Politics

The chief executive officer of ACMAR media group, Bony Danshaco, in partnership with the Buea Council under the leadership of its development oriented municipal head, Mayor Ekema Patrick Esunge have in a press conference granted yesterday in Buea outline some stringent measures which they plan to execute so as to give youths of the municipality a memorable and unforgettable national youth day celebration come Saturday February 11, 2017.

Speaking in the conclave that gathered pressmen form both the print and audio-visual sector, Bony Danshaco announced that his organisation was going to doll out a pregnant sum of 10Million FCFA to the best schools that will participate in the 11 February match pass.  The gesture he told pressmen had no relationship to the ongoing socio-political atmosphere in the country but was in fulfilment to a pledge he made on February 14, 2016 in Buea.

The renowned entrepreneur and business magnet who hails from the North West Region explained that the decision to encourage youths of the municipality came as a result of a fruitful partnership between ACMAR media group and the Buea council.
Quizzed on the choice of the youth day, the CEO was categorical that when growing up, the youth day had always being a special day for them the youths and donating the sum of 10MFCFA was just to motivate them to not give up on the future and to bear in mind the adage that they remain the youths of tomorrow.

Danshaco equally used the press conference to call on all youths to come out massively on Saturday 11 and pay tributes to their father-land. An act which he describes as their civic responsibility and moral obligation.
On how the cash prize of 10Million FCFA will be distributed, the donor stated that the Regional Delegation will be charged with coming up of the procedure for selection and disbursement of to the selected school(s).

On his part, Mayor Ekema who is a foundation of the fruitful partnership which happened to be the first of its kind but not the last told pressmen that after holding several meetings with the administration of the South West Region and educational stakeholders, all had being put in place for a successful organisation of the National Youth Day.

On the contributions of  council, the Mayor announced that the socio-cultural aspect of the celebrations will be taken care of by the municipality which has been putting in place every measure to ensure a successful organisation of the 51st edition of the national youth day.

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Rita Akana

09.Feb.2017

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Former Prime Minister of Cameroon and the only one of them to have escaped to cobwebs of the Kodengui Maximum Security Prison, Peter Mafany Musonge, who currently serves as the permanent head of CPDM in Fako Division and grand chancellor of National Orders, has distant himself from the claims of Chief Senator Tabetando that they (South West Elites) advised the government to cut off internet supply in the Anglophone Regions of Cameroon (North West and South West).

Speaking in an interview with press men after the South West Elite forum that took place last week in Buea, a gathering that saw speakers launching xenophobic attack on North Westerners and promoting the divide and rule tactics of the government, senator Musonge said he was not a party of the internet shutdown.

“I didn’t…you have a tool which permits your education, which permits you to acquire knowledge, which permits you to come in contact with your brothers and sisters all over the world…I appeal to young people to use this medium for the benefit of themselves and their country.” While rejecting the claims, he frowned at the fact that people take to the social media to preach hate against his personality and others. “

You will go to the internet and people call you all type of names, and they will say you did this-you did that, that you have ill-gotten wealth and so on.

We have done a lot of work for this country, but you young people who are growing up, you criticize and condemn your leaders. It a shame.” He said. Even though the former premier did not avowed that he was an accomplice to the internet shutdown, his utterances suggest that he was at peace with it out of the way.

However, professor Ngole Ngole explained that the internet blackout is somehow justifiable. His words “we live in a country where internet technology is used very widely…for reason either related to national security or abuse or whatever reason that it has been cut. Obviously authorities that have the powers to regulate have a reason to do that.”

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Amos Fofung in Buea

09.Feb.2017

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While Amnesty International and other foreign bodies continue to criticize the government of Cameroon over the poor, inhumane and over congested state of prison facilities in the country, the regime 84years old Paul Biya rather than seeking solutions and embarking on measures to increase the capacity of these detention centers is rather chocking it with daily and continuous illicit arrest.
Their victims, agitated Anglophones who complain of over 60 years of gross marginalization and injustice. It all started in November 2015 when common law lawyers decided to embark on a sit down strike until certain demands are meet. Planned peaceful demonstrations in Bamenda, Buea, Limbe, Kumba and Muyuka by the lawyers met with stiff resistance from the regime as dozens of lawyers were publicly beaten as some got arrested.
Reports have it that the arrested lawyers were later released. In solidarity with the lawyers strike and in a bid to restore the Anglo-saxon values of the educational sector in Cameroon, trade unions and teachers groupings in the North West and South West Regions declared an indefinite sit-in strike.
The light autumn wind was still been neglected by the government but never did they know it will soon become a tornado. Maters escalated when a radio comedian and pidgin news broadcaster, Mancho Bibiyin, popularly called Mancho BBC, staged a coffin revolution on Monday November 21, 2016, by matching with a coffin on the streets of Bamenda calling on the Government Delegate, Vincent Nji, to provide answers as to the undeveloped status of the town. Matters got out of hand as riot police officers tried to restore peace. Lives were lost and a handful arrested.
November 29, 2016 eight days after teachers of the North West and South West decided to embark on an indefinite strike action, violent protest erupted in the University of Buea, South West Region of Cameroon. Over 20 students were severely injured as security forces open fire to disperse protesting unarmed students who staged a peaceful match to table certain demands to the vice chancellor among them being her immediate replacement.
Hundreds of students got arrested, but were later released after spending days at various detention centers in the region. Unconfirmed reports however hold that at least three of the arrested students were remitted in custody. After the failed CPDM rally in the North West regional capital of Bamenda which took place on December 8, 2016 massive arrest were made with reports of some of the arrested youths been ferried to Yaounde and Baffussam.
Massive arrest took place towards the end of last year but the epitome has been this January.  With the creation of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, headed by Barrister Agbor Felix with Secretary General, Dr. Neba Fontem, matters seemed to have gotten out of hand as violent protest erupted in towns like Bamenda, Limbe, Kumba and Muengene during Ghost Town days declared by the consortium. As a result dozens of youths got arrested in all towns with some taken to unknown destinations.
While the number of those arrested is still unknown since the government smuggles some out of the region by night, parents continue to weep while others pray for the released of their children as reports flood the social media that some of them might have lost their lives due to the inhumane living condition.
Tuesday 17 January, a day never to be forgotten
Until now, those arrested were merely civilians but that was about to end and the government had put in place a well mapped out strategy to this effect. Tuesday 17, January 2017 was indeed the day the struggle took another twist. At exactly 1PM after a press conference granted by Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a release from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization declared null and void the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.
As the sun set and Anglophones tried to digest the news of the banning of the consortium, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho and Dr. Fontem Neba, president and Secretary General of the consortium were arrested in Buea. Before the information could get out, internet connection was disconnected in throughout former southern Cameroon.
A week after that 17 January, Cameroonians were shocked to get news on the arrest of the initiator of the Bamenda coffin revolution, Mancho Bibinyi and surprisingly the Advocate General at the Supreme Court, Justice Ayah Paul Abine. While reports hold that the arrest might just be in it introductory state, fear had gripped Anglophones that forced many to go into hiding or self exile like Barrister Bobga Harmany.

Yaoundé’s main prison was built in 1968 with a capacity of 1,000 prisoners. Today, France24 Observer which obtained the recent secretly filmed footage from inside Kondengue,estimates that around 5,000 prisoners are housed there. The last official count was 4,234 prisoners, reported by the Ministry of Justice in 2015.

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Emergency Admin

09.Feb.2017

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In the face of a well orchestrated campaign targeting the six Anglophone Catholic Bishops, who have been receiving threats and hate mails, accusing them of supporting the teachers strike, the men of God deflated the attacks.

After given them 48 hours to close down the mission and private schools, the Bishops were forced to sign a communique saying that their schools have never been closed.

"We therefore declare that in the current situation, all Catholic Educational Institutions have never closed down and their doors remain always open to receive the pupils and students,

noted a communique issued by the six Anglophone Catholic Bishops on Wednesday.After signing the communique, the Education Secretary of Buea Diocese in the sw region of Cameroon was calling on schools to resume on Friday 10th February and he also was pleading with students to participate in the 11th February national youth day celebration.

After news of the communique went out, the Anglophone consortium reacted with a counter statement.The consortium leaders issued the following statement below:

Considering the fact that this strike becomes officially the people\'s strike after the so-called teachers union failed to call it off, considering the fact that our leaders are still in jail and on the run; we are calling on all West Cameroon parents to not risk sending their kids to school.

This strike rest in your hands. Friday 10th and Saturday 11th are ghost towns. It will be a provocative move for Buea diocese and/or Bishops to force start school reopening. We hope each and every West Cameroonian takes his/her responsibilities to ensure that the strike continues.

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Rita Akana

09.Feb.2017

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All those who watched the reception offered in honour of the Indomitable lions today at the unity palace will agree with Cameroon Concord that, the gangster regime is desperately trying to use this victory to make political gains.

The reception was a reunion and  English Speaking Cameroonians were surprised to see the likes of Atanga Paul Nji, Ni John Fru Ndi, Belinga Eboutou etc. These elites have been absent in the spotlight for awhile now amidst the current Anglophone crises. Ni John Fru seized the opportunity to make his voice heard again & told Biya face to face to take his responsibility as the President and solve the current crises because, one part of the country cannot be celebrating while others are being killed, arrested and deprived of internet.

There is no doubt that  Biya's speech was aimed at convincing the Anglophones about his one and indivisible theory. It was a complete failure because he doesn't yet get it right. How can he still think Southern Cameroonians in their majority will celebrate the Indomitable Lions victory?. Mr. Biya, Anglophones whom you called 'extremist' cannot be happy at this moment. Those who love soccer watched the match & wanted the Lions to win because they were a better and young team. What a contrast with the old faces we saw at the unity Palace. If only the president can listen to the cries of Southern Cameroonian youths. 60% have fled the country for greener pastures because of your bad governance Mr. President. What have you and your government done to make them feel part of your one and indivisible Cameroon. Buea was fast becoming the Silicon Valley in Cameroon where talented SC youths were making us proud like Moukanjo, Bassogog, Ondoua, Aboubakar did during the AFCON, but your government decided to frustrate them by cutting the Internet. How can they be happy with the Lions victory Mr. President?

While congratulating the Lions for a wonderful tournament, its important to condemn the regimes attempt to make political gains from this victory. Southern Cameroonians in their majority expect the regime to release all those arrested, a need for renewed round table sincere dialogue void of bad faith and especially not chaired by regime stooges. A neutral mediator should intercede this dialogue and there should be no taboo subject.

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Rita Akana

08.Feb.2017

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You can't win a struggle against a people in their own homeland who are fully committed to massive civil disobedience. It is an unwinnable misadventure.

It is like fighting a guerrilla warfare in a terrain you know nothing about and against a people you have no clue about their resilience and mindsets.

It is now evident that the genotype of the West Cameroonians is so unique and different from their brothers and sisters across the Mongo. These are two different peoples.

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Tapang Ivo

08.Feb.2017

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