CPJ Condemns Closure of Foundation Radio in B'da

 Committee for the Protection of Journalists

New York, May 13, 2013--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the closure of an independent radio station on April 22 in retaliation for its broadcast of an interview that authorities said incited secessionism.

Local officials in the northwestern city of Bamenda indefinitely shut down the studios of private station Foundation Radio, local journalists and news reports said. The injunction, which was signed by Felix Nguele Nguele, the top official in Bamenda, and originated from the Cameroonian minister of communications, ordered the station to be shut down because of its repeated broadcasts that "incited secessionism," according to CPJ's review of the document.

News accounts reported that the station was shut down in reprisal for its March 25 morning talk show, called "Good Morning Bamenda Show," in which the host, Tikum Mbah Azonga, interviewed two guests from the outlawed Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), which calls for the secession of the English-speaking northwest and southwest provinces from the French-speaking remainder of Cameroon.

Azonga, who is also the station manager, told CPJ by email that the station did not in any way support secession or the SCNC.

Azonga told CPJ he went to the police three times for questioning and was asked to submit a copy of the recording of the program. "They were wondering how I, as a journalist they knew to be very responsible, could have allowed the SCNC to speak?" he said. Winifred Weregwe, administrator of the Fomunyoh Foundation, which runs the station, told CPJ that police also indicated they were sending the recording to the Ministry of Communications.

A January 2012 presidential decree granted the state-run National Communications Council broad regulatory authority to suspend news outlets, but since 2003, the government's Ministry of Communications has also summarily shut down at least 10 independent broadcasters in response to critical coverage, according to CPJ research.

"The actions of the Cameroonian government to silence Foundation Radio over one program illustrates how far the state will go to suppress news and information about the secessionist claims in the northwest part of the country," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. "We call on authorities to allow Foundation Radio back on the air immediately."

Foundation Radio is run by the U.S.-based Fomunyoh Foundation. Its founder, Christopher Fomunyoh, has highlighted over the years the shortcomings of the political system under President Paul Biya as a Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa at the National Democratic Institute, according to local journalists.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

The Senate of Old People Goes Operational in Cameroon

 

Paul Biya is the President of Cameroon (80 years), Achidi Achu, former Prime Minister now senator clocks, (79 years), Peter Musonge, another former Prime Minister is also senator (71 years), Dakole Daissala, ex MP and former Minister of state(70 years), Chief Mukete eldest Member of the senate,(95 years), Cavaye Yeguie Djibril , National Assemble Speaker (73 years). These are the men who will lead Cameroon to an emerging country by 2035. When we know that some of these ages are converted into CFA, there is nothing to expect from all these political deceits.  Much noise and comments were made on state media on the appointment of 30 senators by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. Yet political pundits have been wondering if such appointment appropriate in a country that claims to be democratic.  To many, it was a concert organized by sycophancy "intellectuals" who live in the hope of being noticed by Paul Biya, in fact Mr. President’s men. The Senate, like the National Assembly is supposed to control the executive. But when it is the head of state who directly appoints 30% of the members of this institution and by unjust laws, his party controls more than 80% of elected senators, what should we expect? A rubber stamp senate! In view of what is on the horizon, it is not excluded that the main institutions of the country in the hands of men and women whom the youngest is 77 years old.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

Cameroon Rubber Stamp Senate in First Ever Plenary Session Today

 By Macbright Nfor

As prescribed by the constitution of Cameroon, the pioneer senate meets in a plenary session today, May 14, 2013. The session takes place at the national assembly. Amongst others, the 100 senators are expected to put in place the standing order of the House, election of the Bureau. The session will be chaired by the eldest member of the House who will be assisted by the two youngest senators.  The long awaited day for the validation of their mandates is expected to be a spectacular one given that majority of them are very old. Public opinion however describes the senate as the recycling house of old political guards. While another school of thought holds that President Biya used the senate to compensate his old political allies like Dakole’s MDR, Bello Bouba’s NUDP and Tchiroma’s FSNC. Yet speculations also abound that NUDP’s Secretary General Flabout Ngayap had rejected his appointment into the senate. All eyes are turned at the National Assembly to confirm this serious allegation. The fact that President Biya keeps recycling the old political deceits is creating a lot of doubts and serious debates. Pundits are of the opinion that the senate will come to past as a rubber stamp as is the case with the National Assembly. Youmo Koupit Adamou, CDU head of list in the West Region who also turned down his appointment as alternate to Sultan Adamu Ndam Njoya, is reported under serious pressure. It is alleged Youmo Koupit has been promised 25 million FCFA if he reconsiders his decision.

Notwithstanding, 14 traditional rulers are said to be senators. This is the first of it kind that traditional rulers have been considered given that some of them have turned to be liabilities to the elite. “Royal Beggars” as described by Kehbila Fokum in one of his books, have been given the opportunity to take part in decisions concerning the life of the nation. Considered as auxiliaries of the administration, some of them earn as little as 16.000 FCFA, yet that amount is never constant. For more than a year now, some of them have gone without a dime.

The national Assembly has been given a face-lift beautification work has been undertaken. From all indications, it is ready to host the Senators.  Everything seems to be ready to welcome the senators this afternoon.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

GBHS Nkambe Gone!

By Minie Moko-lah

Louis Mbapes Mbapes, Minister of Secondary Education is expected to appoint a new Principal or set up a caretaker committee for Government Bilingual High School Nkambe this week. This is so because Government High School has gone for a week without the school principal. Yet, both the regional and divisional delegates have been undertaken by two incidents that have reduced the school to floor level within a week. Classified sources at the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education for North West in Bamenda hinted this reporter that Sunjo George is expected in Nkambe on Wednesday May 15 in relation to two major incidents. North West Governor, Lele Lafrique is quoted to have summoned and instructed the regional delegate that lasting solutions be reached immediately to ensure that the school year ends well at GBHS Nkambe.

Last Monday May 6, 2013, Upper Sixth and Lower Sixth students stormed the street in a protest to claim the reimbursement of computer and lab fees they paid to the school administration yet have not had the classes nor worked in the lab since the year started. Both the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung Division and Divisional delegates were taken aback when another scandal surfaced that the principal of the school Madame Nkwe Lucy was in police dragnet. The news spread the town like wild-fire that the principal was napped in a baby scandal. “Sha” drinking spots, white-mimbo, fiang drunkards etc had each their own version to tell.  

The Eye gathered that the principal was spotted in Buea in a confused mode given that she might have been tricked by some herbalists. Allegations are rife at that she was arrested and detained but was later granted bail. Police sources as well as security reports confirm that her arrest is linked to a baby scandal and that hierarchy has already forwarded a report to the Minister for appropriate measures. Questions abound whether the principal is guilty of the act or not. Since there is no smoke without fire, the judicial police in Buea is investigating the matter.

It is alleged that she was picked up by police for illegally possessing a baby. However, the Judicial Police in Buea is investigating into the matter.

To instill calm at GBHS Nkambe, another source hinted that a crisis meeting took place in Bamenda on Saturday on strict instructions from North West Governor. According to the hint, Yaounde has been alerted by fax on both incidents as the Minister of Secondary Education is quoted to have been informed on the incident that led to the arrest of the principal and the uprising by students.

An authoritative voice in the Ministry hinted that hierarchy is however worried that the unfortunate incidents are happening at a point in time that students are preparing for the General Certificate of Education and end of year exams.  

In fairness, we however attempted to get in contact with the principal by phone but unfortunately, her phone was out of reach.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

Inorie Fotso: Cameroonian Actress/Musician Looking Beyond the Horizon in the USA

 By Fai Cassian Ndi

Life, they say is a combination of trials and tribulations but great people look beyond trials and tribulations. They look beyond the horizon that appears to be the end of the world and see other opportunities that nobody imagines can exist. And their interested act of dreaming, acting and realizing the dreams have positive multiplier effect on society. This is because celebrities are born with talent and to make things happen, they combine talent with hard work and determination.  

The very essence of getting to celebrity is that you need to have vision since you can’t blow an uncertain trumpet. Nevertheless, innovation distinguishes between a star and a fan.

Inorie Fotso: The Mega Star you're Hearing of

Inorie Fotso, the daughter of the Fotso Victor (the Cameroonian billionaire) was born with a golden spoon. But unlike ordinary visionaries who see far and remain on their original position, she did wait for things to happen for her. She walked for her vision. As a world class actress/ musician and producer, Inorie Fotso has rumble of serious innovative ideas that have kept her talent in the movie and Music industry in the United States of America afloat, succeeding where others have fumbled, stumbled and tumbled over. The official release of her latest single scheduled for June 5, 2013 would be groundbreaking. The question many have been asking is who actually is this rare Cameroonian star hitting the chart in Uncle Sam’s America? In fact the answer is simple. Inorie Fotso is a bulk of talent and a distinguished artist in the entertainment industry.

John Quincy Adams says that if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Inorie Fotso is a celebrity with exceptional leadership qualities. Her actions are litmus test of what a star ought to be. Though a youth still in her prime, Inorie Fotso’s traces in the music industry are likened only to those of Beyounce and they speak volumes of wisdom. In the Movie Industry she is an incomparable character at the doorsteps of Hollywood. And since the final test of a star is that he/she leads the young as their role model. Inorie Fotso is actually the role model who is leading African youths with conviction and has the will to carry on. Many youths today look up to mega star as their role model and the incarnation of hope and a better future for anyone hoping to enter into the world of entertainment. In getting to where she is today and especially in the United States of America, she toiled labourously to transform vision into concrete reality. That is why today she is building common frontiers for all segments of society. In doing this, she followed the principle outlined by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that ‘heights by great “men” reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companies slept, they were toiling upward in the night’. As the daughter of the popular Cameroonian billionaire Fotso Victor, she could have decided like others to do the simple things, but because she believes like Lance Armstrong that ‘greatness is not a measure of how great you are but of how great others came to be because of you’, she decided after she obtained her degree in Business Administration to enter into entertainment where she is loved, admired and cherished by the poor and lowly in our society, the middle class and the rich without any barriers. Today, she is scoring because of that firm choice.

Inorie Fotso it should be noted was born in Douala in the Littoral Region of Cameroon in a renounced family. Her mum is Marie Fotso and her daddy is the business magnet Fotso Victor. In 1994, young Inorie left Cameroon for Lome in Togo where she graduated in flying colours. The quest for more knowledge took her to Da Vinci International School in Belguim where she graduated with a certificate in Business Administration. And in 2002, she left for New York-USA, where she bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and later her vision took her into modeling and performing arts.

Inorie is founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the “Goddess Films Production.” What makes her the shinning star in the eyes of the world is that Inorie Fotso is a talented woman of vision and action. Vision and action are two cardinal ingredients for success and as the Japanese proverb hold: ‘vision without action is daydream; Action without vision is nightmare’. She neither daydreams nor entertains nightmares. This is because of her zeal to recreate the world and knowing like Abraham Lincoln that ‘the best way to predict the future is to create it’, she put into her vision the necessary ingredients that make her succeed in the entertainment industry.

The Role Model

Inorie Fotso is a veritable role model to young Cameroonians. Role models are people whose examples can be emulated. To say that Inorie is a role model is to say that many an African youth can look up to her. We live in a society where positive role models come in short supply. More and more, people are rather shocked and surprised by someone’s good deeds than by his waywardness. With the prevailing situation of moral decadence and bad behaviour from the elders, youths hardly have anyone to look up to. The few remaining good examples like Inorie Fotso need to be commended and recommended. She has proven that the real opportunity for success lays within the person not the job. Therefore, to say that Inorie Fotso is a good person is to use the weakest diction to describe a right celebrity. Even though billionaire dad tried to stop her from acting and modeling when she first started, he has since given his blessings to see her succeed. Inorie is one of the top actresses in Cameroon and has a list of high profile movies to her name; which includes 'X – Class' and 'The American Dream'. Besides music, Inorie also announced the release in a few months of a film entitled, “Coming From Africa,” produced by Blaise Christian Sitchet (another dynamic Cameroonian based in the USA). “Coming From Africa” paints the picturesque of a young African immigrant in the USA.  Inorie is one of the main characters in the film and she plays the role of a young frustrated immigrant, depicts life and the challenges that African immigrants encounter in the USA.

In fact the most thrilling part of the journey of this daughter of a father billionaire who decided to go for her vision and empower the world through the entertainment industry is success story is told in superlative terms just to confirm Rudy Giuliani who says that leaders need to be optimists.   

The World Class Musical Icon

Speaking to Cameroon Tribune, Inorie Fotso, said her maiden single will introduce her to the world and showcase her talent through the ‘Techno’ music genre.” “My aim is to represent Cameroon and to encourage and inspire young people to work harder to achieve their dreams. Where there is a will, there is a way,” she explained.

As a refined song writer, she carefully selected two songs from the eight she has written. To crown it all, the single is groundbreaking and will hit the chart at public release. To know her better is to listen to her song which brings people closer to daily challenges. She uses music to sermonize why people should live in happiness, peace and love and at the same time advocating for a world free from hatred, betrayals and sufferings.

As it is universally acknowledged that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, Inorie started her musical career singing the gospel music in a duo album titled. “The Lord is my creator”.

To cut it short, anyone who misses to get a copy of her latest single which will be released on June 5, 2013, would have missed the chance of listening to the music that awakens the soul. Do not be left out and be part of the new way with this intelligent, beautiful and talented musical icon. After all, Inorie knows and believes that home is where the heart is reasons why she always visits Cameroon to inspire more youths.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa