Editorial

After Reunification there was need to mobilize the youths of the nation across the two banks of the Mungo. It is difficult to fully grasp the concept of Youth Day today without throwing a retrospective eye back into the late forties and the early fifties when Cameroonian students studying at that time in European Universities met regularly, irrespective of where they were studying, to talk about the unity of Cameroon. The recent book published by Senator Victor E. Mukete who, incidentally is also the Paramount Ruler of the Bafaws and a first-hand witness of the early years of Cameroonian nationalism, is very instructive for those interested in early Cameroonian nationalism but, above all, the role of the youth in the process of enhancing the building of the Cameroonian nation of which we are beneficiaries today. The traditional ruler, in his book (“My Odyssey”) vividly recounts the various meetings organized by students studying on the both sides of the English Channel, very often overcoming language difficulties with the ultimate desire being solely to get the fragmented parts of the territory of Cameroon, as it was before the division following the First World War, back together into a united political entity. 

The institution of Youth Day, as a national observance day in Cameroon, is very much predicated on this desire even if events leading to its institutionalization were not necessarily youth-oriented, but political. The Plebiscite organized by the United Nations Organisation on February 11, 1961 to determine the future of the two Cameroonian territories – Southern Cameroons and Northern Cameroons were not of the taste of then President Ahmadou Ahidjo who would have wished that the plebiscite be organized jointly, rather than separately with one plebiscite in Northern Cameroon and the other in Southern Cameroons. The overall result would have given a victory for reunification with Cameroon, the fatherland at the time, but the separate organization produced a result in favour of Reunification with the then La République du Cameroun for Southern Cameroon and integration with Nigeria for the Northern Cameroon. (233, 571 votes for and 97, 741 votes against union with La République du Cameroun in Southern Cameroon and 97 659 for and 146, 296 against union in Northern Cameroon) For Ahidjo, this was a national catastrophe to the extent that the proclamation of the plebiscite results – February 11, 1961 – was a national day of mourning.

For the next few years following Reunification, the evocation of February 11 sent back sad memories until a mission sent to the then West Cameroon from the Youth Service of the Federal Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Popular Education in Yaounde came back with a report, after examining the functioning of youth services in the Federated State of West Cameroon, made proposals as to the need for the creation of a national day devoted to youth. The Federal President acquiesced and thus was formalized; the creation of Youth Day whose 50th anniversary the nation commemorates today. In declaring the day, President Ahmadou Ahidjo had decided to shoot two birds with one stone: on the one hand, keeping the Plebiscite victory alive by observing it from a more positive side rather than only remembering the date from the perspective of the loss of territory.

The plebiscite result could never be revoked as seen from the answer he got following his protest to the United Nations; and on the other hand, consolidating the new-found unity between the two political entities of East and West Cameroon by providing a meeting platform within which youths from the two sides of the Mungo could express themselves. For example, at the very beginnings of the Youth Day, an entire month was devoted to youth activities preceding the Day, but because of the high toll such a long period took on the national economy and the much learning time sacrificed by youths of school going age, the period was brought down to one week as is the case today. Looking back fifty years ago, one must acknowledge that the political gains of Youth Day have been far-reaching even if simply limited to the fact that they have not only brought the nation’s youth closer, but have also provided the opportunity to bring youth problems to the discussion table.

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Elangwe Pauline

07.Feb.2016

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The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is already in the field campaigning for 2018. Clarion calls have been made for the 83 year old dictator to run again for president. Cameroon Concord can reveal these CPDM outdated gorilla tactics have not gone down well with the international community. As pressure continues to mount on President Biya, the French including the Americans are reportedly preparing a plan B that will see an end to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. Recently in Yaounde the nation's capital, mixed reviews and opinions have been expressed by certain political scientists, sociologists, teachers and other academic experts including people on the know. The general feeling remains that anyone who likes Mr Biya can only wish him a happy retirement. 

We of this publication agree that at nearly 83 years of age and 34 years in power, President Biya no longer has the physical and moral capacity to manage the country. His 2035 Emergence Plan is already crumbling in front of his own watchful eyes. Nothing is happening with the roads he announced he was building, nothing is happening to the football stadiums he said will be ready before the female African Cup of Nations, nothing has improved with state pensions, the banking sector, health and the judiciary. Going beyond 2018 is not a priority for a people who do not have even basic needs.

Some have opined that President Biya should reject these calls coming from these political sycophants and cronies of his ruling CPDM claiming it represents an identity that illustrates men and women hungry for power. Cameroon Concord's chief political editor observed that Biya should allow other Cameroonians brave like him to take control. To be sure, President Biya must withdraw to preserve his dignity as one of the greatest statesman the continent ever known.

It will be hard for President Biya at 83 to provide a genuine political solution to the major concern before the elections in 2018 which is to establish the essential devices for credible elections.  Instead of calling on  Mr. Biya to run in 2018 or call for earlier presidential poll, the Francophone Beti Ewondo regime needs to open a transition program, rewrite the constitution and give the country a fair and equitable electoral law as well as strengthen the civil society. Biya and his regime have too many unfinished projects in the last 34 years and everyone Cameroonian including highly placed members of the ruling elites now understand that age is telling on him and these projects will not be realized during the upcoming seven years. We call on President Paul Biya to retire happily.  A word to a wise is sufficient.

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Ngwa Bertrand

06.Feb.2016

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The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is already in the field campaigning for 2018. Clarion calls have been made for the 83 year old dictator to run again for president. Cameroon Concord can reveal these CPDM outdated gorilla tactics have not gone down well with the international community. As pressure continues to mount on President Biya, the French including the Americans are reportedly preparing a plan B that will see an end to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. Recently in Yaounde the nation's capital, mixed reviews and opinions have been expressed by certain political scientists, sociologists, teachers and other academic experts including people on the know. The general feeling remains that anyone who likes Mr Biya can only wish him a happy retirement. 

We of this publication agree that at nearly 83 years of age and 34 years in power, President Biya no longer has the physical and moral capacity to manage the country. His 2035 Emergence Plan is already crumbling in front of his own watchful eyes. Nothing is happening with the roads he announced he was building, nothing is happening to the football stadiums he said will be ready before the female African Cup of Nations, nothing has improved with state pensions, the banking sector, health and the judiciary. Going beyond 2018 is not a priority for a people who do not have even basic needs.

Some have opined that President Biya should reject these calls coming from these political sycophants and cronies of his ruling CPDM claiming it represents an identity that illustrates men and women hungry for power. Cameroon Concord's chief political editor observed that Biya should allow other Cameroonians brave like him to take control. To be sure, President Biya must withdraw to preserve his dignity as one of the greatest statesman the continent ever known.

It will be hard for President Biya at 83 to provide a genuine political solution to the major concern before the elections in 2018 which is to establish the essential devices for credible elections.  Instead of calling on  Mr. Biya to run in 2018 or call for earlier presidential poll, the Francophone Beti Ewondo regime needs to open a transition program, rewrite the constitution and give the country a fair and equitable electoral law as well as strengthen the civil society. Biya and his regime have too many unfinished projects in the last 34 years and everyone Cameroonian including highly placed members of the ruling elites now understand that age is telling on him and these projects will not be realized during the upcoming seven years. We call on President Paul Biya to retire happily.  A word to a wise is sufficient.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

06.Feb.2016

Hits: 2446

The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is already in the field campaigning for 2018. Clarion calls have been made for the 83 year old dictator to run again for president. Cameroon Concord can reveal these CPDM outdated gorilla tactics have not gone down well with the international community. As pressure continues to mount on President Biya, the French including the Americans are reportedly preparing a plan B that will see an end to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. Recently in Yaounde the nation's capital, mixed reviews and opinions have been expressed by certain political scientists, sociologists, teachers and other academic experts including people on the know. The general feeling remains that anyone who likes Mr Biya can only wish him a happy retirement. 

We of this publication agree that at nearly 83 years of age and 34 years in power, President Biya no longer has the physical and moral capacity to manage the country. His 2035 Emergence Plan is already crumbling in front of his own watchful eyes. Nothing is happening with the roads he announced he was building, nothing is happening to the football stadiums he said will be ready before the female African Cup of Nations, nothing has improved with state pensions, the banking sector, health and the judiciary. Going beyond 2018 is not a priority for a people who do not have even basic needs.

Some have opined that President Biya should reject these calls coming from these political sycophants and cronies of his ruling CPDM claiming it represents an identity that illustrates men and women hungry for power. Cameroon Concord's chief political editor observed that Biya should allow other Cameroonians brave like him to take control. To be sure, President Biya must withdraw to preserve his dignity as one of the greatest statesman the continent ever known.

It will be hard for President Biya at 83 to provide a genuine political solution to the major concern before the elections in 2018 which is to establish the essential devices for credible elections.  Instead of calling on  Mr. Biya to run in 2018 or call for earlier presidential poll, the Francophone Beti Ewondo regime needs to open a transition program, rewrite the constitution and give the country a fair and equitable electoral law as well as strengthen the civil society. Biya and his regime have too many unfinished projects in the last 34 years and everyone Cameroonian including highly placed members of the ruling elites now understand that age is telling on him and these projects will not be realized during the upcoming seven years. We call on President Paul Biya to retire happily.  A word to a wise is sufficient.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

06.Feb.2016

Hits: 4393

The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is already in the field campaigning for 2018. Clarion calls have been made for the 83 year old dictator to run again for president. Cameroon Concord can reveal these CPDM outdated gorilla tactics have not gone down well with the international community. As pressure continues to mount on President Biya, the French including the Americans are reportedly preparing a plan B that will see an end to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. Recently in Yaounde the nation's capital, mixed reviews and opinions have been expressed by certain political scientists, sociologists, teachers and other academic experts including people on the know. The general feeling remains that anyone who likes Mr Biya can only wish him a happy retirement. 

We of this publication agree that at nearly 83 years of age and 34 years in power, President Biya no longer has the physical and moral capacity to manage the country. His 2035 Emergence Plan is already crumbling in front of his own watchful eyes. Nothing is happening with the roads he announced he was building, nothing is happening to the football stadiums he said will be ready before the female African Cup of Nations, nothing has improved with state pensions, the banking sector, health and the judiciary. Going beyond 2018 is not a priority for a people who do not have even basic needs.

Some have opined that President Biya should reject these calls coming from these political sycophants and cronies of his ruling CPDM claiming it represents an identity that illustrates men and women hungry for power. Cameroon Concord's chief political editor observed that Biya should allow other Cameroonians brave like him to take control. To be sure, President Biya must withdraw to preserve his dignity as one of the greatest statesman the continent ever known.

It will be hard for President Biya at 83 to provide a genuine political solution to the major concern before the elections in 2018 which is to establish the essential devices for credible elections.  Instead of calling on  Mr. Biya to run in 2018 or call for earlier presidential poll, the Francophone Beti Ewondo regime needs to open a transition program, rewrite the constitution and give the country a fair and equitable electoral law as well as strengthen the civil society. Biya and his regime have too many unfinished projects in the last 34 years and everyone Cameroonian including highly placed members of the ruling elites now understand that age is telling on him and these projects will not be realized during the upcoming seven years. We call on President Paul Biya to retire happily.  A word to a wise is sufficient.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

06.Feb.2016

Hits: 1610

We understand that whenever a child is being raised in a family where the dad dictates everything, there is the tendency that when freedom finally comes at 18, it will be abused.The case of Brenda Biya, daughter of our chief executive President Paul Biya has already been internationalized since its appearance on social networks. Indeed, having been ejected from a taxi in the United States, the young Brenda Biya claimed she was a victim of racism. A Student at the University of California some 60 km from Los Angeles, Brenda in her tussle with a US taxi man revealed that she spends over  800 dollars round trip (about 500,000 CFA francs) per day to attend classes. 

When you consider that Brenda has university classes four times a week and should make this trip once or twice a day, we can deduce that the daughter of the head of state spends about 1 to 2 million CFA francs each week. A local statistician placed the annual taxi fare at 48 to 96 million CFA francs. The video posted on Snapchat has angered many Cameroonians mindful of the fact that 60% of Far North residents live below the UN poverty line. Correspondingly, many Cameroonians are dying because they have no means of livelihood.

There is an urgent need for Etoudi to sound a note of caution to this little girl. The recent happenings in the US has revealed that nothing has been taught to the little girl on the code of conduct of children from presidential families. Let alone the conduct of Cameroonian students abroad noted for their good behavior. The warm blood which she demonstrated in that video should also be properly examined. Instead of wasting time changing from one funny hair style to another, First Lady Chantal Biya should go back to the black board and begin again. A stitch in time saves nine.

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Ngwa Bertrand

05.Feb.2016

Hits: 4074