, who is on the first leg of a four-day visit to Ghana and The Gambia.

Better opportunities at home

"I am completely convinced that Akufo-Addo is serious about a more investment-friendly environment here in Ghana," Steinmeier said, adding that his visit highlights the strong ties between the two nations. Ghana, he said, has "done well to enhance its business climate and has provided the opportunity for the German companies to invest in Ghana."

The German President is welcomed with military honors in Accra

Ghana is West Africa's second largest economy after Nigeria. In an interview with Ghana's Daily Graphic newspaper, the German president called Ghana "a shining example in the region." 

As one of Germany’s most important trading partners in West Africa, he said, Ghana can "send a signal of encouragement and motivation to set out for new shores that will be heard far beyond the borders of your country."

Discourage economic migration

"We want to help Ghana succeed in offering better opportunities to its young citizens than embarking on the extremely dangerous option of illegal migration," the German President told the Daily Graphic, adding that it was the mutual obligation of European and African nations to warn people of the great dangers of the migratory journey towards Europe.

Pointing out that Germany grants asylum to people fleeing political persecution and conflict, but not to economic migrants, he argued that the partners must "fight together against criminal trafficking networks." He also stressed the importance of coming up with ways of increasing the number of skilled jobs in Ghana to give citizens reasons to stay in the country.

Relations between Ghana and Germany go back more than 60 years, with Germany increasingly evolving as one of Ghana's biggest development partners.

"We are taking great deal of inspiration from the commitment of German leaders in supporting the options the Ghanaian people have taken to assume greater responsibility for their economic development," said Ghana's president, who praised the "fruitful dialogue."

On Wednesday in Accra, German President Steinmeier is scheduled to open a migration advisory center aimed at training young Ghanaians and supporting business start-ups before continuing on to the Republic of The Gambia.

DW

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Rita Akana

14.Dec.2017

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Members of Parliament, MPs, of Cameroon's leading opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, SDF, have declared that the claim by govemment of securing the Anglophone Regions of the Northwest and the Southwest is a joke.

The declaration was made on behalf of the SDF MPs by the Scribe, Jean Tsomelou on December 13. at a press conference in Yaounde that was aimed at presenting a balance sheet of the just ending November budgetary session that was overshadowed by calls to include the ongoing crisis in the Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon in the agenda. Senator Tsomelou reiterated in his preliminary statement that instead of opening up a constructive and inclusive dialogue, govermment has decided to use military force to arrest a crisis that is purely political. "Government can't continue to claim that their attempt of securing the two Anglophone regions is yielding fruits when civilians and soldiers are killed each passing day." Stating a number of steps SDF has taken for government to address the situation and ensure there tum to normalcy, Hon. Tsomelou said there Mated for urgent solutions to be found so as to stop what is considered as a slow pace genocide.

Concerning the just ended November session of Parliament. SDF said their action in the two houses was to draw attention on the ongoing crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions over which government has strangely remained silent. To the party, they were crying for children in detention, children not going to school and for civilians and soldiers who are being killed every day. Although they were happy that the message went across, the SDF Parliamentary Group Leader, Hon. Joseph Banadzem, said shallow minded people saw it as noise making, dancing, and blowing of whistle and vuvuzelas.

While questioning why the debate on the Anglophone crisis could not be discussed in the two houses, SDF said on the other hand, the issue of Boko Haram was introduced onto the agenda leading to debates and contributions of which the SDF gave closed to FCFA 13 million.

Unanimously agreeing that citizens in the two Anglophone are experiencing torture under a militarised structure, members of parliament from the two houses noted that the two regions are being occupied by forces imported from out of the regions with well-defined instructions.

Concerning Hon. Joseph Wirba, MP for Jakiri Special Constituency, it was said that his absence from the seasion can better be explained by him as they Mated that each and every member of a party hes to respect and obey a supreme organ.

According to some MPs, if Hon. Wirba was a simple militant of the party, he would have been sanctioned but since he was elected, he still has his mandate running. That notwithstanding, it was maintained that he will be assessed when his mandate comes to an end.

Reaffirming their stance on federation, the leading opposition party said between now and the next parliamentary session, people's representatives will go back to their constituencies to up-date their people about what transpired during the November seasion. Besides that, the party will permanently be in action, working towards calling for President Paul Biya to summon an inclusive dialogue on the ongoing crisis in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

It should be noted that since the crisis went out of hand in October 2016, President Biya has made only two prenouncements ; on December 31, 2016 and on November 30, 2017. Sadly enough, the President has never extended condolences to the families of civilians killed since the crisis erupted. The press conference was also an opportunity to decry the torture inflicted on journalists in the country. While calling for the media to fight for their rights, the SDF MPs said, for 27 years, they have been fighting and that they will continue to fight for a better Cameroon.

The post Newspaper

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Rita Akana

14.Dec.2017

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Senate President Gets FCFA 2 Billion For House Repairs A whopping sum of FCFA 2 billion of tax payers' money is now being used to repair the residence of the Senate President in Yaounde. The edifice that is near the lakeside residence of the Prime Minister is the former residence of erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, General Pierre Semengue. Although the contract for the renewal of the building was awarded a long time ago.

The Post learnt that the scribe took exception to the fact that the project was over-billed. He reportedly argued that such a huge sum of money is too much for repair works on such a building. To him, FCFA 2 billion should not be spent on such a building that is also expected to host the cabinet of the Senate President. But the Senate Scribe was forced to reverse his decision when the Presidency gave its final word on the issue. Insiders moot that Meva'a M'Eboutou almost burnt his fingers because he did not know that some big guns at the Presidency also had interest in the contract. However, observers hold that FCFA 2 billion is too much for such a project. "This contract is a blank cheque for the embezzlement of public funds.

How will any normal person agree with the fact that FCFA 2 billion is not being used to construct a new edifice but to repair an old building for the president of the Senate?" one Senator, who elected not to be named, wondered in a reaction to The Post. He further asked: "How can such a huge sum of money be used for the comfort of one individual when millions of Cameroonians are suffering without roads, electricity, water and other basic necessities? For one thing, FCFA 2 billion is half of the very tiny budget allocated to the Ministry of Communication in the 2018 national budget. Critics are already chiding Government for misplaced priorities. The situation is akin to that of the moribund Economic and Social Council that gulps FCFA 2 billion every year, even though only four of its 30 members are still alive. Statistics indicate that almost 40 percent of the State budget usually gets into private pockets through the over-billing of con-tracts.

One of the scandals that animated the Mounchipou Affair that cropped up in 1999 was that a contract to fell a small tree infront of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications was awarded to somebody for FCFA 10 million. Many suchshady deals that border on the embezzlement of public funds abound. Eventhough, the building is being repaired, the current President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji, can only enjoy its comfort if President Biya reappoints him next year. Niat is one of the 30 Senators that President Paul Biya appointed in 2013. Since then, he has been living in his normal residence at the Nlonkak neighbourhood in Yaounde.

The post Newspaper

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Rita Akana

14.Dec.2017

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Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe has left the country for medical checks in Singapore, his first foreign travel since the army forced him from office last month, a state security official said on Tuesday.

The 93-year-old, who ruled the southern African nation for 37 years, resigned after the army and his ruling ZANU-PF party turned against him when it became clear that his 52-year-old wife, Grace, was being groomed as his successor.

Until recently the world’s oldest head of state, Mugabe had a reputation for extensive and expensive international travel, including regular medical trips to Singapore - a source of public anger among his impoverished citizens.

He left Harare with Grace and aides on Monday evening, the official said. He is expected to make a stop-over in Malaysia, where his daughter, Bona, is expecting a second child.

“He has gone for a routine medical trip to Singapore,” said the official, who has organized Mugabe’s security protection but who is not authorized to speak to the media. “He was due for a check-up but events of the last few weeks made it impossible for him to travel.”

The trip means Mugabe will not be in Zimbabwe when ZANU-PF endorses President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its leader and presidential candidate for next year’s elections during a one-day special congress on Friday.

The security official would not say how Mugabe was traveling although the privately owned NewsDay newspaper said he was on a state-owned Air Zimbabwe plane.

Mugabe was granted immunity from prosecution and assured of his safety under his resignation deal, a source of frustration to many Zimbabweans who accused him of looting state coffers and destroying the economy during his time in power.

Another government official told Reuters last month Mugabe had been due to travel to Singapore on Nov. 16 but was unable to leave because the military had confined him to his private home the previous day.

George Charamba, a senior information ministry official, declined to comment.

Under Zimbabwe’s Presidential Pension and Retirement Benefits Act, a former head of state is entitled to perks including limited foreign travel and medical insurance.

“These are very standard features of a retired president,” another government official said, trying to head off any controversy. “You are making a storm out of nothing.”

Reuters

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Rita Akana

12.Dec.2017

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Every passing day drama continues at the hemicycle of the Cameroon's National Assembly as the parliamentarians of the Social Democratic Front keeps their demand for the inclusion of the Anglophone crisis on the agenda alive. Where else they quip, shall the crisis rocking the nation that has been tagged as the Anglophone crisis be discussed if not at the National Assembly?

The much trumpeted empty slogan of Cameroon being one and indivisible get defeated here when the the purported head of state declares a senseless and clueless war against the Anglophones after tagging them as terrorist and secessionists. The Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement isn't qualified nor competent to govern Cameroon because it lacks the vision and the ability to pilot the affairs of governance, because of mediocrity and incompetence.

Even the speaker of the National Assembly by his lack of pedigree does not qualify to be the speaker of the National Assembly. This reflects even in his mannerism and conduct.

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Rita Akana

11.Dec.2017

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