Politics

The health of the Vice Prime Minister at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of relations with the assemblies, Amadou Ali, has reportedly improved and the patriarch of Kolofata is responding to treatment. However, Cameroon Concord has learnt that the health of the ageing Vice Prime Minister has created tension within cabinet circles involving Prime Minister Yang Philemon and the Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Economy and Regional Planning, Abdoulaye Yaouba.

A request by Minister Abdoulaye Yaouba to visit Amadou Ali his political Godfather in a French hospital, met with a stone wall in the Star Building putting both men at daggers-drawn positions. The premier categorically refused the request stating to Hon. Yaouba Abdoulaye “You are not a member of the Vice Prime Minister’s family.”

This kind of “du jamais vu” rebuff that is not very common in CPDM leadership has angered some members of government who usually travel abroad for lame and ridiculous reasons.

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Ngwa Bertrand

28.Oct.2015

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Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting grouping India and her African partners officially opened on 27 October 2015 in New Delhi. The Heads of State and Government from Africa or their representatives who are in New Delhi, for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) will have two draft documents to approve as they meet this 29 October 2015 to examine ways of facing issues that affect their people. One is called a Draft Political Declaration and the other, the Africa-India Framework for Strategic Cooperation. Experts from the African continent and their Indian colleagues met in New Delhi on Monday 26 October to fine-tune the documents which the Cameroon Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella taking the floor in the 4th position yesterday 27 October 2015 qualified the draft as excellent.

Having as theme, “Reinvigorated Partnership, Shared Vision,” the IAFS which is the most representative ever in terms of representation and participation is out to reassert Africa and India on the global stage as they both look for solutions to their common problems. The Minister of External Affairs of India, Sushma-Swaraj who co-chaired the opening ceremony of the Foreign Affairs Ministers with his colleague from Zimbabwe, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi outlined some of the concerns that India and Africa face saying their historical ties and common challenges warrant that they work collectively in order to meet global challenges. Most foreign Ministers who took turns to speak at the opening ceremony noted that since the first summit in India in 2008 and the second in Addis Ababa in 2011 their gatherings have been “a celebration of the close partnership between Africa and India.

It is an acknowledgement of our shared history as well as our future prospects. From our struggle against colonialism and apartheid, we have emerged to jointly accept the challenges of a globalizing world,” they argued. They equally agreed that financing for development is critical in pushing forward their common ambitions and in ensuring better living conditions for the over two billion inhabitants of India and Africa. Their exclusion from major world decision-making structures like the United Nations Security Council has been another issue echoed by most speakers at the opening session of the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in New Delhi . From Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon and others all the Foreign Affairs Ministers expressed the determination of their countries to press harder for the voice of Africa and India to be taken into consideration as they constitute about a third of the world’s population and can no longer wait and watch others decide for them.

Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella pointed to the global challenge of terrorism which he said is holding back development and progress in India and Africa. He cited the case of Boko Haram extremists now wreaking havoc in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon saying such retrograde forces require a multilateral approach to be stifled. All parties hope that consultations at the highest political levels will give a new thrust to their age-old partnership by providing opportunities to redefine the future together. Meeting at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi, the Foreign Affairs Ministers after the official opening ceremony also had bilateral discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India to look at issues relating to their specific countries and India. Within that context, Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella of Cameroon met Honourable Ms Sushma-Swaraj at 15:22 PM local time (10:40 AM in Cameroon). In all, trade, telecommunications, agriculture, education, healthcare, climate change, blue economy, investments, technological development are some of the topics that figure prominently on the agenda of the summit which continues today with the Foreign Ministers finalizing the draft documents for adoption by the Heads of State and Government tomorrow.

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Ngwa Bertrand

28.Oct.2015

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have discussed resolving the crisis in Syria during a phone conversation, the Kremlin says. According to a statement released by the Kremlin on Monday, during the call, which was initiated by Saudi Arabia, the two leaders exchanged views on "all the questions associated with resolving the Syrian crisis, including four-way talks." The statement was referring to recent talks held between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US, Turkish and Saudi counterparts.

In a meeting in the Austrian capital Vienna on Friday, Lavrov met with US Secretary of State John Kerry,Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu to discuss resolving the crisis in Syria. The top diplomats of the four countries reportedly agreed to hold another meeting this week in an expanded format with delegates from other countries. According to the statement, Putin and Salman also discussed the recent developments in Palestine.

"The two parties expressed their concern at the growing deterioration in the situation." A fresh wave of tensions was triggered in August by the Israeli regime’s imposition of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. Palestinians are also angry at increasing violence by Israeli settlers, who frequently storm the al-Aqsa Mosque.

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Ngwa Bertrand

27.Oct.2015

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President Biya has signed two decrees today in Yaounde. The first decree of the head of state and army chief, appointed current minister delegate at the presidency of the republic in charge of defense, Joseph Beti Assomo as Chairman of the Board of administrators of the International War College located in Awae, a small town in the Centre region.

The second decree of the President of the Republic signed this Tuesday, October 27, 2015, also appointed the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, as a member of the administrative Board of the War College. Our senior political commentator observed immediately after the decision was made public that the 82 years old dictator was reacting to a recent visit by French Brigadier General Vincent Guionie to the college.

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Ngwa Bertrand

27.Oct.2015

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There is a special kind of divinity in being a cabinet minister in Cameroon. It is hard to explain but every Cameroonian is aware. Ministerial appointments are celebrated in fashionable style-from the nation’s capital, Yaounde right down to the home constituency of the Biya appointee. Is a life changing experience for everyone who has served in the Biya regime.

However, once you are sacked as a cabinet minister, your whole world crumbles. This is also true for every senior position in the Cameroonian administration from where the highly placed government official can get sinecures. Many top government officials have cried like little children following their ouster from the cabinet. Some have suffered serious health problems such as stroke and mental disorder.

Former minister and general manager of CRTV, Gervais Mendo Ze was on a wheelchair immediately after he was fired from government. The late Henri Bandolo could hardly eat or move. John Ebong Ngole reportedly cried aloud and rushed to the residence of the late Chief E.T.Egbe before realising that he had actually not been removed from cabinet. Ebenezar Njoh Muoelle could not talk to his own family members for months. Simon Achidi Achu burst into tears and since then life has never been the same for him. Itoe Benjamin was seen running to catch buses on the Douala-Yaounde highway after his removal from government. Philip Meyeme Mve collapsed at his residence after the presidential decree sacking him was made public.

Recently, it was the former minister of Agriculture, Essimi Menye who is in intensive care at the CNPS hospital in Yaounde and Hon. Ama Tutu Muna struggling to cope with life outside the ministerial cabinet. Of all the men and women dismissed from the Biya cabinet, only Hon. Albert Ngome Kome successfully managed his departure with dignity and decorum like it was done in the days of Southern Cameroons.

The AGBAW-EBAI DEBATE is asking the question: What do you think is the cause of all the serious health related issues developed by former Cameroon government officials immediately they are sacked from government?

A/ They are afraid of state auditing

B/The absence of free money

C/Love for political power

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Ngwa Bertrand

27.Oct.2015

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US Vice President Joe Biden says he decided not to enter the US presidential race after concluding he couldn’t win the White House in 2016. "I'll be very blunt. If I thought we could’ve put together the campaign that our supporters deserve and our contributors deserved, I would’ve gone ahead and done it," Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS's "60 Minutes."

Biden said it took a long time for his family to decide if he should run after the death of his son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in May. Biden’s wife, Jill, said she was disappointed her husband decided not to seek the Democratic nomination. “I believed he would’ve been the best president,” she said. During a speech on Wednesday at the White House, the 72-year-old Biden announced he wouldn’t run for president while standing next to his wife and US President Barack Obama.

At the White House speech, the vice president also expressed disappointment over partisan bickering in Washington politics. “We have to end the divisive partisan politics that is ripping this country apart…it’s mean spirited, its pity and it’s gone on for much too long,” he lamented. He also warned that the growing wealth and income inequality in the United States is a fundamental threat to the social stability and democratic system of the country. “We cannot sustain the current levels of inequality that exists in this country.” “I believe the huge sums of unlimited and often secret money pouring into our politics is a fundamental threat to our democracy and I really mean that,” Biden said.

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Ngwa Bertrand

26.Oct.2015

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