Politics

Anglophone teachers in Yaounde who went protest have resumed the marking of the Government Common Entrance today after negotiations with Basic Education authorities.

The teachers went on strike following the slashing of their marking dues from 120 FCFA per script marked to 27 FCFA .  

Worst still Basic education authorities displayed arrogance when they were approached by the disgruntled teachers leading to a break down in talks.

They have finally regained their marking centres after lengthy talks Thursday, with officials of the Ministry of Basic education.

It has been agreed that the cost per script will be at 60FCFA. Conditions for their feeding, transportation and additional bonuses have been increased.

Details

Rita Akana

19.May.2017

Hits: 2125

A Special recruitment of 70 Science teachers into the Higher teachers training College ENS Yaounde has been launched by the Ministry of Higher Education. The entrance exam targets  candidates of the GCE 2017 Session who would have passed in Science subjects. 35 places are up for grabs in mathematics while the rest goes to the other subjects.  

By launching this "concours," observers say Government is trying woo candidates in the North west and south west regions who are dragging their feet to take the exams. The GCE practicals which started this week has registered a timid turn out in the anglophone regions owing to the crisis. And officials fear the situation might be the same during the written phase. They believe that Government is therefore using this entrance exam to swell GCE participation.

Government went ahead with official exams despite the teachers strike in the english speaking regions which has kept children away from school for 6 months. Critics raised fears over the physical and mental preparedness of candidates in these regions but that has not detered government who is using every means to encourage students to take the exams.  The minister of secondary education, Jean Ernest Massina Ngalle Bibehe was in the two regions where he gave specific instructions for a good conduct of the exams which is now under threat fom unknown arsonists and "mysterious" forces of nature. 

Details

Rita Akana

19.May.2017

Hits: 2732

The President of the North West Fons’ Union (NOWELA), Senator Fon Teche, on Tuesday, May 16, verbally whacked the population of Santa for surreptitiously boycotting the launching of the reconstruction work on the Babadjou-Bamenda Road.

“I am quite embarrassed by the timid turnout of the population of Santa for this history making event,” Senator Teche fumed. 

The NOWEFU President expressed his disgust at the turnout, when he and Senator Simon Simon Achidi Achu mounted the rostrum to vouchsafe a word of thanks on behalf of the North West population.

 Both Senators thanked the World Bank and the African Development Bank for rescuing Northwesterners from the deplorable road network and has recently become a high slaughter house. 

On his part, the Mayor of Santa, Moses Khan, warned protesters never to set fire on the tar when the road is completed.  

To the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, the Mayor thanked him for compensating all those whose property will be destroyed by the road project, but appealed to the Minister to hasten the transfer of competencies to councils and the rehabilitation of farm to market roads.

Earlier in his address, Minister Nganou Djoumessi, vowed that nothing would perturb the Government from tarring the 52km stretch of road. 

To him, the overall objectives of the road project is to improve road safety and security by reducing transport costs and delays on the Yaounde-Enugu Nigeria corridor.

On her part, the World Bank Country Director, Elizabeth Huybens, said the holistic approach that underpins the design of the road project, is to improve Cameroon’s institutional absorptive capacity, through the establishment of programmatic planning tools and targeted post graduate training, designed to support Government’s long term strategy as defined in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper. 

Details

Abeh Valery

19.May.2017

Hits: 1917

The uproar caused by a swarm of mysterious bees at Government High School (GHS) Buea Town in the Southwest Region of Cameroon has been raising eye brows in the Region.

The mystical incident came hours after an inexplicable fire gut GHS Bonadikumbo still in Fako Division and razed the GCE examination papers in that college.

Tongues are already wagging that the tragedies are a pointer to the fact that Anglophones are unhappy with the way Government is coercing them to send their children to school to sit for an exam they did not prepare for, given that they have been out of school for over five months, after their teachers downed their tools in protest.

Some people equally think that the mysterious incidents may be intended to teach some administrators like South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, a lesson on how to choose their words in public.

Governor Okalia Bilai had on May 8, taunted the Chiefs of Fako by questioning them why they cannot use their juju and witchcrafts to stop those he claimed were disturbing their children from going to school.

According to him, the Chiefs are only quick to use their ‘juju’ on administrators and civil servants who grab their land. The May 8 taunting was similar to that he gave to Chiefs of the West Coast, during his visit to Limbe.

He had told the Chiefs to use their dreaded Malaye and Nganya dance to fight against Ghost Town.

However, many think that the mysterious fire incident at GHS Bonadikumbo and the bees at GHS Buea Town are meant to tell the Governor that traditional rulers, who once played a pivotal role in the decision making process in Southern Cameroons through the West Cameroon House of Chiefs, will use their jujus and witchcrafts to fight against annexation, which they have been subjected to.

The case of GBHS Nguti

Both the GHS Bonadikumbo and Buea Town incident happened barley a week after Governor Okalia Bilai referred to the teachers of GBHS Nguti as terrorists and accused them of burning down the school.

But the Divisional Delegate of Nguti, told the Minister of Secondary Education during a working visit to the South West Region that students who were not coming to school suddenly appeared on campus in their numbers when it was announced that the Mock Exams were to begin.

“The Principal was happy that students are finally in school, but the students rallied themselves and marched towards the Principal’s Office and set it on fire, together with the mock examination question papers,” the Delegated narrated to the Minister.

In a futile attempt to defend himself, the Governor retorted; “why did the students not burn down the church of Nguti...?

The burning down of GHS Bonadikumbo GBHS Nguti and GS Atua Kom in the North West Region, and the mysterious bees attach at GHS Buea Town is testament to the fact that Anglophone Regions are resisting the 2017 GCE Exams as the clamour for the release of members of the banned Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and other Anglophone detainees, who were arrested and ferried to Yaounde in the wake of the Anglophone Crisis.

Details

Abeh Valery

18.May.2017

Hits: 2651

Some disenchanted staff of the Buea Council will today, Thursday, May 18 embark on a hunger strike over what they described as Mayor Ekema Patrick’s intransigence.
The workers also want to strike for their accumulated unpaid salaries, spanning from 17 to 22 months.
They bemoaned that the Mayor treats them with scorn and denigrates them even in front of their wives, husbands and children.
“So we want to start this hunger strike today, so that if our problems are not resolved, we will continue on May 20 for the entire nation to see what we have been going through,” one of the disillusioned worker, Monono Hans, said.
The Council staff said the Mayor has refused to tell them why he has suspended their salaries. “We have written several letters to the Mayor and he has never replied any of the letters. When we write to him, he doesn’t receive. When you go to his office, he doesn’t receive you no matter how long you stay there. It is as a result of this that we had to be writing through the Post Office so that the letter would come directly to him, and when he sees them, he sends them back to us,” Monono explained.
Other workers like Charles Moki Toni, Martin Njie Evakise and Elizabeth Ngowo Mbua, are all going through this ordeal.

Details

Abeh Valery

18.May.2017

Hits: 1924

The population of Mile 3,Nkwen  in Bamenda was startled when shops including a snack bar in the neighbourhood were discovered burning. This happened besides Guinness depot at mile 3 Nkwen. Inhabitants have termed the incident “ghost visit”.

Sources say, the beer snack bar burnt to ashes because the owner disrespected ghost town. The fire later spread to 3 neighbouring shops. It happened at the early hours of yesterday and the cause of the fire is yet to be known.

According to some residents of the area, they are suspecting the fire to be a criminal act. Reports say before the incident some five men were sported around the area. Fire fighters succeeded in quenching the fire before it could spread to other buildings. However it had already consumed a good number of goods in these shops.

According to some inhabitants of mile 3 Nkwen the bar owner deserved what happened to him.

“This man is very stubborn. He doesn’t respect the ghost town. This serves him right. Others are not fools to respect the ghost town” says an angry inhabitant.

While others are supporting what happened others are strictly against it. They say that it is not the best way to correct a wrong.

“What a punishment. I think before punishing someone, the person needs to be judged.

Those congratulating this wicked act do not know what it means to lose a life-depending asset” says an observer angrily.  

Details

Ndi Modeste

18.May.2017

Hits: 2708