Politics

Many Cameroonians of the French expression have expressed concerns over the internet blackout that has characterized the two Anglophone regions for over 80 days today saying the government used a primitive and naïve approach to the problem. They say there were more succinct approaches the government could have used to resolve the issue of spreading false rumours over the social media.

Martin Evariste Belinga, a final student at the national school of Post and Telecommunications in Yaounde suggested to Cameroon Concord what the government should have done instead. 

 “I feel very concerned because the consequences of not having internet are very serious on our economy. The government took into consideration only the political side whereby there is this possibility of spreading false information through the social media and causing panic among the population. To me there should have been another way of handling that for example, it is very possible to block whatsapp, Facebook and other social media, without taking away internet as a whole” says Martin.

Critics on their part are unable to reconcile the fact the government is calling on school resumption without first of all reinstating internet connection.

“You are calling for schools to resume yet you have not reinstated internet connection. You don’t expect students of the NW and SW of the country to do any meaningful research without the internet” yells an angry critic.

Details

Tawe Gije nkfunji

06.Apr.2017

Hits: 2323

A France-based pressure group, the Committee for the Liberation of Political Prisoners (CL2P) has condemned the Supreme Court’s confirmation of Urbain Olanguena Awono’s 20-year jail sentence

The original jail term was slammed by the Special Criminal Court, SCC, on August 12, 2013. The former public health minister was accused of embezzlement of 80million FCFA allocated for the purchase of mosquito nets for an anti-malaria campaign. The Supreme Court on Tuesday April 4 confirmed the SCC’s ruling. However, the Committee for the Liberation of Political Prisoners believes, the charges against the minister were made up to cover a political motive of the government.

Going by the Committee, the sum of money the minister was accused of embezzling, was entirely received by a certain Yves Soue Mbella through the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance.  Mbella, the committee wrote in a press release issued yesterday April 4, had admitted to have received the money. 

The committee also claims in the release that the Ministry of Public Health never requested transfer of funds from the treasury department to Mbella’s company, Vision SARL which was supposed to deliver the mosquito nets. The release says the payment was not ordered because the company did not supply the requested mosquito nets.

Mbella, the CL2P says, sued the minister, whereas he had received money for goods he did not deliver to the public health ministry’s national program for the fight against malaria. The committee also claims the Vison SARL boss is being protected by some top government officials, suggesting they are the ones using him to victimise the imprisoned former state official.

The pressure group describes the confirmation of Olanguena’s sentence by the Supreme Court as unjust and scandalous. The decision, according to CL2P, attributes to Olanguena Awono a punishment per “erroneous plaintiff who appears to have benefited from the protection of certain hidden forces at the top of the State of Cameroon.”

The committee which also defends the rights of other so-called political prisoners in Cameroon, links former minister Olanguena’s condemnation to reports that some ministers were planning to overthrow President Paul Biya who has been in power since 1982.

Accusing Cameroon for jailing the innocent and ignoring fugitives, the rights organisation also states categorically in today’s release that “his legal troubles originate from the Cameroon secret service notes which made him a member of the G11; a group of young state officials suspected of advocating the alternation to power in 2011”.

The committee also reiterates its stance that Olanguena Awono who has been jail since he was arrested on March 31, 2008, is a political prisoner and calls for his immediate release. 

Details

Mbi James

05.Apr.2017

Hits: 2154

The news broke this Tuesday April 5, during the 5pm news on the National Station of the CRTV. Former Lions skipper, Rigobert Song will tour the North West and South West regions of the country following his successful  recuperation from a severe stroke.

After falling ill in October 2016 and flown to Paris for adequate medical care, Manyang as he fondly called returned to the country sound and healthy on April 1. Since then he has been making visits to thank various personalities and Cameroonians in general for their support and prayers during his medical detention.  

On Monday, April 3,  he went first to the Ministry of Public Health and also to the Yaounde Emergency Centre, a structure that took care of him before his medical evacuation in France. Yesterday Tuesday, April 4, an Ecumenical Service to thank God for taking the Intermediate Lions coach through a successful operation and recovery in France took place at the Yaounde  Multi Purpose Sports Complex . It was later revealed that he would be in the North West and South West regions to thank the English speaking population for their support during his time on the hospital bed.

However observers are questioning the raison d'être behind his tour to these regions presently rocked by a protracted socio-political crisis. For some it is governments way of pulling a stunt and score political points just as it did with Serah Etonge during the 2017 Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, and presently the FENASCO A and B Games in Buéa and Bamenda respectively.  A civil society activist Lyonga Teke Ebot fumed, “ Government should stop beating about the bush and trying to distract people. We all know what Rigobert Song has done for this country and we love him. But right now, that is not the Priority for the Anglophones. He has already thanked Cameroonians on state Media and we have heared.”

An anglophone in Douala,  Bless Asong angrily  told Camcord, “ we don't want distractions, he could chose to go to his village or the Littoral region where he has a huge fan base and thank them. We know  Song benefitted from tax payers money to be treated abroad but he should not involve himself in the  dirty gimmicks of Biya. I advise him to take a rest and focus on his job.”

The exact date for the tour is yet to be disclosed to the public.

Details

Mbi James

05.Apr.2017

Hits: 2620

Two female Boko Haram bombers have blown themselves up in Cameroon near a school in the country’s far north, a day after the terrorists warned in a chilling video that they were going to behead President Paul Biya.

Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel, said the suicide attack took place in Mora, a northern town not far from the border with Nigeria where Abubakar Shekau’s men are still very strong.

The suicide attack occurred behind a high school full of students on Monday morning, but luckily, only the terrorists were killed, the newspaper said. 

On Sunday, a video showed Boko Haram men shooting presumably in the Sambisa forest, and a commander who was speaking in French was heard warning President Biya that he was going to behead him with his left hand.

He said the terrorists were on their way to Maroua, Garoua and Ngaoundere, as well as other Cameroonian cities to wreak havoc.

They displayed shoes and helmets and other military items they said were abandoned by the Cameroonian troops who were too afraid of them.

At least 150 soldiers and policemen have been killed while fighting Boko Haram in Cameroon and about 2000 civilians have been murdered there in over 500 attacks, including more than 50 suicide bombings, by those President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has branded the “godless, mindless” militants.

Last December, President Buhari declared that Boko Haram had been decimated after the fall of camp zero, once the military base for the terrorists inside the Sambisa forest in Borno state.

But recent incidents in Nigeria and Cameroon show that the war against those who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March 2015 and have modelled their barbarism after the Middle East killers, is far from over.

Details

Simon Ateba

04.Apr.2017

Hits: 3176

The chairman of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement has slammed the Biya regime for use of brute force, unlawful arrest, intimidation, extortion and gross violation of human rights in the North West and South West regions over the past five months. Maurice Kamto believes that the legitimate grievances of anglophone teachers and lawyers took a dramatic political twist because of government‘s intransigence purging out years of frustration under the weight of a dominant French speaking ruling class.

The firebrand politician and legal practitioner has condemned vices meted on anglophones insisting that, “…there is nothing that prevents us from talking about the form of the state. The attitude of the Biya regime is undemocratic and proves that the ruling class doesn't care about the demands of the masses.”

Kamto has criticized the international community for its “silence” which has instead given the government the powers to continue with unlawful arrest and intimidation of anglophones. “Neither the Secretary General of the UN, the Human rights Commissioner or the UN Security Council has made a statement on the plight of the people on the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.” He slammed the hypocrisy of the diplomatic community in the country who have sealed their lips in the face of injustice. “How can the IMF and World Bank propose solutions to the economic stalemate in the country without mentioning the reinstatement of the Internet in the anglophone Regions, a vector of economic growth? The international Community will take the blame for any chaos in the country.” He cried out.

The vocal critic reveals that there are plans by the government “black cabal” to take him off the political scene “by every means” for sympathizing with anglophones. These black cabinet in the midst of government is working tirelessly to nail him for terrorism and secession so he won't be part of the 2018 Presidential polls. He confirmed rumours that he and Akere Muna were enlisted to be questioned for trumped up charges. But his name was removed by the Presidency in order not to draw the attention of the international community, making them believe the crisis is purely an anglophone plot against the ruling establishment.

The cries of anglophones will not go in vain, he spat out. He is calling on the Biya regime to be open to frank dialogue and the international community to stop their hypocrisy and call President Paul Biya to the unconditional respect of human rights.

Reacting to the recent moves by Biya to solve the issues of Common Law Lawyers, Kamto says it is a clear demonstration that the Head of state is surrounded by bad advisers, people who came out to say there was no anglophone problem when the crisis broke out and made unpatriotic statements against the anglophone community.

The former Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Justice is one of the leading figures in the over 150 lawyers defending the outlawed Consortium leaders and anglophone youths arbitrarily arrested in the North West and South West regions.

Details

Rita Akana

04.Apr.2017

Hits: 3014

Following the recent extensions of the GCE writing date and the GCE registration date by MINSEC and The Cameroon GCE board, many Cameroonians are asking one question: What will the children be writing in the hall? Others describe scenes played by MINSEC and the GCE board as really entertaining and could qualify for an Oscar.

While onlookers are waiting to see how the GCE examinations will be managed to ensure the usual quality, critics express their worries on the matter.

“I don’t know whether these so called leaders went to school at all. What are they expecting children from the North West and South West who have stayed away from school for more than 4 months today to write in the GCE? How can two weeks of catch-up classes make up for 4 months of no schooling. It cannot work even though they are trying to brandish it with a price tag” says a bitter critic.

Registered students say they have devised other means of studying but remain cautioned as only the end will justify the means.

“I and my friends have organized ourselves in a study group. We meet every evening to discuss and solve past GCE papers. At times we don’t know if we are on the right track because we don’t have anyone to guide us. I just pray to God and hope that we are doing the right thing” says an ordinary level student resident in the North West Region. 

Students who have not registered say they are not interested in the 2016/2017 GCE in Cameroon.

“Personally, I am not interested in the GCE of this year. I am a Science Student doing 5 subjects with 3 practical subjects. It is already April and schools have not started here in the South West. Everything being equal, I don’t think this year’s GCE will have any value” says a South West based A/L student.

Details

Tawe Gije nkfunji

03.Apr.2017

Hits: 4413