National Communication Council Chairman in Court

By Ndi Mac-Bright

Bishop Befe Ateba

The chairman of the National Communication Council-NCC, an outfit created by government to check media excesses in Cameroon may appear in the Mfoundi Court of First Instance on January 21, 2014. Classified sources at the Mfoundi Court of First Instance in Yaounde have hinted that NCC President Bishop Befe Ateba is expected to appear in Court. This is so because a counter-petition from Bishop Befe Ateba praying on the court to its incompetence into a case file submitted by the lawyers of the Publisher of Quest Littoral has been thrown out. It should be recalled that Quest Littoral and its Publisher Benjamin Zebaze were slammed a three (3) months suspension alongside The Guardian Post and its Publisher, Ngah Christian Mbipgo.

It should be noted that the lawyers of  Quest Littoral had submitted a case file to the Mfoundi Court requesting redress for what the considered as “unfair and unjust” three (3) months suspension of their client. The suspension of December 21, 2013 on The Publisher and his media organ has had diverse interpretations. Yet Benjamin Zebaz has been vocal on the decision describing it as a kangaroo trial given that he was slammed a suspension without haven been heard. To him, it was an ill intention to frustrate his media organ and business given that newspaper publishing is a business. Sources say when Bishop Befe Ateba got the court summon, he also filed a counter-petition praying on the court to declare it incompetence in handling the matter. He also prayed the court to refer the matter to the administrative court but the Mfoundi court rejected the matter. Waked whispers in the media have interpreted the Mfoundi Court’s decision as the first victory against NCC.

It should be noted that Benjamin Zebaze was the first Publisher who took courage to put into the market daily newspaper in Cameroon when he was publishing Le Quotidien. Besides, he had a chain of newspapers like Challenge Hedbo, Challenge Nouveau, but latter sold Challenge Hebdo to Fadil. Benjamin Zebaze also owns a Printing Press. 

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